On the Move March 28

Monday, Mar 28, 2011 For Advertising Information Contact Your Local Cars.Com On-The-Move Sales Team at 599-2378 or 599-2329

Experts differ on timing of car purchasesLOS ANGELES — To

buy or not to buy? That is the question facing many car shoppers these days.

That’s because rising gas expenses and a loom-ing shortage of Japanese-built hybrid and fuel-effi-cient vehicles are starting to pump up prices for gas-sipping autos.

But analysts at auto information company Kelley Blue Book say that with all this turmoil

in the marketplace, con-sumers should think twice about jumping to buy a new car.

They say it’s a mistake to pay a premium for a fuel-efficient car when gas prices could easily drop in the coming months and the price of the vehicles come back down.

Likewise, the earth-quake in Japan has upend-ed auto production, with both Toyota and Honda having closed factories there temporarily. But they

will probably be back up in weeks or several months, and inventories could rise soon thereafter.

“Don’t run into the mar-ketplace and purchase a new vehicle unless you absolutely have to. Wait for gas prices to come down and the Japanese earthquake to no longer be an issue,” said Juan Flores, director of vehi-cle valuation for Kelley Blue Book.

Flores notes that crude oil is abundant. Prices

are up because oil trad-ers are nervous about the political instability in the Middle East and Persian Gulf rather than because of a surge in demand or

shortage. “These fuel pric-es are not sustainable,” he said.

Kelley Blue Book fore-sees “soft” prices for small and hybrid cars two to

three years out, he said. But other analysts aren’t

so sure. With the possible excep-

tion of the Toyota Prius hybrid, “I cannot imag-ine a scenario where there will be more cars to choose from or lower prices months from now than what we have now,” said Jeremy Anwyl, chief executive of auto informa-tion company Edmunds.com.

By Jerry HirschLOS ANGELES TIMES

See TIMING, pAGE 4 / CARS

Current sales incentives being offered by manufacturers run through the end of the month. Consumers might as well take

advantage of them because the deals might not be as good next month.

Jeremy Anwylchief executive of Edmunds.com

4.0l v6, a/c, abs, tilt- adjustable steering wheel, cruise,

‘07 NISSAN Xterra

$18,4951-888-432-2914

Gem Mazda

v6 cylinder, a/c, 4dr wgn limited, abs, tilt-adjustable steering wheel, pw, pdl,

‘06 FORD Freestyle

$12,9951-888-432-2914

Gem Mazda

1.8l i4, a/c, pw, leather seats, cruise, spd-proportional power steering, 1.8l,

‘03 MAZDA MX-5

Miata

$11,9951-888-432-2914

Gem Mazda

4 cylinder, a/c, 2wd 4dr mt lx, abs, tilt-adjustable steering wheel, cd, pw, pl, cruise,

‘07 HONDA

Element

$11,9951-888-432-2914

Gem Mazda

4 cylinder, a/c, tilt- adjustable steering wheel, cd, pw, pdl,

‘09 KIA Spectra

$10,4951-888-432-2914

Gem Mazda

5 cylinder, a/c, 2wd ext cab 125.9” lt w/1lt, abs, tilt- adjustable steering wheel, cd

‘08 CHEVROLET

Colorado

$10,4951-888-432-2914

Gem Mazda

5.3l v8, a/c, alloy wheels, abs, tilt wheel, pw, pdl, cruise, ps, 5.3l,

‘07 GMC Sierra

1500 Classic

$23,4901-888-903-8118

True MotorCar Collection

v6 cylinder, a/c, alloy wheels, 4dr sdn auto, abs, tilt wheel, moon roof, sun roof,

‘08 ACURA TL

$22,9901-888-903-8118


4 cylinder, a/c, alloy wheels, 4dr i4 auto ex-l, abs, tilt wheel,

‘08 HONDA

ACCORD EX SDN

$18,9901-888-903-8118


3.5l v6, a/c, alloy wheels, abs, tilt wheel, sun roof, cd, pw, pdl, cruise, ps, 3.5l,

‘08 NISSAN Altima

$18,4901-888-903-8118


v6 cylinder, a/c, alloy wheels, 2wd 4dr limited, abs, tilt wheel, cd, pw, pdl, cruise,

‘07 JEEP Liberty

$15,9901-888-903-8118


4 cylinder, a/c, alloy wheels, abs, tilt wheel, cd, pw, pdl, cruise, ps, 2.4l,

‘09 MITSUBISHI

Eclipse

$13,9901-888-903-8118


Page 2 / Monday, March 28, 2011 Tallahassee Democrat / OnTheMOve

3.5l v6, a/c, fwd 4dr, abs, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, pw, pdl, leather seats,

‘09 LINCOLN MKX

$31,9951-888-259-7004

Tallahassee Ford Lincoln

3.5l v6, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, pw, pdl, cruise, ps

‘11 FORD Taurus

$27,9951-888-259-7004


4.0l v6, a/c, abs, tilt- adjustable steering wheel, cd, pw, pdl, cruise,

‘10 TOYOTA Tundra 2WD Truck

$27,9951-888-259-7004


3.5l v6, a/c, abs, rear air conditioning, tilt and telescopic steering wheel,

‘10 TOYOTA Sienna

$24,9951-888-259-7004


3.5l v6, a/c, abs, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, pw, pdl,

‘07 INFINITI G35 Sedan

$24,9951-888-259-7004


6.0l v8, a/c, abs, tilt wheel, pdl, ps, 6.0l,

‘07 FORD Super Duty F-250

$24,9951-888-259-7004


5.3l v8, a/c, 2wd 4dr, abs, rear air conditioning, tilt-adjustable steering wheel,

‘07 CHEVROLET Tahoe

$21,9951-888-259-7004


4.0l v6, a/c, 2wd 4dr v6 limited, abs, tilt-adjustable steering wheel, cd,

‘07 FORD Explorer Sport Trac

$21,9951-888-259-7004


10 cylinder, a/c, abs, ps, 6.8l,


$21,9881-888-259-7004


5.4l v8, a/c, abs, tilt wheel, pwr moonroof, leather upholstery, cruise,


$18,9951-888-259-7004


4 cylinder, a/c, fwd 4dr i4, abs, tilt- adjustable steering wheel, cd, pw, pdl, cruise, ps,

‘08 MERCURY Mariner

$18,4881-888-259-7004


4 cylinder, abs, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, cd, ps, 2.7l

‘10 TOYOTA Tacoma

$17,9951-888-259-7004


8 cylinder, a/c, crew cab 143.5” wb 4wd sl, abs, tilt wheel, cd, pw, pdl, cruise, ps,

‘06 GMC Sierra 1500

$17,9951-888-259-7004


8 cylinder, a/c, abs, tilt- adjustable steering wheel, cruise,

‘08 NISSAN Titan (2008.5)

$17,9951-888-259-7004


v6 cylinder, a/c, fwd 4dr v6 auto xlt, abs, tilt wheel, cd, pw, pdl, cruise, ps, 3.0l,

‘08 FORD Escape

$17,9951-888-259-7004


4 cylinder, a/c, 2dr man si, abs, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, sun roof, cd, pw,

‘09 HONDA Civic Cpe

$17,9951-888-259-7004


5.3l v8, a/c, tilt wheel, cd, pdl, leather upholstery, cruise, ps, 5.3l,

‘05 GMC Sierra 1500 Hybrid

$15,9951-888-259-7004


5.3l v8, a/c, tilt- adjustable steering wheel, cd, pw, pdl, cruise, ps,

‘05 CHEVROLET Silverado 1500 Hybri

$15,9881-888-259-7004


5 cylinder, a/c, abs, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, cd, pw, pl,

‘06 VOLKSWAGEN New Beetle Conv.

$13,9951-888-259-7004


5.4l v8, a/c, abs, tilt-adjustable steering wheel, pw, pdl, leather upholstery, cruise,

‘02 FORD F-150

$12,9951-888-259-7004


v6 cylinder, a/c, 4dr sport, abs, tilt- adjustable steering wheel, cd, pw, pdl, ps, 3.7l,

‘06 JEEP Liberty

$9,9951-888-259-7004


5 cylinder, a/c, abs, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, cd, cass., pw, pl,

‘04 VOLVO V70

$9,9951-888-259-7004


3.8l v6, a/c, 4dr ltd, abs, tilt-adjustable steering wheel, pw, pl,

‘03 FORD Windstar Wagon

$9,9951-888-259-7004


4 cylinder, tilt-adjustable steering wheel, cass., pdl, ps, 2.0l

‘98 VOLKSWAGEN Cabrio

$6,9951-888-259-7004


OnTheMOve / Tallahassee Democrat Monday, March 28, 2011 / Page 3

5.4l v8, a/c, 2wd 4dr limited, abs, rear air conditioning

‘07 FORD Expedition EL

$29,9881-888-259-7004


3.5l v6, a/c, 4dr limited fwd, abs, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, pw, pdl, leather seats,

‘10 FORD Edge

$27,9951-888-259-7004


3.5l v6, a/c, 4dr limited awd, abs, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, pw, pdl, leather seats,

‘10 FORD Edge

$27,7951-888-259-7004


5.4l v8, a/c, 2wd 4dr limited, abs, rear air conditioning

‘07 FORD Expedition EL

$26,9881-888-259-7004


5.4l v8, a/c, abs, rear air conditioning, tilt-adjustable steering wheel,

‘06 LINCOLN Navigator

$26,5951-888-259-7004


v6 cylinder, a/c, 4dr sdn fwd, abs, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, pw, pdl,

‘09 LINCOLN MKS

$25,8951-888-259-7004


3.5l v6, a/c, 4dr limited fwd, abs, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, pw, pdl, leather seats,

‘08 FORD Edge

$24,9951-888-259-7004


4 cylinder, a/c, abs, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, cd, pw, pl, cruise, ps,

‘10 CHEVROLET Equinox

$24,4951-888-259-7004


3.5l v6, a/c, 4dr sdn fwd, abs, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, pwr moonroof, pw,

‘09 LINCOLN MKZ

$21,9951-888-259-7004


4.6l v8, a/c, 2dr cpe gt, tilt wheel, pw, pdl, cruise, ps, 4.6l

‘09 FORD Mustang

$20,9951-888-259-7004


4.6l v8, a/c, 4dr sdn signature limited, abs, tilt-adjustable steering wheel, cd,

‘07 LINCOLN Town Car

$19,9951-888-259-7004


v6 cylinder, a/c, fwd 4dr xlt, abs, tilt wheel, cd, pw, pdl, cruise, ps, 3.0l,

‘10 FORD Escape

$19,9951-888-259-7004


2.5l i4, a/c, fwd 4dr xlt, abs, tilt wheel, cd, pw, pdl, cruise, ps, 2.5l,

‘10 FORD Escape

$19,7881-888-259-7004


3.5l v6, a/c, 4dr sel fwd, abs, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, pw, pdl, cruise,

‘08 FORD Edge

$18,9951-888-259-7004


3.5l v6, a/c, fwd 4dr se, abs, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, cd, pw, pdl, cruise,

‘07 FORD Edge

$18,8881-888-259-7004


4 cylinder, a/c, fwd 4dr i4, abs, tilt- adjustable steering wheel, cd, pw, pdl, cruise, ps,


$18,4881-888-259-7004


8 cylinder, a/c, abs, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, pw, pl, leather seats,

‘02 FORD Thunderbird

$16,9951-888-259-7004


v6 cylinder, a/c, fwd 4dr v6 premier, abs, tilt-adjustable steering wheel,


$16,9881-888-259-7004


4 cylinder, a/c, 4dr sdn sel, abs, tilt-adjustable steering wheel, cd, pw, pdl,

‘10 FORD Focus

$15,9331-888-259-7004


4.6l v8, a/c, 4dr sdn ls, abs, tilt-adjustable steering wheel, cd, pw, pdl,

‘08 MERCURY Grand Marquis

$13,9991-888-259-7004


4 cylinder, a/c, 4dr sdn se, abs, tilt-adjustable steering wheel, cd, pw, pdl, ps,

‘10 FORD Focus

$13,9881-888-259-7004


4 cylinder, a/c, 4dr sdn se, abs, tilt-adjustable steering wheel, cd, pw, pdl, ps,

‘10 FORD Focus

$13,9881-888-259-7004


4 cylinder, a/c, 4dr sdn se, tilt- adjustable steering wheel, cd, pw, pdl, ps, 2.0l,

‘09 FORD Focus

$12,4951-888-259-7004


3.5l v6, a/c, 4dr sdn ls, tilt- adjustable steering wheel, cd, pw, pl, cruise, ps,

‘07 CHEVROLET Impala

$11,9951-888-259-7004



Current sales incentives being offered by manufac-turers run through the end of the month. Consumers might as well take advan-tage of them because the deals might not be as good next month, he said.

There could be an upside to buying now. “If the supply of cars is disrupted, deal-er pricing would firm up, incentives would go down and you will have more lim-ited options, such as not being able to get the color you want,” Anwyl said.

Milton Olin, an attorney from Woodland Hills, Calif., watched the world events unfold and decided to lease a new Prius from Toyota Scion of Santa Monica last week.

“With gas prices going up and my sense that the Japa-nese industry would be dis-rupted by the earthquake and tsunami and radioac-

tive concerns, I thought that prices had nowhere to go but up,” Olin said. “I think that fuel prices will inch their way up too even if they back down for a lit-tle bit.”

High gas prices also were enough to get Bruce Stryd, a pastor in Fremont, Calif., to replace an aging Ford Explorer that got just 12 miles per gallon with a Mazda3 hatchback with nearly double the fuel effi-ciency this week.

“My sense is that it is a good time to buy a car,” he said. “There are still a lot of incentives out there, and the dealers seem like they really want to move the vehicles. The fuel issue isn’t going to turn around. Prices will keep going up.”

Jim Francis of Sterling, Va., made a similar deci-sion during the gasoline price spike of 2008, pay-ing $26,000 for a Prius to replace an aging Nissan.

He said gas prices then fell from their highs, just

about assuring that Fran-cis would never recover the premium he paid for the hybrid over a conven-tional compact car. He also missed out on the last year of attractive incentives and deals for the Prius, a result of Toyota’s efforts to main-tain U.S. market share in the face of millions of vehi-cle recalls that have dam-aged the brand.

But three years after his purchase, Francis doesn’t regret his decision. It’s worked out in the long run.

“It is not totally about the dollars. It is an environmen-tal thing, a feel-good thing. Still, it’s been nice to fill up once every two weeks for the past several years when you have a 50-mile commute,” Francis said.

Francis and Stryd are pretty typical consumers, Anwyl said.

“Most people are not mak-ing decisions based on what they think pricing or avail-ability will be two or three

months from now. People are asking these bigger questions now only because of all these events playing out on the world stage,” he said.

Figuring out the effect of the Japanese earthquake on the U.S auto market could take weeks, and possibly longer. And divining what’s ahead for gas prices is even more difficult.

“There is no doubt that the price of gasoline is out of whack with the current supply that we have,” said Phil Flynn, an oil analyst with PFGBest Research in Chicago.

Gas could quickly slide back toward $2 a gallon if political stability returned to the Middle East, he said. Crude oil supplies are at close to a record high for this time of year.

Still, Flynn said, the political upheavals in the Middle East create “historic risks to the price of petro-leum unlike any we have seen in many decades.”

TIMINGFrom Page 1 / CARS

Pat Wellenbach/APChris Kakalis, of Durham, Maine, changes the price of gas Thursday at a station in Brunswick, Maine. Gasoline prices rose Thursday to a national average of $3.551 per gallon, according to AAA, Wright Express and Oil Price Information Service. A gallon of regular is 38 cents higher than a month ago and 73.5 cents higher than last year.

BEST PRICING GUARANTEED:How about no payments till March 2011?

That’s Right! These holidays, KeepYour Money in Your Pocket! Mike Cook

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‘10 GMC Terrain

$35,9951-888-810-1201

Chevrolet Buick of Quincy

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‘05 FORD Super

Duty F-250

$19,9891-888-810-1201


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‘07 CADILLAC CTS

$18,9841-888-810-1201


Home Of The $500.00 Price Gaurantee!!! 4.0L V6, A/C, Bucket Seats, ABS, Tilt- Adjustable Steering Wheel, CD, PW,

‘07 TOYOTA FJ

Cruiser

$18,9841-888-810-1201


Home Of The $500.00 Price Guarantee!!! 3.5L V6, A/C, Bucket Seats, 4DR SDN 300 TOURING RWD, ABS,

‘07 CHRYSLER 300

$15,9841-888-810-1201


Home Of The $500.00 Price Gaurantee!!! 5.3L V8, A/C, Alloy Wheels, PB, ABS, Tilt- Adjustable Steering Wheel, CD, PW,

‘08 GMC Sierra

1500

$15,9841-888-810-1201


Home Of The $500.00 Price Gaurantee!!! 4.0L V6, A/C, Tilt-Adjustable Steering Wheel, PW, PDL, Cruise, PS, 4.0L,

‘07 FORD Mustang

$13,9951-888-810-1201


Home Of The $500.00 Price Gaurantee!!! Loaded, STRAIGHT 6 CYLINDER, A/C, Bucket Seats, ABS,

‘08 CHEVROLET

TrailBlazer

$13,9841-888-810-1201


Home Of The $500.00 Price Gaurantee!!! 4 CYLINDER, Bucket Seats, 4DR WGN, Tilt-Adjustable Steering

‘07 CHRYSLER PT

Cruiser

$8,9951-888-810-1201


Home Of The $500.00 Price Guarantee!!! 3.8L V6, A/C, Bucket Seats, 2DR CPE SS, ABS, tilt Wheel, Cass., PW, PDL,

‘03 CHEVROLET

Monte Carlo

$7,9891-888-810-1201


Home Of The $500.00 Price Gaurantee!!! 3.4L V6, A/C, ABS, Rear Air Conditioning, tilt Wheel, CD, Cass., PW, PDL,

‘03 OLDSMOBILE

Silhouette

$4,9941-888-810-1201


Home Of The $500.00 Price Guarantee!!! V6 CYLINDER, 4dr GL, tilt Wheel, PS, 3.0L,

‘92 FORD Taurus

$1,4951-888-810-1201



8 cylinder, a/c, split folding rear seat, 4dr sdn srt8 rwd, abs, tilt wheel, cd player,

‘08 DODGE Charger

$28,5881-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

v6 cylinder, a/c, split folding rear seat, fwd 4dr sl, abs, rear air conditioning,

‘10 GMC Acadia

$27,5881-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

a/c, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, sunroof, pw, pdl, leather upholstery, cruise,

‘10 VOLKSWAGEN CC

$26,9881-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

3.5l v6, a/c, split folding rear seat, 2dr cpe se, abs, tilt wheel, cd player,

‘10 DODGE Challenger

$23,9881-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

v6 cylinder, a/c, split folding rear seat, fwd 4dr xr, abs, rear air conditioning,

‘08 SATURN Outlook

$22,9881-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

4 cylinder, a/c, abs, tilt, cd, pw, pdl, leather upholstery, cruise, ps, 2.4l,

‘10 HYUNDAI Tucson

$22,9881-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

3.5l v6, a/c, bucket seats, 4dr limited fwd, abs, tilt and telescopic steering wheel,

‘08 FORD Edge

$22,9881-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

5.4l v8, a/c, split folding rear seat, abs, tilt wheel, cd player, am/fm radio, pw, pl, cruise,

‘06 FORD F-150

$22,5881-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

5.7l v8, a/c, bucket seats, abs, tilt, am/fm radio, pw, pdl, cruise, ps, 5.7l,

‘08 TOYOTA Tundra 2WD Truck

$21,9881-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

3.4l v6, a/c, split folding rear seat, fwd 4dr lt w/1lt, abs, tilt wheel, cd player,


$20,9881-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

8 cylinder, a/c, split folding rear seat, crew cab 143.5” wb 4wd sl, abs, tilt wheel,


$20,5881-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

8 cylinder, a/c, split folding rear seat, 2wd 4dr limited, abs, rear air conditioning,

‘07 CHRYSLER Aspen

$19,9881-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

4.0l v6, a/c, bucket seats, abs, tilt-adjustable steering wheel, am/fm radio, pw, pdl,

‘07 NISSAN Pathfinder

$19,9881-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

straight 6 cylinder, a/c, bucket seats, abs, tilt-adjustable steering wheel,

‘08 CHEVROLET TrailBlazer

$19,5881-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

4 cylinder, a/c, abs, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, sun roof, pw, pdl,

‘08 HONDA Accord Sdn

$18,9881-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

4 cylinder, a/c, split folding rear seat, fwd 4dr i4, abs, tilt wheel, cd player,

‘09 SATURN VUE Hybrid

$16,9881-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

4 cylinder, a/c, bucket seats, abs, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, cd, pw, pdl,

‘07 TOYOTA RAV4

$15,9881-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

1.8l i4, a/c, abs, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, cd player, pw, pdl, cruise, ps, 1.8l,

‘09 TOYOTA Corolla

$14,9881-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

v6 cylinder, a/c, split folding rear seat, tilt wheel, cd player, am/fm radio, pw, pl, cruise,

‘04 SUZUKI XL-7

$12,9951-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

3.8l v6, a/c, bucket seats, fwd 4dr ls, abs

‘07 MITSUBISHI Endeavor

$12,9881-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

v6 cylinder, a/c, 4dr sdn se, tilt wheel, cass., am/fm radio, pw, pl, cruise,

‘07 FORD Taurus

$10,9881-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

v6 cylinder, a/c, bucket seats, 4dr sdn v6 se fwd, abs,

‘08 FORD Fusion

$10,9881-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

v6 cylinder, a/c, split folding rear seat, abs, tilt wheel, cd player, am/fm radio, pw, pl,

‘07 CHEVROLET Uplander

$9,9881-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

4 cylinder, a/c, split folding rear seat, abs, tilt wheel, cd player, am/fm radio, pw, pl,

‘07 SUZUKI Aerio

$8,9881-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet


4 CYLINDER, A/C, CD, Spd- Proportional Power Steering, 1.6L,

‘10 HYUNDAI Accent

$12,5901-866-527-5191

Proctor Subaru

4 CYLINDER, A/C, 4WD EX AUTO, ABS, Tilt- Adjustable Steering Wheel, Sun Roof,

‘04 HONDA CR-V

$11,9001-866-527-5191

Proctor Subaru

a/c, tilt wheel, cd player, am/fm radio, pw, cruise, ps,

‘08 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTABLE

$12,9801-866-938-4982

Proctor Honda

4 cylinder, a/c, tilt-adjustable steering wheel, cd, pw, pl, ps, 2.0l,

‘07 NISSAN Sentra

$11,9801-866-938-4982

Proctor Honda

3.8l v6, a/c, 4dr sdn, tilt- adjustable steering wheel, cd, pw, pl, cruise, ps, 3.8l,

‘06 PONTIAC Grand Prix

$10,9801-866-938-4982

Proctor Honda

3.8l v6, a/c, 4dr limited fwd, abs, rear air conditioning, tilt-adjustable steering wheel

‘04 CHRYSLER Town & Country

$10,9801-866-938-4982

Proctor Honda

Enjoy The Spring..3.8L V6, 2DR CONVERTIBLE, Tilt- Adjustable Steering Wheel, PW, PDL, PS, 3.8L,

‘95 FORD MUSTANG CONVERTIBLE

$7,4801-866-938-4982

Proctor Honda

8 CYLINDER, Very Clean, All Power, A/C, ABS, Rear Air Conditioning,

‘05 NISSAN Armada

$17,4901-866-938-4963

Proctor Acura

3.5L V6, A/C, ABS, tilt Wheel, CD Player, AM/FM Radio, PW, PL, PS, 3.5L,

‘04 NISSAN 350Z

$14,9901-866-527-5191

Proctor Subaru

4 CYLINDER, ABS, Tilt-Adjustable Steering Wheel, CD, PW, PL,


$13,6701-866-527-5191

Proctor Subaru

5 cylinder, a/c, abs, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, pw, pl, cruise,

‘06 VOLVO S40

$14,4751-866-938-4982

Proctor Honda

3.5l v6, a/c, 4wd ex auto w/leather, abs, tilt-adjustable steering wheel, cd, cass., pw, pl

‘03 HONDA Pilot

$13,9801-866-938-4982

Proctor Honda

4 cylinder, a/c, 4dr i4 at vp, abs, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, cd, pw, pl, cruise


$13,9801-866-938-4982

Proctor Honda

3.5l v6, a/c, exl at with res, abs, rear air conditioning, tilt- adjustable steering wheel

‘05 HONDA Odyssey

$13,9801-866-938-4982

Proctor Honda

4 CYLINDER, A/C, ABS, PW, PL, Cruise, PS, 2.4L,

‘07 TOYOTA Camry

$13,8901-866-938-4982

Proctor Honda

Loaded, 4 CYLINDER, A/C, ABS, Tilt And Telescopic Steering Wheel, PW, PL, Cruise,

‘07 AUDI A4

$19,9001-866-938-4963

Proctor Acura

Extra Nice, 4 CYLINDER, A/C, ABS, Tilt-Adjustable Steering Wheel, PW,

‘08 SUBARU IMPREZA SEDAN

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‘08 ACURA TSX

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‘11 HONDA Fit

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‘07 HONDA Element

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‘07 CHEVROLET Avalanche

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‘06 VOLVO S40

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‘05 HONDA Odyssey

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‘07 TOYOTA Camry

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‘09 TOYOTA RAV4

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‘08 ACURA TL

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‘04 HONDA CR-V

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‘07 NISSAN Sentra

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‘03 HONDA Pilot

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‘05 HONDA Odyssey

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‘06 TOYOTA Sienna

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‘06 FORD F-150

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‘11 HONDA Fit

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‘09 HONDA Fit

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‘08 NISSAN Altima

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‘09 HONDA CR-V

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‘09 TOYOTA RAV4

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Pinpoint the cause of overheating to save your engineQuestion: My car has

begun to occasionally run hot, with the gauge reaching the three-fourths point of its scale. It hasn’t actually overheated. I’m told this would be steaming and would push the gauge into the red. What could cause this?

Answer: Tempera-ture gauges vary from one vehicle to the next, and what’s normal on one might be unusu-al on another. The first step is to check for prop-er coolant level. If the overflow container is low or empty, there’s a good chance the radia-tor and engine are low as well.

If you find the system low (with no visible fluid

in the radiator neck), refill it as necessary with water, for now. Fill the overflow bottle to about one-third full.

After running the engine — get it fully warmed up, then turn it off — a careful inspec-tion of cooling-system hoses and connections will probably reveal a source of the leak. At the time of repair, the correct ratio of fresh antifreeze and water can be added.

If your car isn’t losing coolant, there are sever-al possible reasons for it to run at a higher-than-desired temperature. Examples are a restrict-ed radiator, sticking thermostat, eroded

water-pump impeller, collapsing lower radia-tor hose and a failed cylinder-head gasket.

Have the car inspect-ed and repaired right away. Overheating an engine (more severe-ly than you’ve encoun-tered so far) can be very destructive and expen-sive to repair.

Q: When accelerat-ing from a stop, my 1993 Plymouth Sun-dance does not want to go. I have had a new catalytic convert-er and exhaust system installed. I had a tune-up last year. I have put a bottle of STP dry gas in for the second time and it has started to

improve. My car didn’t do this before it sat for two months.

A: If the engine runs smoothly as power loss occurs, we can assume the engine’s cylinders are contributing equally.

Because the vehicle was parked for a while and you’ve had some success with a fuel addi-tive, I suspect fuel con-tamination. Could the Sundance have had a loose or missing gas cap during rain? It’s also possible you inadver-tently purchased a few gallons of water along with a tank of fuel.

To check for contami-nation, get a fuel sample from a separated line or service port. Contami-nants will settle, with water forming blobs. If more than a few drops

of water are detected, remove/drain the fuel tank to inspect for cor-rosion.

Once it is refilled with fresh gasoline and a new fuel filter is installed, you should be fine. If only a lit-tle water is indicated, renew the filter and try a larger dose of dry gas (ethanol).

Other causes of a substantial power loss are a lack of fuel pres-sure/volume, a restrict-ed exhaust system, an air cleaner obstruction, incorrect spark advance or a transmission fault.

n Brad Bergholdt teaches automotive technology in

San Jose, Calif., and writes this column for the San

Jose Mercury News. Email question to him at under-

[email protected].

By Brad BergholdtMCClatChy-triBuNE NEWS SErViCE under the hood If your car isn’t

losing coolant, there are several possible reasons

for it to run at a higher-than-desired temperature. examples are a restricted

radiator, sticking thermostat, eroded

water-pump impeller, collapsing

lower radiator hose and a failed

cylinder-head gasket.

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Check suspension if front end shakesQuestion: I have a

2000 Mitsubishi Gal-ant with about 140,000 miles on it. While my nephew was driving at normal highway speed about a month ago, the steering wheel start-ed shaking violent-ly. He stopped the car but could find nothing wrong. When he started driving again, the shak-ing had disappeared.

Three weeks later, my son drove it from central Wisconsin to Minneapo-lis. When he slowed for the exit ramp, the steer-ing wheel again started shaking violently and the car pulled to the left. The shaking lasted about two minutes and then everything went back to normal.

Our trusted mechan-

ic checked everything and drove it more than 140 miles but could find nothing wrong. A tire shop discovered the front wheels were bent. We bought two new wheels, put the new wheels on the back with the old tires and put the rear wheels on the front with new tires.

This morning, two hours into a long drive, the car started shaking. They drove it about two miles and then exited, filled up with gas and drove away — again all is well. Something is wrong, and we are not even sure what to look for.

Answer: Because the shaking is felt in the steering wheel rath-er than the seat, focus on the front suspen-sion and steering. Com-

mon causes for serious front-end vibrations are worn components, bent or damaged parts, tired shocks or struts, dam-aged tires, worn brake rotors — or a combi-nation of any or all of the above. My Allda-ta automotive database pulled up a Mitsubishi technical service bul-letin, TSB-00-33A-001 dated November 2000, that addresses steering wheel shimmy at road speed. It suggests replac-ing the front lower con-trol arms. Wear in the lower ball joint or control arm bushings can allow undampened vibrations like you describe, as can wear or play in the upper strut bearing assembly.

Mitsubishi issued recall SR-00-004REV to inspect for a loose pinion shaft lock nut on

the steering gear, which could create a vibration or very stiff steering.

I’d suggest having the vehicle checked careful-ly by a competent auto-body shop or front-end specialist. There has to be excess wear some-where in the front sus-pension or steering gear, or the rotors are worn enough that the brake pads do not always seat against the rotor surface properly.

Q: I have a 2004 Mer-cury Marquis. The left rear axle seal blew out at 40,000 miles. It was replaced under warran-ty. At 80,000, it went again. This time, the cost was $600. Now, 30,000 miles later, it failed again. A double-lip rear seal was installed by the dealer. But now it’s happened again.

What gives? A: This time, replace

the entire axle assem-bly — axle, bearing and seal. Possible causes for repeated axle failure are a bent axle housing, bent axle shaft, worn axle bearing or a groove in the axle shaft where the seal lip rides.

Q: When I take my car in for service, the garage typically does a safety check and reports the amount of brake pad remaining. At what thickness or percentage of pad remaining would you recommend that I have the pads replaced? Does it matter what kind of vehicle I drive — or do brake pads increase in area, but not in thick-ness, the bigger the vehi-cle?

A: Brake pads can be larger in contact sur-

face and thicker as well, depending on the weight and performance of the vehicle. Since the thick-ness is directly propor-tional to the pad’s ability to dissipate heat, I tend to replace pads or shoes worn down to the last 10 to 20 percent of their original thickness. If the brake rotors/drums are still in good shape — no serious wear/run-out/out-of-round — I just lightly scuff the surfac-es with a sanding disc and install new friction material.

Just like tires, better safe than sorry.

n Paul Brand is an automotive troubleshooter,

driving instructor and former race-car driver. Readers may write to him at: Star

Tribune, 425 Portland Ave. S., Minneapolis, Minn. 55488 or via email at

paulbrandstartribune.com.

By Paul BrandMINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE

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HACKENSACK, N.J. — Commercial construction, like the economy, may still be sluggish, but not at lux-ury car dealerships. For some BMW, Porsche and Mercedes-Benz dealers, the time is ripe to spend millions of dollars on their showrooms and service areas.

At Benzel-Busch Motor Corp. in downtown Engle-wood, N.J., construction is under way on a $20 million renovation and expansion that required the buyout of a proper-ty next door where there used to be a piano shop. The project will nearly double the dealer’s floor space to 160,000 square feet. The company employs about 230 and will add a couple of dozen more with the expansion, said Joe Herman, general sales manager.

“The customer-ser-vice experience had to be stepped up a notch,” said Joseph Agresta Jr., company president, who hopes to complete the job this summer.

Benzel-Busch — which sells Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Maybach limousines and, in a down-market diver-sion, inexpensive Smart automobiles — is one of about 300 Mercedes deal-ers around the country improving their proper-ties to comply with the manufacturer’s facilities upgrade program.

According to Jim Apple-ton, president of New Jer-sey Coalition of Automo-tive Retailers, many car dealers, especially luxu-ry car dealers, have been pressured by auto manu-facturers in recent years into making costly reno-vations and relocations in an uncertain economy.

“All the luxury man-ufacturers over the last

decade have become extremely aggressive about raising the bar as it relates to facilities requirements,” he said. “That’s why you see these palaces being built.”

Dealers often bear most of the costs of such expansions and some do so unwillingly at the risk of losing cash incen-tives, which would result in their losing business because they would have to charge more for their cars than their competi-tors, Appleton said.

Agresta had planned the expansion before Mer-cedes started the pro-gram, he said. “We never felt like Mercedes was say-ing, ‘This is something you have to do,’ ” said Agres-ta.

The 30,000-square-foot Jack Daniels Porsche showroom in Upper Sad-dle River, N.J., complet-

ed last year at a cost of more than $4 million, is the largest Porsche show-room in North America, said owner John J. “Jack” Daniels.

“I call it the Acropo-lis,” he said Wednesday. “It kind of jumps out at you.”

He is building a service center to go with it.

Daniels said he expand-ed to increase sales and service capacity. Like Agresta, he started plan-ning the expansion before the financial crash in late 2008, and while the down-turn raised concerns about his ability to recover the investment, he decided to move ahead with it.

“Everybody paused and said, ‘Are you going through with this?’ ” Dan-iels remembered. “I said, ‘Yes, I’ve done my home-work. We’re going for-ward.’ ”

Daniels — who also owns Kia, Volkswagen and Audi dealerships — said it was the right move. His group’s sales increased last year by as much as 30 percent, he said. “It’s a wonderful life,” Daniels said.

“The curveball was the crash of the mar-ket,” Agresta said. “The effect was uncertainty. We stepped back a little bit and thought about it before we decided to put a shovel in the ground.”

Sales at Benzel-Busch, whose customers include pop diva Mariah Car-ey, dropped by as much as 20 percent in 2009 but rebounded last year, Agresta said.

“Last year we were up more than 32 percent. We saw a very strong recov-ery in unit sales. We are at about the same unit volume sales as we were

By Richard NewmanTHE RECORD-HACKENSACK, N.J.

Luxury auto dealers revamp properties

Photos by DAVE HODGES/ Democrat

Capital BMW of Tallahassee opened a new 13,000-square-foot showroom and offices building in 2010. Part of the Capital Eurocars group, the BMW building at 3701 W. Tennessee St. enabled the company to take advantage of an improving automotive market.

2011 Honda CR-Z: 3 driving modes in one fun car

As it turned out, the first clue that the 2011 Honda CR-Z hybrid was something exciting and versatile was the trio of buttons on the left side of the dash: They’re marked Sport, Normal and Econ.

The difference among these modes is truly dis-tinct: Torque, steering and road feel are so var-ied it’s amazing that all these performances are coming out of the same car. I guess it proves you really can have it all.

And who would’ve thought a hybrid could be this much fun? It’s a sporty-looking, two-seat animal — one that offers a six-speed manual tran-ny. But hit the Econ mode and it’s a soft-driving, low-torque gas miser.

And the Normal mode is for those who want to have their cake and eat at least some of it. Let’s say it’s for those who just want a little fun with their green.

If you remember the ’80s, you yuppies and Val-ley girls, you might be tempted to compare the CR-Z to the CRX, anoth-er sporty, two-seater from Honda that pledged econ-omy with a fun drive.

Truth is, it’s really more closely related to Honda’s Insight hybrid, sharing many of the underpinnings and its suspension.

But Honda shortened the CR-Z by a foot or so, widened the rack and brought the roof height down a bit. There you have it: a fun, agile sports

car — and the only two-seat hybrid on the mar-ket.

Outside, it could pass for something out of Star Wars, with its raked back rear — its C pillar is prac-tically horizontal. It is a sharp look — a hybrid with an attitude. How-ever, the style hampers rear visibility.

Under the hood is Insight’s hybrid system, except the CR-Z gets a 1.5-liter engine rath-er than the 1.3 in the Insight. That accounts for 112 hp and torque rat-ed at 107 pound-feet.

The electric motor adds another 13 hors-es to the equation and, more important, 58 more pound-feet of torque. In Sport mode, it’s the elec-tric motor that’s giving the CR-Z more punch off the line and quicker throttle response.

A six-speed manual tranny is standard and offers clean shifts, espe-cially compared to the Fit. A CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) is common fare for hybrids but is optional here. I’m not a big fan of the CVT, but at least it has paddle shifters to raise the ante on fun a bit.

On the road, it offers reasonable road grip on corners. But this is not a true sports car, and you’ll discover that if you real-ly push it. Still, it accel-erates and handles well enough, steering is sharp, and there are plenty more kicks than any other hybrid out there.

For the record, the CVT

By Barry SpykerMCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS

See HONDA, pAGE 12 / CARS


Outlander remains Mitsubishi’s most popular SUVMitsubishi upsized its

little Outlander SUV in 2007, and has continued to tweak it with updat-ed styling inside and out that may or may not be an improvement. The question remains: Exactly what is the Outlander? It’s too big to be a small SUV, too small to compete with the better mid-size SUVs.

The original 2003-era Outlander aimed to compete with smaller SUVs, such as the Ford Escape and Honda CR-V. Five years later the company added 3 inches to the Outlander, gave it a V-6 engine and squeezed in a third-row seat. This moved it past the Ford Escape-type sports utility vehicles, into the same territory occupied by the larger Mitsubishi Endeavor.

Having two vehicles that

close in size and function would seem to be confus-ing for the customer. But Mitsubishi has stuck with it for five years, so it must be working for them. But the Outlander GT test vehicle’s mission remains unclear. It was loaded with useful equipment, includ-ing all-wheel-drive and a spunky 230-horsepower V-6 engine.

Priced reasonably at $30,275, it included a $1,700 option package that added a 710-watt Rockford Fos-gate sound system, Sirius satellite radio and a power sunroof.

It also had a fold-up third-row seat that is heavy, com-plicated and useless for adults. You can likely buy a basic Endeavor for the price of this Outlander and with a bigger V-6 and a use-ful third-row seat.

To further confuse things

within the Mitsubishi SUV lineup, for 2011 we get the all-new Outlander Sport, a smaller version of the Out-lander that has much in common with that 2003 Outlander — a 2-liter, 148-horsepower four-cylin-der engine, and seating for five. The Outlander Sport is considered a separate vehi-cle from the Outlander. Go figure.

But that’s Mitsubishi’s concern, not mine. The Out-lander remains the compa-ny’s most popular SUV, and to help keep it moving out the door, Mitsubishi low-ered the starting price of this top-of-the-line GT mod-el to $27,795, about $1,700 less than last year.

The Outlander lineup is comprehensive: There’s the base ES model, start-ing at $21,995, which has five seats and a 2.4-liter, 168-horsepower four-cyl-

inder that seems kind of small for a vehicle weighing 3,400 pounds. Next in line is the slightly more deluxe SE model, then the XLS, and the GT, tested here. The standard Outlander is front-wheel-drive, with all-wheel-drive optional on the SE, standard on the GT. The Outlander, though, is a “crossover” SUV, based on a car platform, so while it is capable of leisurely, unchal-lenging off-roading, the all-wheel-drive system is real-ly designed for improved traction in bad weather, not rock-climbing.

Inside, the Outlander GT is roomy up front, with almost a minivan feel — the windshield is long and slop-ing, leaving a huge dash-board beneath it. Indeed, from the outside, the front of the Outlander resembles the doomed GM minivan lineup that included the

Chevrolet Uplander, Sat-urn Relay and Buick Ter-raza, a look no one would intentionally duplicate. The rest of the Outlander’s body styling is sharp-edged but more conventional.

Rear seats are fine, but that third-row seat is from the dark ages. Any adult willing to sit back there must be on the way to Oom-

pa-Loompa auditions.On the road, the Out-

lander GT is sure-footed and smooth-riding. The V-6 is matched well to the six-speed automatic transmis-sion. Fuel mileage is rat-ed at 19 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, and unfortunate-ly Mitsubishi recommends premium fuel.

Feature-for-feature — assuming you don’t need a third-row seat, or don’t mind the Outlander’s lim-itations — the GT offers a lot for the money com-pared to the competition. You’d be wise, though, to check out the smaller Out-lander Sport if your don’t need a third-row seat, or the larger Endeavor if you really do. Mitsubishi’s SUVs should cover the needs of the majority of consumers — it may be a challenge, though, figuring out which one suits you.

By Steve Cole SmithThe ORLANDO SeNTINeL 2011 MitSuBiShi

Outlander Gtn Base price: $27,795n Price as tested: $30,275n ePA rating: 19 mpg city, 25 mpg highwayn engine: 3-liter, 230-horsepower V-6n Transmission: Six-speed automaticn Length: 183.7 inch-esn Wheelbase: 105.1 inches

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version is a fraction of a second quicker to 60 mph at 9.3 seconds.

Ah, but there’s always a price for joy. In this case, it comes in rather disappoint-ing mileage figures — for a hybrid, that is. Insight has it beat big-time, but it’s also lagging against most of the hybrid gang.

With the manual, the CR-Z gets around 31 mpg city, 37 on the high-way; the CVT does a little better at around 35 mpg around town, 39 on the open road.

Mileage is improved by an Idle Stop feature, which shuts down the engine when not in use.

Inside the CR-Z is a reflection of its futuristic exterior: a futuristic-look-ing instrument cluster in blue and white against a black background. It will glow green at max effi-

ciency. Audio and climate con-

trols are well organized, on separate pods for easy access and use. There are some hard plastics inside but most touch surfaces have a nice feel.

Seats are on the firm-er side but not uncomfort-ably so. Lumbar support is excellent.

There is no raised cen-ter console, which I quickly miss — can’t help relying on it for elbow support get-ting in and out and while driving. But in place of a console, it does have three cup holders and two slots to stash stuff.

And while there’s no back seat for folks, there is 25 cubic feet of cargo space with the cargo wall low-ered. When folded flat, there’s ample room for gro-ceries or a couple of bags of mulch and plants from the Home Depot.

CR-Z scores well in safe-ty with six air bags, includ-ing side-curtain bags, plus

traction and stability con-trol.

The base model is nicely equipped with full automat-ic accessories and climate control, tilt and telescop-ing wheel and six-speaker audio system. Move up to the EX and get fog lights, aluminum trim, leath-er steering wheel and an upgraded seven-speaker audio system.

Options include a nav sys-tem, 17-inch wheels with performance tires and sat-ellite radio.

The CR-Z is for those who seek thrills with their smaller footprint. If it’s pure economy you seek from a hybrid, you can do better.

But NADAguides.com, which named the CR-Z its Car of the Month in Febru-ary, reported an 89 percent increase in consumer inter-est during the last quarter of 2010.

That tells me a lot of folks are willing to compromise a bit of economy for a healthy serving of fun.

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