The Salesman: Larry

Larry began his career just like any other, with training but on how to sell cars. Larry was taught to go after high pressure sales in which you try to catch people off guard. The idea is to score a quick sale while exploiting people who were weak or uninformed. Larry was also trained to go over to the service department and make small talk with the people waiting for their cars. If he overheard that someone just got hit with a $2000 bill for a new transmission, he was supposed to introduce the benefits of a new car plus a trade-in deal. When he had a customer he was taught to stay with them throughout their visit to make sure they didn’t have the opportunity to talk to other customers. This would prevent them from comparing prices or finding loopholes in the deal.

Larry explained to me that car salesmen are not the enemy. It is actually sales managers who teach tactics to haggle the customers. Car salesmen usually work on 100% commission, and have to answer to their sales manager when they don’t make a sale. However, Larry was not in fear of his sales manager because he knew he was moving in a few months and would no longer be working there. Consequently, Larry ignored nearly every technique he was taught. He would take the time to get to know what the customer wanted, figure out their budget without being pushy and would eventually lead them towards a car that fit their wants, needs, and budget. Ironically, Larry was the top salesman at his dealership for three months in a row before moving.

The Car Buyer: Ronny

Ronny took me back a few years, to when he was eighteen. He explained to me how he just had to have this brand new, yellow Pontiac GTO. It was way out of his price range and he had no credit, yet somehow he was able to purchase his dream car. He didn’t question how it happened; he just knew that the car was his. The catch was that Ronny bought the car on a 6 year loan, with an interest rate of 21% and a monthly payment of $502. “Looking back, I wish I would have listened to my mom,” Larry said, “She tried to tell me I was making a mistake, but I was a hard-headed, uninformed kid who had to get what I wanted.” Now, nearly 5 years later, Ronny still owes about $15,000 on the original price of $22,000. In all, he will pay nearly double the value of his car because of the high interest rate.

My Car Buying Test

When it was time for me to begin my search for a new car, I went in with a fresh outlook. Over the weekend, I visited to two car dealerships. One ended up being the typical dealership (which I won’t name) with the salespeople in their white shirts and gold ties waiting like vultures for their next big sale. The effort was fruitless and I left irritated. Hoping for better results, I visited another local dealership, Park Place Texas, and they blew my expectations away. I was greeted by a friendly young man who genuinely seemed interested in learning about me and what I needed in a new car. I kept in mind all the things I had learned about from Larry but didn’t notice any of the shady tactics. I ended up with my dream car, but unlike Ronny, I received a reasonable finance plan without an outrageous interest rate. I bought a 2012 Chevrolet Camaro 2SS Convertible and I love everything about it!

Every dealership is different. Larry taught me that not all car salesmen are enemies. There are those dealerships who promote the practice of genuinely wanting to know what customers are looking for. Ronny taught me not to rush into things. It is important to shop around and be mindful of what you can and cannot afford.

However there are ways of leasing a vehicle for a short term, with no down payment or hefty up front fees.

You can take over someone else’s lease!

That’s right, there are people all over the country that are stuck in a lease that they can no longer afford or want to get out of. These people want to get rid of the monthly payments that are holding them down, and they can do so by signing over their lease to you!

You might have seen lease takeovers in the classifieds or on websites like craigslist.org, but there are a few great websites that can connect you with a large list of lease owners who would like to get out of their lease.

One such site is called LeaseTrader.com.

Lease Trader handles all of the hard parts of finding a lease to takeover. You can browse vehicles by make, model or category and find the right fit.

So how do you get started finding a lease?

It’s pretty easy actually:

• Go to LeaseTrader.com
• Register for a free account
• Sign up for their buyers program
• Find a vehicle you’re interested in
• Contact the seller
• Transfer the lease

But there’s gotta be a cost to all of this right?

There are a few costs that you need to be aware of when going into this process.

First up, you’ll need to pay LeaseTrader.com a nominal fee to join their “buyers program”. Compared to other lease trading sites out there, LeaseTrader.com doesn’t charge much (under 50 bucks). Next, you’ll need to pay a fee for the transfer of the lease. This is a one time $150 payment that gets all of the paperwork moving. Then you have your normal registration fee with the DMV and any bank transfer fees that are applicable… That’s it!

So for about $250-$400 you can get setup with an almost new car, no downpayment, and a limited term lease.

To find out more or to sign up with Lease Trader, Click Here.

The jeep brand was established in 2002 and has ever since dominated the mid-sized SUV world. There have been improvements along the way, which has brought us to the new 2011 Jeep Liberty.

Scope
The 2011 Jeep Liberty is a 176.9 inch long and 72.4 inches wide vehicle with a 106.1 inch wheel base. It has a curb weight of 3985 lbs with the gross weight reaching 5600 lbs. The luggage capacity is 31.5 cu. Ft. and a maximum cargo capacity of 64 cu. ft. The maximum seating comfortable seating capacity is five.

Performance
Beneath the hood of the 2011 Jeep Liberty is a V6, 3.7 liter engine with 6 cylinders and a 210 Horsepower. The engine has a maximum rpm of 5200 and a 235 ft-lbs torque. The maximum payload that the jeep can handle without strain is 1150 lbs and a towing max capacity of 3500 lbs.

Fuel consumption
The 2011 Liberty has a fuel tank that holds 19.5 gallons. The fuel consumption approximation is: 16 mpg in the city, 22 mpg on the highway and an average of 18 mpg for the city and the highway combined. The Jeep liberty is petrol driven machine though there was a short-lived diesel version. With a full tank you can drive the Jeep for 312 miles in the city, 429 miles on the highway and 351 miles for the combination on average.

Features
Mechanical features that make the 2011 Jeep Liberty outstanding include; a 3.7 displacement V6 single overhead cam engine. The gas engine has 12 valves that manage to give it a 210 horsepower at 5200 rpm. The Jeep also has a fuel cut-off when decelerating to economize on the fuel.

The sport utility is a 4 x 2 rear wheel drive with a brake hill holder. It is fitted with a tachometer, a clock and a low fuel indicator to complete its instrumentation.
The 2011 Jeep Liberty sports 16 x 7.0 alloy wheels fitted with all season tires. It has  a temporary spare tire, a steel spare wheel and an underbody mounted full size spare tire. The windscreen is fitted with intermittent wipers and the rear window with a defogger and a wiper.

Safety and comfort
Safety features that stand out in the 2011 Jeep Liberty are the ABS brake system with electronic brake force distribution, emergency braking assist, traction and stability control, fitted head air bags in the front and rear, occupant-sensing passenger airbags, front and rear seatbelts, tire pressure monitors, engine immobilizer, dusk sensing head lamp, 2 rear and front headrests passenger’s and driver’s whiplash protection, child seat anchors and safety door lock.

To travel comfortably the Jeep Liberty can hold 4 passengers and the driver. The front seats are made in a bucket design to enhance comfort. Rear seats have a folding and reclining ability. It is easy to operate doors band windows as they are powered with the windows being heated. The 2011 Jeep has cruise control on a power tilt-adjustable steering wheel. The accessory power was retained as from the 2010 version. There are cup holders at the front and door pockets. The Jeep is air conditioned with interior air filtration. There are both rear and front reading lights.  Another feature is duel illuminating vanity mirrors.

For people interested in music, the 2011 Jeep Liberty has got you covered as it has a CD Mp3 player with a total of six speakers. The Jeep comes with a 12 months subscription to satellite radio and an auxiliary MP3 output. The vehicle also has an AM/FM radio, a 6.5-inch touch screen, a 30 GB hard drive and a Garmin navigation system.

General car Info
The 2011 Jeep Liberty retains the SUV look but with better features. The new version has more cargo and storage space and improved seats for comfort. It comes with a sliding sunroof that allows an open air experience while driving. There are features fitted in the

new Jeep that makes it better than other Jeep versions like the remote start and memory seats. The 2011 Jeep Liberty lives up to its tough exterior look by being able to cruise rough terrain which is a trait not found in its SUV competitors. Steep approach and departure angles and exceptional suspension makes it easy for the Jeep to travel off-road. This is simply an all road sport utility vehicle.

Even with the improvements the Jeep may not be able to compete well with other SUVs because of its performance and fuel consumption. Apart from this the advantages and the
features of the new 2011 Jeep Liberty beats the down side by far.

The jeep is a good off-road vehicle for urban people with the desires of driving off the pavement. The safety of the Jeep has been proven through many test drives to come up with the current features that will ensure the safety of the drivers and their passengers.

The 2011 Jeep Liberty is available in either a six-speed manual gearbox or a four-speed automatic transmission. You can also choose to get the 4 x 2 sport trim or the 4 x 4 limited versions. When ordering for your 2011 Jeep Liberty you can specify the color you want or choose from the available four new exterior colors. The exterior can show some improvements as the curves are more defined and the body more aerodynamic. With more dashboard functions and added controls on the steering wheel, it is so comfortable and easy to manage a 2011 Jeep Liberty.

Prices
There is a difference in prices of the 2011 Jeep liberty depending on the trim you want to purchase. All the models have a 3.7 liter V6 engine with 210 horsepower. The prices range from $23, 250 for the Sport utility to $28,250 for the limited edition sport utility, the other one which is the Renegade comes in between for $27,250. You can be able to get Jeep accessories at a price.

Generally the 2011 Jeep Liberty’s prices did not change but the features were definitely upgraded. Whichever trim you choose to drive, just remember that Jeep is a machine that allows you to cruise in the city, on highways and in rugged terrain if you must.

Final thoughts from the editor

I love this little truck. For the price it’s one of the best ways to get off road out there. The fuel economy sucks, and it’s not going to win any speed records, but when it comes to the trails you get Jeep’s legendary track record and reputation for quality.

Had an experience with a Jeep Liberty? Thinking of buying a 2011 Jeep Liberty? Let us know in the comments below.