PriceHub

Features on PriceHub You May Have Missed

noreply@blogger.com (PriceHub.com) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:04:00 +0000

Here are is a quick overview of some of the features you may have missed on PriceHub:

The average, actual sold price for a make/model based on the mileage of the car. These numbers are calculated from REAL prices submitted from users, certified Car Dealers, and public auctions. This information is a great way to gauge how much your car is worth based on what other people really paid.

Here is the same dataset graphed with Price vs. Mileage. As expected, you can clearly see that a car's price declines as its mileage increases.

Here are the average prices for the most recent model years. Again, this is a great way to see what what make/model/year a car is worth based on what other people really paid.

VIN Number added to Actual Prices Paid

noreply@blogger.com (PriceHub.com) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:00:00 +0000

We just launched a new feature that we believe will enhance the PriceHub user experience. Moving forward, with many of our actual price paid data points, we're now including the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) for the vehicle. Now you'll be able to see each actual price record tied to a specific vehicle (not just a random estimate or guess that other car pricing sites use). You'll also be able to verify some of the core details of the car through AutoCheck, an Experian company that provides vehicle history reports. Here is a screenshot of our new feature. Please be patient with us as our car pricing data continues to grow. Thanks for your support!

PriceHub Certified Transparent Car Dealer: A & H Motors, Concord CA

noreply@blogger.com (PriceHub.com) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 07:11:00 +0000

PriceHub welcomes A & H Motors as its first Certified Transparent Car Dealer.

Based in Concord, CA, A & H Motors is now helping PriceHub with its mission of bringing transparency to car prices. Starting in February, A & H Motors began sharing all of its actual sale prices of cars with PriceHub. These prices are uploaded on a regular basis into PriceHub's database and are available for consumers to review and see what cars are really selling for. The PriceHub team is excited to partner with A & H Motors and encourages everyone in the market for a used car to visit A & H Motors at 2521 Monument Blvd in Concord, CA (800) 687-1185.

Looking for the latest in performance? Buy a used car.

noreply@blogger.com (PriceHub.com) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 07:55:00 +0000

PriceHub Guest Blogger: Haider Nazar
Twitter: @haidernazar

The global economic crisis has had far-reaching effects on our economy, buying habits and overall way of life. From a consumer standpoint, we have seen many new premium product launches focused more on cost-cutting vs significant improvement in performance. What do these trends mean for you, the car guy? Historically, car fanatics are used to measuring innovation with specific metrics like 0-60, ¼ mile, lb-ft torque, horsepower, cubic inches and top speed.

For 2010, most new car launches are focused on Green Tech vs traditional interest like horsepower. Now I am not an anti-earth guy, but these trends do represent an interesting opportunity for used performance car shoppers. Used car prices have been dropping like an anvil recently. This dramatic price fall is on the heels of an unprecedented performance war that has taken place from 2003-2008. This performance innovation has been the result of many manufacturers participation in Formula 1 and other performance focused R&D initiatives. Bottom line, there are some amazing performance bargains on the used car market…some still under manufacturer warranty.

Deals of 2004-2007 (Current Price/New price/Depreciation)

2006 BMW M5, $38,000 (sold new for $98k, 63% depreciation)

The latest M5 represents the pinnacle of Formula 1 race bred technology filtering down to production. This high revving naturally aspirated V-10, 7 speed SMG transmission, trick suspension 507 hp beast is capable of launching to 60 in 4.2 seconds. This car drives frustrating at 5/10, but flat out, there is arguably no other car as entertaining and awe-inspiring. All for the price of a new BMW 328i.

2007 Merecedes AMG e63 $42k (sold new for $112k, 63% depreciation)

A rival to the M5, its hand built 507 hp engine has a tree stump pulling 465 lb-ft of torque. This car has more raw power than a Ferrari F430, Porsche 911 Turbo or Lamborghini Gallardo. And it is yours for the price of a brand new Honda Pilot.

2004 Porsche 911 Coupe $32k (new $85k, 62% depreciation)

The 911 is THE quintessential sports car. Over its illustrious 50 year run, it has been refined and honed into one of the best sports car money can buy. Historically, it has also been one of the least depreciating. The previous generation 996 body, although not considered one of the more classic designs, is still a 911. It’s 320 hp flat 6 engine is good for 0-60 runs of 4.8 sec and a 12.5 second ¼ mile. It is yours for the price of a brand new Subaru Forrester.

2004 BMW M3 $22k (new $56k, 61% depreciation)

The ultimate street racer, track car and family sedan all rolled into one, it’s 333 hp inline 6 is the perfect blend of speed and practicality. It is also relatively efficient. With the next generation of M products replacing core brand values like high revving naturally aspirated engines with turbocharging and hand built chassis for mass produced platform sharing, this car represents a lot unique car for the money. It is yours for the price of a brand new Honda Civic

2005 Acura NSX $48k ($115k new, 57% depreciation)

The Acura NSX was a car of firsts. It was the first production car to feature aluminum construction for its body structure, body panels, suspension and engine. Its engine was the first to feature variable valve timing and a variable-volume intake manifold. It was the first Japanese sports car sold in America to truly go head-to-head with the world's best. Its 290 hp, sweet shifting 6 speed manual transmission was smooth, quick and reliable. All your for the price of a new Infiniti G37 coupe.

Complete List of Toyota Cars affected by Recall

noreply@blogger.com (PriceHub.com) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:09:00 +0000

I received this great email from DriverSide.com that summarizes which Toyota cars are being recalled and for what. This is accurate as of 2/5/2010 (Still waiting to hear about the 2010 Prius).

Vehicles recalled on September 29, 2009 and January 27, 2010 to address the risk of pedal entrapment by removable floor mats:

2007 – 2010 Toyota Camry
2005 – 2010 Toyota Avalon
2004 – 2009 Toyota Prius
2005 – 2010 Toyota Tacoma
2007 – 2010 Toyota Tundra
2007 – 2010 Lexus ES350 and 2006
2010 Lexus IS250 and IS350
2008 – 2010 Highlander
2009 – 2010 Corolla
2009 – 2010 Venza
2009 – 2010 Matrix
2009 – 2010 Pontiac Vibe

Vehicles recalled on November 24, 2009 to address excessive corrosion on the frame rear cross-member:

2000-2003 Tundra

Vehicles recalled on January 21, 2010 to correct sticking accelerator pedals:

Certain 2009 – 2010 RAV4
Certain 2009-2010 Corolla
2009 – 2010 Matrix
2005 – 2010 Avalon
Certain 2007 – 2010 Camry
Certain 2010 Highlander
2007 – 2010 Tundra
2008 – 2010 Sequoia

Toyota has also announced it would temporarily suspend sales of the above eight models. Not affected by this recall are Highlander hybrids, Camry hybrids, as well as Camry, RAV 4, Corolla and Highlander vehicles with VINs that begin with "J."

Vehicles not affected by any of the above recalls:

Sienna
Solara
Yaris
4Runner
FJ Cruiser
Land Cruiser
2010 Prius

Owners of the affected vehicles will receive a notice from Toyota advising when they need to bring their vehicle to a Toyota dealer. For more details, visit Toyota’s website or call Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

Honda CR-Z Hybrid = 38MPG?

noreply@blogger.com (PriceHub.com) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 18:38:00 +0000

I just saw an article on the upcoming, 2011 Honda CR-Z. The CR-Z is a hybrid sport-coupe 2 seater that is essentially a 2 door version of the current Honda Insight. The shocking thing about the car is the 38 MPG. 38 MPG? For a hybrid? The much larger Prius averages 45-50 MPG. As the article points out, even the late 80's / early 90's Civic VX (100% gas) got 55 MPG.

Maybe this car is targeted to the speedracer types - but they won't be able to modify this thing anything near the way CRX's were modified. No nitrous, shaved heads, big pistons or any of that - not with the sophisticated hybrid system in place.

Hyundai's Decade Long Comeback

noreply@blogger.com (PriceHub.com) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 08:31:00 +0000

It wasn't long ago when Hyundai cars were the butt of many car jokes. In 1986, Hyundai entered the U.S. car market and began selling the Hyundai Excel for less than $10k. The Excel, while cheap, had many problems including engine and transmission problems. Many cars did not even make it to 100k miles.

Fast forward a decade, and Hyundai now has a decent fleet of sedans, coupes, SUVs, minivans, and even luxury cars. Hyundai's lineup now includes the Accent, Elantra, Sonata, Santa Fe, Genesis, Azera, Tucson, Veracruz, and Entourage. Long gone are the unreliable cars of the past, and we now see Hyundai ranked in the top 10 in quality and customer satisfaction polls like J.D. Powers. Hyundai is planning to challenge BMW and Lexus in the luxury car market, as well as tackle the sports compact market. Additionally, Hyundai is also working on hybrid technology. With that said, we think Hyundai be the Honda or Toyota of the '90s.

PriceHub's Prediction of the Top 3 Electric Cars

noreply@blogger.com (PriceHub.com) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 18:34:00 +0000

Almost every auto manufacturer is working on electric car technology and here's our prediction of the top 3 electric cars in the market by 2011.

1. Nissan Leaf - It's coming to the US in 2010 with seating for 5 adults and a 100 mile range. Nissan seems to have skipped the hybrid technology development and concentrated on making the 100% electric Leaf a real world vehicle. Target price for the Leaf is around $30,000.

2. BYD e6 - Headed for the US in 2011 with seating for 5 adults and a 250 mile range. Never heard of BYD? Well, Warren Buffet invested $230 million in BYD and is making a bet that they will become the global leader in electric car production. Target price for the e6 is about $40,000.

3. Chevy Volt - Slated to launch in the US in 2010 with a range of 40 miles on the electric motor and another 260 miles on the 4-cylinder gas engine. Despite GM's bankruptcy, development on the Volt has continued and the car is still scheduled for a fall 2010 launch. Target price for the Volt is around $40,000.

What about electric cars from Toyota, Tesla, and or even Honda? While Toyota is the king of hybrid cars via the Prius, the 100% electric version of the Prius has not been able to get more than a 10-20 mile range. Honda will follow its trend of waiting and observing first, then come out with its version a few years later that will be the best in the industry. Tesla, on the other hand, will target the high-end luxury market with the Model S. While Tesla will have success in its high-end niche market, it won't sell enough cars to make our top 3 list.

The Real Impact of Cash for Clunkers

noreply@blogger.com (PriceHub.com) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:42:00 +0000

The Cash for Clunkers program is ending today. Most news reports are stating that the program was wildly popular and very successful in stimulating auto sales. In fact, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood stated "It's been a thrill to be a part of the economic news story in America."

However, here at PriceHub, we think the Cash for Clunkers program has had an overall negative impact on our economy. Let us explain why.

1. The increase in auto sales is a short-term, one-time spike and will not continue after the refund program ends. The economy is still struggling and consumers will not continue to buy new cars at the current rate. Demand for new cars will fall (perhaps even more so now that so many people have already purchased new cars under this program) and the car manufacturers will struggle again for the remainder of the year and likely through next year.

2. As of last week, around 450,000 new cars were purchased which means approximately 400,000 new car loans were initiated. The Cash for Clunkers program has saddled 400,000 consumers with more debt, and assuming that the average car loan is $18,000, that means consumer debt has just increased by $7.2 billion.

3. Business at independent repair shops is down since people are trading in their old cars for new cars, and they no longer need repair services. Since most independent repair shops are "mom & pop" owned, this service sector is struggling and taking a major hit. Potential consequences may include shops closing and/or higher service cost for consumers as a result of reduced competition (shops that stay open may need to charge higher rates to stay afloat.)

4. Owners of cars that fall under the Cash for Clunkers classification but don't qualify for the program (ie, car was not owned for at least a year, car was in the process of being restored and was not insured, etc) could find fewer replacement parts as legislation requires the engine, transmission, and other drivetrain components be destroyed.

All in all, our summary of the Cash for Clunkers program is that it helped stimulate a one-time spike in sales, but sales will return to sluggish levels once the program ends. Other than this one-time benefit for car manufacturers and their dealers, we believe the economy is worse off due to other groups that are negatively affected by this program.

Send us your feedback - what's your take on the Cash for Clunkers program?

Get a great deal a car lately?

noreply@blogger.com (PriceHub.com) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 18:07:00 +0000

Have you gotten a great deal on a car lately? Let us know! With the economy the way it is, we'd love for people to share what they really paid for cars, both new and used.

http://www.pricehub.com

Thanks!

GM sells new cars on eBay?

noreply@blogger.com (PriceHub.com) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 06:10:00 +0000

GM announced today that it will test a trial pilot to sell new cars on eBay. Most of the GM dealers in California have signed up for the trial, which will result in approximately 20,000 new listings of GM cars for sale on eBay. The idea is that individual dealers will independently set the "buy-it-now" price, which is suppose to reduce the burden and stress of negotiating at the dealership. While this is a good concept, the key here will be whether the "buy-it-now" price is competitive in the marketplace and/or whether buyers will feel like they can get a better deal by going into a dealership and negotiating. Some people will complete the eBay purchase via "buy-it-now", but my guess is there will be a lot of people that will search for the lowest "buy-it-now" price for a particular GM model, then print that page and walk into a dealership to haggle for additional discounts. Just like most used car transactions on eBay, where the listing serves as a marketing tool and most transactions are negotiated further after the listing has expired, the new GM/eBay program will serve as a good marketing tool for GM's new cars but the end result will be a similar outcome in that further negotiations will likely take place well after the auction has ended.

$99 Lease Deals

noreply@blogger.com (PriceHub.com) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 06:49:00 +0000

With the bad economy, car manufacturers and dealers are looking for creative ways to move cars off their lots, including putting together great lease deals. The interesting thing about some of these lease deals is that the payments are set to be low because the car manufacturers are counting on the residual value of these popular cars to stay high. As long as they can get a high resale value on these cars at the end of the lease terms, they can afford to set the monthly payments low. Only time will tell, in 3 or 4 or 5 years, whether these cars will hold its value to justify the low lease payments for the car manufacturers.

The PriceHub team did a quick survey of the current lease landscape, and we've compiled our top 5 lease deals for this month:

1. 2009 Volkswagen Jetta California Edition. $189/month - 36 month lease - 10k miles/year. $0 total drive off. $0 security deposit.

2. 2010 Mazda3. $229/month - 42 month lease - 12k miles/year. $0 total drive off. $0 security deposit.

3. 2009 Honda Civic LX. $99/month - 24 month lease - 12k miles/year. $2399 total drive off. $0 security deposit.

4. 2009 Honda Accord LX. $159/month - 36 month lease - 12k miles/year. $2399 total drive off. $0 security deposit.

5. 2010 Honda Insight. $229/month - 36 month lease - 12k miles/year. $2799 total drive off. $0 security deposit.

It's no surprise that Honda's got some great lease deals since Hondas tend to hold its value well. What's surprising on this list is the Volkswagen Jetta at $0 down and only $189/month. What that tells us is that Volkswagen expects its Jetta to depreciate by only $6800 after 3 years. Will the new Jetta hold up and retain its value? Only time will tell...

Happy Birthday PriceHub!

noreply@blogger.com (PriceHub.com) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 09:09:00 +0000

Two years ago, we started PriceHub to bring price transparency of vehicles to the mass consumer. Our goal was to provide a place where people can find the actual selling price of cars and trucks. Two years have passed, and we now have a robust database of selling prices for just about every car, from the everyday Honda Accord to the exotic Ferrari 360. Many users now visit our site before they complete a vehicle purchase or sale transaction. There are also many people who visit the site just to track vehicle prices and to follow market trends. Our goal for this next year is to continue to provide valuable information on pricing for people who want to see actual vehicle prices. We have a few site upgrades in mind, and we'll reveal new features as they are rolled out. Please continue to send us feedback because we like hearing and getting people's opinions about our site. And oh, by the way, Happy Birthday PriceHub!

Carfax reports - a great start, but don't trust them completely

noreply@blogger.com (PriceHub.com) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 05:32:00 +0000

In the latest print version of Consumer Reports, there is an article that details why it isn't prudent to completely trust Carfax and other used vehicle history reports (AutoCheck & VINCheck included).

While these reports are great at documenting the official history of a car - when it was bought, when it was sold, what the mileage was when it was sold and whether the car was totaled, Consumer Reports found that cars that are involved in serious accidents but are NOT totaled don't necessarily get an entry in its Carfax record. These types of cars can have clean Carfax records even with serious repair and body work. In fact these cars that have clean titles fetch more money at auto auctions since the clean title will allow shady dealers to sell the repaired car as having a clean Carfax record.

As a part of the due diligence of buying a used car, just keep in mind that a clean Carfax or other type vehicle history report shouldn't be the only factor you look at when purchasing a used car. Make sure you inspect the car for any visibly repaired body damage (to name a few):

- misaligned fenders with the body
- different shades of paint on the car
- different textures of paint on the car
- over spray of paint onto surfaces that should have paint on them (like the wheel wells)

All of these things can tell you if a car has been repaired or not. For more minor damage, there is a good chance there is no entry for the incident on these reports either. If you need to, bring along a friend who knows cars or have the car inspected by a professional mechanic.

I personally think Carfax and the other report services are great - these reports provide access to car history information that once was near impossible to get. Just don't forget to use these reports as one of the many factors you should evaluate before buying a used car.

The $40,000 Electric Volt

noreply@blogger.com (PriceHub.com) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 10:22:00 +0000

General Motors, despite its financial turmoil, is still moving forward with plans to launch the Chevy Volt in the fall of 2010. However, those plans may be derailed if General Motors doesn't get a government bail-out and falls into bankruptcy. General Motors is hoping to launch the Volt with a price tag of about $40,000. However, the company also estimates that it needs another $750 million to complete the development of the Volt. After it's all said & done, that price tag will probably rise to $50,000 and if the Volt makes it to market, it may have a hard time competing with the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight at $25,000 to $30,000.

Flying Car

noreply@blogger.com (PriceHub.com) — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 21:24:00 +0000

Just read about this flying car on the China Daily News. This vehicle will allow you to drive or fly to the grocery store. The flying car was built by a company named Terrafugia, a spinoff from MIT. While this is a novel idea, I'd hate to see what the insurance is on this.

Certified Pre-Owned hybrids from Toyota

noreply@blogger.com (PriceHub.com) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 20:54:00 +0000

Toyota just announced that they are going to certify pre-owned hybrid vehicles. Obviously, these certified hybrids will command a premium over their non-certified counterparts.

However, you are getting this additional warranty:

3-month/3,000-mile comprehensive warranty
7-year/100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty¹
7-year/100,000-mile roadside assistance¹
174-point quality assurance inspection
CARFAX® Vehicle History Report™
8-year/100,000-mile factory hybrid battery warranty¹
Standard new-car financing rates available

For potential used-Prius owners, the 8 yr battery warranty could help alleviate some anxiety. It will be interesting to see how this affects used Prius prices.

Here is the announcement from Toyota.

See the brand new Honda Prius... I mean Toyota...

noreply@blogger.com (PriceHub.com) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 21:54:00 +0000

Is it me or does the new Honda Insight look just like a Toyota Prius? Motive Magazine has the scoop.

New feature: Comment on Prices

noreply@blogger.com (PriceHub.com) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 04:53:00 +0000

We just added the ability to comment on the prices for each make and model on our site. We felt that by letting our users comment directly on the prices for a car or truck, we could help consumers get an even better sense of new & used car prices.

Try it out!

Bye Bye Fun Cars

noreply@blogger.com (PriceHub.com) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 08:22:00 +0000

Due to the slow economy and poor market conditions, car manufacturers are downsizing their product lines and cancelling the production of cars that they consider to be slow sellers, non-practical and/or gas guzzlers. We've got word that cars like the Honda S2000, Dodge Viper, Hummer H3, Lexus SC, Saturn Sky, and Chrysler PT Cruiser are all cancelled for production in 2009 and beyond. This is unfortunate, as many of these are fun, iconic cars that also serve as a technology showcase and halo model for that manufacturer.

Auto Marketing 101 - The Starting Price of a Vehicle

noreply@blogger.com (PriceHub.com) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 08:45:00 +0000

We've noticed that marketers at car companies have started to change their marketing tactics. They no longer tout performance features like 400 horsepower or luxury features like navigation systems. Nowadays, many of the ads just jump right to the point and highlight the thing that matters the most -- the price, which is usually presented in a "starting at $xx,xxx" format. Here are a few examples from a random sampling of this week's ads:

Chevrolet Aveo - 34 MPG Hwy, starting at $12,120

Hyundai Tucson - Ginormously Small, Starting at $17,420

Mazda6 - 0.0% Financing for 36 months, Starting at $19,220

Volvo S40 - Starting at $28,550

Of course in reality the "starting price" is just the teaser and no one really gets to buy a car at the starting price. I wonder, does the slogan "truth in advertising" apply to the auto industry?

President Obama's Limo

noreply@blogger.com (PriceHub.com) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:17:00 +0000

Here is a spyshot of President-elect Obama's limousine - it's a Cadillac that has 8 inch thick doors. While it doesn't quite resemble any one model, it does have the hand stitched seats and familar Cadillac logo. It hasn't been painted black yet, but it will by 1/20.

Use the Toyota Prius as a life saving generator

noreply@blogger.com (PriceHub.com) — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 04:22:00 +0000

In a recent snowstorm in the Northeast, one Toyota Prius owner used his hybrid to run his refrigerator, TV, freezer and heater during the power outage. For 5 days, his trusty Prius was able to power his home and keep things running.

The Toyota Prius brings new meaning to the word 'utility'. Maybe it should be a called a HUV or hybrid utility vehicle.

C.O.D - Cash On Delivery for Chrysler

noreply@blogger.com (PriceHub.com) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 20:47:00 +0000

In the latest news from AutoBlog, part suppliers are asking Chrysler for COD terms ontheir merchandise. Cash On Delivery - no more credit.

As suppliers become more and more weary of the Big 3's ability to come out of this mess, they are going to trust the credit of the Big 3 less and less. Stay tuned.

Why Auto Insurance Continues to Rise?

noreply@blogger.com (PriceHub.com) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 07:28:00 +0000

When gas prices soared earlier this year, people started to drive less. And with less driving, that should mean fewer accidents which should translate into lower auto insurance for consumers.

There are a couple of other supporting factor which in theory should drive down auto insurance rates. The battered economy and looming recession has brought car prices down, especially used cars in the luxury or gas guzzlers variety. As a result of lower car values, auto insurance rates should decrease because insurance payouts for totaled, stolen, or salvage cars should be lower. Also, modern cars are superior with advance technology in safety to reduce injuries in the event of an accident. For the 2009 models, it's not uncommon for a car to have 6, 8 or more airbags.

Despite all this, why is it that auto insurance continues to rise?