Used Car Motor Mall Blog

All-Wheel DriveWhether a vehicle is equipped with an electronically-controlled All-Wheel Drive (AWD) system that automatically engages when the vehicle reaches a certain traction threshold, or it is a traditional 4x4 system that relies upon the operator to engage four-wheel drive: the outcome is the same. With all four tires distributing the power of the engine to the ground, especially in wet, icy, and/or snow-covered conditions, you are much less likely to have your vehicle slip or slide when  Read More

Road trips are an ever-popular way for many American families to reunite over the holidays. In fact, over the next two months, the overwhelming majority of American families prefer to skip the airport and instead hop in the car to reach their destinations.

However, although a road trip can be a great bonding experience, too much time together cooped up in a car definitely has its challenges. Younger children are used to short car trips and often get restless sitting in one place through  Read More

Driving in snow, especially in heavy snowfall or a blizzard, takes patience and preparation. A vehicle that is properly prepared for the elements can help you avoid an unplanned road emergency when the weather takes an unexpected turn for the worse.

To ensure that your vehicle is ready for winter driving, we at Used Car Motor Mall recommend that drivers run through our 10-point winter driving check-list before the first snowstorm of the year. Some of these are items you can do yourself,  Read More

Beat the Initial Depreciation
Depreciation is a major cost in vehicle ownership. Understanding how depreciation affects you, you can save a great deal of money on every car that you purchase. Take a brand new car for example. It loses 20% of its value as soon as you drive it off the lot, so your $30,000 car is now worth $24,000 and you haven’t even pulled into your driveway. By the end of the first year, depreciation coupled with mileage along with wear and tear could bring that down another 10% to $21,000. That’s $9,000 of value lost in the first year alone.   Read More

The perception that many people have is that the greatest risk in purchasing a used car is the cost of maintenance and repairs. They think that with a new car they receive a warranty that will cover their vehicle so that their out-of-pocket costs for repairs will be low. The reality is that cars are more reliable, and many manufacturers offer transferable warranties that keep the vehicle covered for many years after its initial sale.

So if repairs are no longer the major cost a consumer can  Read More

We’ve all been in the position where we’ve considered whether it was more advantageous to finance a car or to pull the money out of the bank and pay for it in cash. While most everyone is intrigued by the idea of paying for their new purchase with cash, it isn’t necessarily the right decision for everyone. Here are a few items to  Read More

A few years ago there was a department store that used the Christmas song “It’s the most wonderful time of the year” to promote their back-to-school sales. Of course all parents feel torn when summer ends. On one hand it’s great that the kids are occupied with school and after-school activities, but on the other-hand you’ve just gotten used to having them around the house.

Unfortunately, it’s not our decision as parents as to when the kids return to school - our job is just to facilitate the  Read More

Credit score repair begins with your credit report. If you haven't done so already, request a free copy of your credit report from each of the three credit agencies. Your credit report contains the data used to calculate your credit score and it may contain errors.  Read More

Summer is a glorious time of year in Western Michigan. Not only is there fresh local produce available at all the area farmer’s markets, they are also plenty of things to do and see. According to the West Michigan Tourist Association there is on average 12 different festivals, fairs, or events taking place in our area on each weekend this summer. Simply said, there’s plenty to in Western Michigan over the  Read More

When it’s time to purchase a replacement car, truck, or SUV, the experts suggest that you evaluate something called the Total Cost of Ownership. To properly evaluate this important financial decision, they say, it’s critical that you look beyond just the car payment itself. Add to it the cost of insurance, fuel, maintenance, and depreciation to find out what the vehicle will truly cost you over how many years of  Read More

Purchasing a classic car is not really that much different than purchasing a used car. The process of financing, titling, licensing, etc. is all the same. The one area that’s different is there tends to be a great deal more emotion involved in the purchase of a classic car; so much that you might overlook or underestimate damage or required repairs. We don’t want to dampen your enthusiasm – after all how often do grown-ups have this much fun? We just want to make sure your eyes are wide open  Read More

It can get confusing and the car companies haven’t made it any easier in the way they employ their nomenclature. Front-wheel drive versus rear-wheel drive, and all-wheel drive versus four-wheel drive. These labels don’t apply 100% of the time, so you’ll have to ask some questions if the salesperson doesn’t explain it to your satisfaction. We won’t name names but there’s at least one manufacturer that sells as four-wheel drive what other car makers might call all-wheel drive. Here’s the short  Read More

Technology has come a long, long way. Gone are the days of listening to scratchy radio stations on road trips; families these days have access to a myriad of features to make driving a more enjoyable, as well as safer, experience. We’ve narrowed a very long list of technology features down to a few that are sure to keep every drive stress  Read More

Safety, value, practicality, and performance. These four basic requirements are the foundations of choosing a car for our family, and while priorities may overrule certain points the premise is the same; you want a safe, reliable car that can easily soak up kids and their accompanying paraphernalia, that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.

If you’re in the market for a car, and you’re hauling a family and all the bells and whistles that come with it, you’ve probably got two major considerations;  Read More