Car buying myths range from absurd, to mundane and hilarious. While most of them are harmless and does not meddle with your knowledge of buying and maintaining cars, there are some other myths which can end up making you lose both money and time. The below 10 of the biggest car myths have been gathered after conducting an extensive research on numerous car deals made every month, both from the web and the dealership.
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Overdriving makes you go faster
Overdrive is the highest gear in your transmission. For a given vehicle speed, the engine of your car will turn a lower RPM and it will give you a better fuel mileage. The engine does not have the torque to reach anywhere near it’s redline. With Overdrive, you might reach the redline but you will burn more fuel and perhaps, a higher top speed out which in any case, is a hypothesis and more a car myth.
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Using premium fuel adds power to your vehicle
Most fuel companies offer premium unleaded petrol which they claim to greatly improve your vehicle’s power and also cuts fuel consumption while protecting the engine. With their cost being approximately 10p more than standard unleaded petrol many of the car owners are confused so as to whether accommodating that extra cost in the fuel budget is worth it. The fact is that premium unleaded petrol might improve your fuel efficiency by a whisker, however increased power and performance will largely depend on the vehicle you drive, the way you drive and the kind of roads you take. Refrain from paying heed to such car myth and get into understanding your vehicle better.
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Torque wins races and horsepower sells engines
This popular quote of Enzo Ferrari has been the topic of numerous debates.. Had that been the case, why does every motorist get worked out about peak HP numbers and rarely discuss torque or torque curve? Horsepower is a unit of power while torque is force times distance. Different engine configurations will develop different horsepower and torque characteristics across a given range of speed of engines. This statement remains unclarified and more a car myth.
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Red car costs more insurance
Red cars might look stunning but they definitely do not cost more to insure. These cars are treated like any other cars with a black, blue or yellow shade. In fact most of the insurers would not even enquire about the colour of your car before zeroing on the premium amount which is largely dependent on the make, model, engine size and age of the car.
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The internet is the best place to receive the best deals on cars
Well, this is a car myth as the only aspect which is finalized over the internet is the price of the new car. However, did you know that there are other things which needs to be negotiated such as the finance interest rate or lease, extended warranty and the trade in prices of a deal? Most of the web dealers transfer your information to other dealers who are willing to sell some of their new cars at a pre set price. The best way to compare deals is to explore on the web as well as pay visits to dealerships.
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Read all the literature carefully in the contract
Reading and memorizing each and every word in your sales contract is an old process and largely a car myth. All you need to do is carefully review the numbers furnished. You should be aware of what you are signing for and then strike the deal.
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Paying for your car in cash makes you a smart buyer
Paying all in cash might yield you benefits in other areas but not when you decide to buy a new car, unless the car manufacturer is offering cash only incentives to it’s customers. This is a car myth. Dealerships get incentives if they manage to get you a financer and might have their own marketing strategies and discounts to entice their customers. Therefore, if you rather choose to pay the entire amount in cash, it might not excite them as much.
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Smart playing with the dealership will make you get a better deal
Smart playing might help you somewhere else but never when you are about to strike a car deal. It is a car myth. In fact, since the car salespeople have a well known reputation of being superb negotiators, you need to be extremely careful and strategic in order to strike a decent deal. Know the worth of the car you intend to purchase, do not make any commitments on the first meeting and follow up regularly with regards to the price before making your purchase.
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Rainy days are better to make car deals
An old saying goes that rainy days are the best to make car deals because the bad weather keeps the others buyers away. Well, it sounds hilarious as visiting the dealership on the last day of the month to get the maximum discounts on new cars. Any other day is as good as rainy days as long as you are able to strike decent deals through proper negotiation.
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Getting your vehicle special ordered will cost you more
Numerous car buyers often wonder if it is possible to directly order a car from the manufacturer’s factory. However, you still need to go through the dealer. The biggest advantage of special ordering a car is that you get to equip it with your desired colours and configurations. This does not mean that you have to pay more. This is a popular car myth which even experienced car buyers would not know. In fact, you might be subjected to rebates and discounts directly offered by the manufacturer. However, the only disadvantage is that you might have to wait for months before your car is ready to be delivered.
Irrespective of whether you are about to become a new car owner or an existing one, keeping a watchful eye on your vehicle’s performance and gathering information on it over the web is the key to be at the top of your vehicle buying, running and maintenance game.
