Yeah, there's an app for that

Yet again proving that there is an app for everything.



We at your favorite Maryland Pre-Owned vehicle center (well we think we are your favorite and if not then we should be!) have always thought the phrase "There's an app for that" didn't apply to EVERYTHING. Well apparently we were wrong. We stumbled upon this little article about a new app to help save fuel. How sweet is that! Imagine the fuel savings you could get if you use this with any of the fuel efficient vehicles found here.

When the discussion turns to apps for the iPhone, it's far easier to think of things that the iPhone can do than it is to come up with a list of stuff that itcan't. DriveGain has introduced a new iPhone app that promises to save drivers up to $205 a year in fuel costs by following some simple visual and spoken cues.

The DriveGain app uses the iPhone's built-in GPS system to calculate the vehicle's speed and rate of acceleration and deceleration. The visual displays include a recommended gear indicator and some sliders that drivers try to keep in the green. In addition, the app calculates fuel consumption, CO2 emissions, fuel cost per mile and much more. By following the on-screen cues, DriveGain claims that it can help users save hundreds in fuel while reducing CO2 emissions by up to 660 kilograms per year.

The DriveGain app is currently only available for manual transmission vehicles, but automatics will be supported soon. The apps database has over 16,900 different cars to choose from and can be used on the iPhone 3G and 3GS, as well as on the iPod Touch and iPad. iPhone 4 support is coming soon. To download the app click here.

SOURCE [DriveGain]

$99 Used Vehicle Slasher Sale Was a Big Success

Wow, what a weekend.  All week last week we prepped the dealership and staff for what we expected to be one of the biggest sales we have ever had here at Waldorf Ford Used Car-Truck Center.  Advertising done...check; cars clean and inspected...check, fence up...check, staff assembled...check.  Phone calls from folks who wanted to pre-register, started coming in on Tuesday and  by closing time Saturday, the day of the sale, we had fielded 561 phone calls!  The staff was a little overwhelmed to say the least. 

Friday morning, the day prior to the $99 Premier Sale, started off with people already lining up outside the gate at 8:30AM.   That's right, 24 hours PRIOR to registration starting and 26 hours prior to the gate opening.  We still had lots to do, tent had to go up, coolers needed to be filled with water and of course more people needed to be pre registered.  Throughout the day the line continued to grow and by Saturday morning, they were lined up around the corner and down the lot. 

By the time gate opened at 10AM Saturday, there were hundreds of people in line, waiting for their chance to get a car for just $99.  You see, the $99 Premier Sale is about slashing prices and some of the cars prices are actually slashed to just $99.   How this works is that the person in the drivers seat when the price is slashed gets first chance to buy the car for the new price.  If they decide not to buy - for whatever reason - the person in the passenger seat is the next person to get to buy, then it moves to the back seat passengers.   So, when the gate opens, you want to hurry to the car you are interested in because you want to be the first one there.

We opened the gate and everyone went to the car they wanted and waited for "The Slasher" to come around.  Now mind you it was REALLY hot on Saturday - so these folks must have REALLY wanted to buy a car.  It was so exciting when we had our first car slashed to $99.  High fives all around.  Other cars were slashed by $6,000 to $8000.  By the end of the day we had 6 cars sold for just $99 and many others with prices slashed to below $10,000.  As it turns out, the sale lived up to its expectations and was one of the biggest sales we have had at Waldorf Ford Used Car-Truck Center...Thanks to all of our great customers in Southern Maryland.

Check out the video and make sure to attend next years!!

Speeding Tickets: 65 issued per minute and other fun facts

It’s every driver’s nightmare: flashing blue and red lights in your rear-view mirror. Speeding tickets can strike a blow to anyone’s day. While you pull away from the office with the ticket in your hand, you wonder “Is going ten or fifteen miles an hour over the speed limit that big a deal?” Or “How much is my insurance going to go up now?” Here is some information that answer such questions that will surely cross your mind.


[Via: Auto Insurance]

10 Steps to Finding the Right Car for You

Our job at Waldorf Ford Preowned Center is to help you find the right car at the right price. We came across this Edmund's article that we decided was worth sharing. Today is the first post in a series that will give you tips for finding the right car.

The following steps are devoted to helping you select, price, locate and test-drive the vehicle that is best for you. After reading and completing these steps, you will be ready to move on to the 10 Steps articles to buying a new car, buying a used car, or leasing a new car.

Step 1: What kind of car do you need?
If you examine your needs rather than wants, you will quickly discover what the right car is for you. Take a moment to think about what you use your car for. How many people do you need to transport? What type of driving do you do most often? How long is your commute? Is it important that your next vehicle get good gas mileage?

In too many cases people choose a car for its styling or because it is a trendy favorite. If you do, you might either exceed your budget or have to go car shopping again soon. Let your needs, not your wants, drive your decision. Here are a few other questions to keep in mind when you begin your car-buying process:

Do you want a manual or automatic transmission?

Do you really need four-wheel drive? Or all-wheel drive?

What safety features do you want?

Do you require a lot of cargo capacity?

Will you be doing any towing?

Do you have a bad back and need flexible seating positions?

Will the car easily fit in your garage or parking space?

Don't want to wait until tomorrow for the remaining tips?  Follow this link to skip ahead.

Used-vehicle shortage will keep prices strong

Used-vehicle shortage will keep prices strong

Arlena Sawyers  Automotive News -- December 21, 2009 - 12:01 am ET
The industrywide shortage of used vehicles is expected to continue into 2010, keeping prices strong and relatively stable, used-vehicle experts say.

"Indications are that demand is picking up from the dealers," says Tom Webb, Manheim's chief economist. "All in all, dealers seem to be bidding pretty aggressively."

Webb says used-vehicle prices typically increase in the first quarter as dealers buy inventory in anticipation of a spring selling season fueled by consumers' income-tax refunds.

Not counting seasonal adjustments, "there could be some slight upward movement" in used-vehicle prices early next year, he says.

In November, the average used-vehicle price was $9,519, up 0.6 percent from the October 2009 average price and 9.3 percent from the November 2008 price, according to data compiled by ADESA Analytical Services.

Full-sized pickups and large SUVs -- whose prices plunged last year when gasoline prices exceeded $4 per gallon -- registered monthly and yearly gains in November.
The average price of full-sized pickups last month was $11,122, a gain of 0.2 percent from October 2009 and up 19 percent over November 2008.
Tom Kontos, executive vice president of customer strategies and analytics at ADESA, says the used-vehicle consumer price index in October rose year over year for the first time since June 2008.

He says that indicates that retail used-vehicle demand is strong enough for dealers to pass along the cost of higher-priced wholesale auction purchases to their retail customers.
Ricky Beggs, managing editor of the Black Book used-vehicle price guide, says he expects prices to dip through the end of the month, in lock step with a reduction in auction attendance, purchases and the number of vehicles offered for sale during the holidays.
Although consumers are still wary of the economy, Beggs says he thinks that pent-up demand exists for used cars and trucks and that the overall supply will be tight.
He adds: "In 2010 I expect the market to be positive and active and offer good value for the product."

You can reach Arlena Sawyers at asawyers@crain.com
Source Automotive News