If you haven’t looked at or purchased a new vehicle off of the lot in the last 5 years and you’re thinking about trading in your current auto for a used car, truck or SUV, you may be surprised by some of the feature changes, especially if you plan to buy a used auto that is only three years old. Here are six options that have changed in most autos.
Does it come with a spare tire?
With competition for higher fuel economy, coupled with increasing federal regulations and fuel prices pushing the need for better mpgs, many autos are shrinking in size or eliminating “excess” weight. Some autos like the Chevrolet Cruze Eco have replaced the spare tire and jack with a tire-inflator kit, saving an extra 26 pounds towards better fuel economy. Other smaller autos like the Mazda MX-5 Miata removed the spare simply because they don’t have the room.
Those fancy options all come from the same manufacturer.
With the global recession evaporating some of the competition from the pool of automotive suppliers, many of the newer options (voice activation, night-vision camera, transmission) come from the same supplier.
It may be time to kick that smoking habit.
It used to be that all cars and some trucks came with ashtrays and lighters as part of the standard package. Many auto makers now replace these with cupholders and mobile phone slots. Those buying new vehicles have to pay extra to keep their autos smoker-friendly.
You’ll look forward when you back up.
Many new cars, trucks and SUVs designed with small rear windows and high trunk lids have rear view cameras as an added safety feature.
There will be less foreign-made compact pickup trucks to choose from.
If you could buy a full-sized pickup for the same price as a compact, would you? Many foreign auto makers aren’t shipping compact pickup trucks to the US because they can’t afford to. When the Motor City manufacturers can offer full-size pickups starting around $21,000 before rebates that may be as much as $4,000, foreign compact trucks can’t compete.
There are more CPUs in today’s newer autos.
Did you know that some hybrid autos today have more lines of computer code than the first rocket to the moon had? The average new auto driving off of the lot comes standard with 23 CPUs (central processing units). With this technological complexity comes the need to have a pro make most maintenance and repairs to your auto, even resetting basic sensors. You shade-tree mechanics will only be able to change your oil, oil filter and inflate your tires. All other repairs will require a visit to your local ASE certified tech.
Looking to find the best information on used cars, then visit www.AmericanAutoAssurance.com to find the best advice on vehicle protection plans for your car, truck or SUV.