Buying your first car, all on your own, without the help of your parents is considered a rite of passage for young adults. This purchase often happens after you finish college and get a job. If you are earning and saving money, you can make a plan for purchasing your first car.

Earnhardt Auto Centers comprises 16 brands, 17 locations, and 19 dealerships. You’ll find everything from a small commuter car to the most sophisticated luxury ride.

Planning For Your First Car Purchase

Buying an auto after college is so common that college websites offer tips on making a plan for your purchase. Many financial and credit websites offer this type of advice as well. For most young adults, this will be their largest purchase to date and will be a car they keep for some time before likely purchasing another one.

According to Kelley Blue Book, the average vehicle price in the U.S. is around $38,000. This can be off-putting for many first time buyers. However, there are many cars, trucks and SUVs closer to the $20,000 mark, making it easier for new car buyers to afford them.

Four Car Buying Tips

• Gather Your Resources for a Down Payment
  While you want to save up to make a good down payment, it may be possible to use your current car to establish a down payment. You’ll want to find out what your model is worth. Keep in mind that outside estimates are based on the ‘best condition’ of the vehicle. You can get a more accurate estimate when you deal directly with Earnhardt Auto Centers.
• Determine A Budget
  You have to decide how much you can afford to spend on a car each month. In addition to monthly payments, this budget needs to include expenses like gas, car maintenance and insurance. If you have been maintaining an old car, you will be saving money on any repairs since the new model will be under full warranty.
• Ask about Financing a Purchase or Lease
  Typically, new college graduates and other young adults don’t have credit ratings yet with the major credit bureaus. Earnhardt Auto Centers can help you find a loan or lease whether you have credit issues or no credit. Once your budget is set and you have information on financing, you will be able to decide whether you are going to buy or lease.
• Keep Your Options Open
  Before you decide on a must-have vehicle, check out others in the same style category. You should take some time to compare in person and online before making a final purchase. A test drive is always the best way to really know a car.

At Earnhardt Auto, we have new and used vehicles by just about every maker on the market. This allows us to provide a huge variety of models. Not only can Earnhardt Auto Centers help you choose the right car, we can help you get a loan for it as well with our No Bull Financing.

Things are certainly changing in the auto sales industry. Eighty percent of all car purchases are influenced by women and there are now more women drivers than men. Recognizing this, Earnhardt Auto has developed Woman to Woman. Dedicated to women shoppers, our women sales consultants are ready to help you decide on the best new ride for your family.

When picking a vehicle for your family, it can be difficult to narrow down what features are most important to you in the price range that fits your budget. It is different from just picking out a car for yourself where the priority might be sporty good looks and performance. You want the vehicle to be comfortable for your entire family. No doubt, you are buying new with the expectation that it will be safer and more reliable than the car you are replacing.

How much room do you and your family need?

In determining how big your car needs to be, you have to think about both the number of family members and their activities. A small family fits just fine in a sedan, but a family of five with band instruments or sports equipment may need a larger amount of interior space.

If you plan on driving a carpool, you may need a larger passenger vehicle that can carry six to eight people. With every change in model or style, you’ll need to evaluate things like rear seat legroom for your teenagers or the number and placement of car seat attachments for your toddlers. The number of cubbies, cupholders, and hidden compartments may figure into your thinking as you consider which vehicle actually has the space to handle your little crowd.

Beyond that, you’ll be debating the size of the trunk and how well the opening allows you to pack big items. A hatchback may be right, but is it big enough? SUVs come in so many sizes now that you have to be careful to get one that is big enough for people and spacious enough to handle your travel gear.

What functional features would you like?

As a mom, your family’s priorities will drive the list of features in your new car. Which will provide the most function for your family? Reading widely and thinking ahead will help you as you shop.

Moms are usually on the hunt for auto features that will keep children comfortable and entertained. Features can include multimedia entertainment centers, onboard vacuum cleaners, hands free liftgates, and side window shades. Entertainment centers can keep all of your passengers occupied and features like the window shades keep children comfortable while traveling. All these features are designed to make family life easier while you are on the road.

You don’t want to forget about the parents in the front seat. If very tall or very short, they may need seats to be a certain height. They may want heated seats and other amenities that make being a parent a little less stressful.

How safe is the vehicle you are considering?

Usually when shopping for a family car, safety features are at the top of the list of priorities. Each year, safety features are advancing in new cars to include items like driver monitoring software and self-parking features. Yet you can’t forget the essentials such as child locks, LATCH attachments, and a suitable number of airbags for a large crowd.

Much of what is being added now is designed to reduce the risk of accidents by giving you built-in tech helpers to make sure you and your family stay safe. It is very important to look at the overall safety rating for the car you are considering because, after all, you are carrying precious cargo in your family car.

Cars with five star overall safety ratings were featured in Parent.com and included models from makers like Kia, Chrysler, Honda, Toyota, Chevrolet, Ford and more. You can find used and new cars by these makers when shopping online or in person at Earnhardt Auto.

Safety ratings are available from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It is important to compare the same styles when evaluating these ratings.

Earnhardt Auto Centers is dedicated to women drivers and their automotive needs. Check out Woman to Woman to find out how we are willing to go the extra mile for you.

The auto sales industry is finding that focusing on cars for women has become very important for their overall sales. Women are now equal to men when it comes to car shopping. They buy at least half of all cars sold each year in the U.S.

One difference between male and female shoppers is that women tend to do a lot more research than men when shopping for a new car. One of the top priorities for women is the safety of the vehicle they will be purchasing. Perhaps that’s because these buyers are taking care of a family.

Five Safety Features To Consider When Car Shopping

Today’s new cars will have six or more airbags, two or more LATCH attachments for car seats, and electronic stability and traction controls. A rearview camera is now required, too. If you are buying used, be sure to compare the used vehicle’s list of safety features with those required by 2020 cars.

You should check out the overall safety ratings of the make and model you are interested in purchasing. While the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration bases its ratings strictly on crash tests, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rates vehicles based on crash tests and available features. Both offer information about the models available today. While these ratings are helpful, remember that a five-star rating on a sedan is not really the same as one on a big SUV. Different sizes must adhere to different standards.

Most of all, be on the lookout for these five safety features you want your car to have when considering your next car purchase. Some brands offer these on entry-level models, but just as often you will need to step up to get these important crash prevention features.

Forward Collision Auto Braking

The ability of your car to recognize danger and to slow itself is a step toward automation. The forward collision warning needs to be backed up by an autobrake. When you have the two together, you are less likely to hit the car in front of you. No matter how good your airbags are, it is better to avoid a collision altogether.

Lane Warning

When your vehicle’s tires are tracking toward the marked lines, the vehicle can warn you to straighten up. This may prevent common side swipe accidents. Some brands are offering an auto-correct that pulls at the steering wheel. This automates lane correction and is even safer.

Blind Spot Warning

Although it has been around for almost a decade, blind spot technology is still not required on today’s cars. Yet this device prevents crashes daily for many Americans. It watches for side traffic and alerts you when it isn’t safe to change lanes.

Automatic Reverse Braking

Most blind spot technology automatically comes with a cross traffic alert. Many vehicles offer sensors to help you detect other vehicles when you are parking. For either or both, you may be able to get automatic reverse braking.

Adaptive Headlights

This is a safety feature which helps improve your headlights and in turn your visibility on the road. The adaptive headlights use sensors to monitor your car’s elevation to accurately light the road and reduce glare for oncoming traffic. It makes your car easier for other drivers to see, making this an important safety feature.

Our Woman to Woman sales department is dedicated to making the car shopping experience a pleasant one for all of our female shoppers. We want to make sure that the priorities for your car are heard and that we help you purchase a car that is safe and reliable for you and your family. Visit one of our 20 dealerships in the Phoenix area today, or browse for a car on our website from the comfort of your home.

Whether you are a woman or a man, it is rare for someone to purchase a car outright without any financing. So it is important to be just as aware of your financing options as you are about your car options. It’s also important to know that the car market is changing in many ways.

Women buy over half of all cars sold in the U.S. now and take part in 80 percent of family car purchase decisions. Women also do more research than men, and this includes researching financing options. At Earnhardt Auto, we care about cars for women and we have made sure we have woman sales consultants who are ready to provide the assistance you want and the respect you deserve.

Five Tips for Financing

One of the biggest mistakes car buyers can make is to ignore the financing cost that will come with their car purchase. There will be loan costs and interest rates to be paid. This should be a part of deciding how much you can afford to spend on your new car. Here are five tips to consider when financing your car purchase.

• Put Money Down
  Putting money down on your car purchase helps in several ways. One plus is your payments will be less each month when you include a down payment for your vehicle purchase. Saving money before buying will give you some peace of mind when making such a big financial decision. Putting money down also helps you avoid owing more money than the car is worth.
• Know your Credit Score
  It is important to know your credit score before working to secure a loan for your car purchase. If you have a great credit score, you may qualify for some very good interest rates on your car loan.
• Secure loans with Credit Issues
  If you become aware that your credit score is low or has issues, don’t be discouraged. You most likely can still get a car loan. Also, some first time car buyers may have no real credit history. In either case, dealerships like ours have great relationships with banks. Our No Bull Financing is dedicated to helping car shoppers get the best loan or lease deal in spite of credit issues.
• Stick to what you Can Afford
  Before shopping for a car, it is important to know what you can afford. You want to set a budget knowing what you can pay monthly for a loan as well as for other expenses like gas and insurance. Even though it is tempting, don’t spend more than you can afford.
• Keep the loan terms as short as you can
  When keeping the loan terms short, you pay payments for less time, but will have a higher car payment each month. By doing this, you will pay less interest overall on your loan. Not all car buyers can afford to do this, but if you can, it will save you money in the long run.

A family company, Earnhardt dealerships care about our customers and want to help you get affordable financing for a car that you are excited about owning. We are proud of our Woman to Woman vehicle buying experience available at Earnhardt Auto Centers. We look forward to helping you secure fair financing that will let you drive away with the car of your dreams!

A recent survey showed changing attitudes toward car buying especially among Millennials who are currently aged 23 to 39 years old. Unlike Baby Boomers and even Gen-Xers, most Millennials feel that men and women are equally capable of shopping for and purchasing a vehicle.

As females are becoming the majority of U.S. car shoppers, modern dealerships need to take note. Our Woman to Woman program is dedicated to women shopping for vehicles or looking for assistance with vehicle service. This includes having female sales consultants at most of our 23 locations in Phoenix, AZ. Women are invited to participate simply by filling out this form.

This includes having female consultants and support personnel at most of our 19 locations around Phoenix, AZ.

Are There Specific Cars for Women and Men?

Another major area of change in stereotypes is which cars are believed to be preferred by female shoppers. Research done by one firm found that men are more emotional when shopping for a car than women. Men tend to be loyal to a specific brand whereas women tend to be more flexible as they search for the options that work best for their needs.

The most popular cars for women and men tend to be very similar now. They may be ordered differently in priority but, other than that, the lists are very much alike. In 2020, the most popular makes for men are reportedly Chevrolet, Ford, Nissan, Toyota, Honda, Jeep, Hyundai, Dodge, BMW and Kia. The most popular car models for women are very similar to top models for men. Some of the top cars for women are SUVs like the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ford Escape. The Chevrolet Malibu and Nissan Altima are reportedly the top sedan purchases by women drivers.

Do Women Buy Trucks?

The short answer is yes. Both trucks and SUVs are popular purchases with women. When looking at these vehicles, women still are much more interested in practicality. They tend to look for a purchase that is safe, fuel-efficient and reliable.

There has been a 65% rise in sales of pickup trucks bought by women from 2008 to 2016. Currently, two of the top truck choices, based on female ownership, are the Toyota Tacoma and the Chevrolet Silverado. For many, trucks are becoming a family car due to increased safety features, hauling capability, and roomy interior.

Who is the Female buyer?

There is no stereotypical female buyer anymore. At one time, many would have considered the soccer mom to be a buyer for vans only or older women to buy only sedans. Now there is recognition that there are all kinds of women buyers in the auto market. Just like men, they are completely varied when it comes to demographics like purchasing power, age, lifestyle, and ethnicity.

Earnhardt Auto Centers recognizes the importance of today’s female customers. To encourage confidence in the process, we happily offer you the option of working with a female sales consultant. To get your own Woman-to-Woman sales consultant for your next car, fill out this simple form.