Main Points of Buying vs. Leasing

Disadvantages of Car Leasing

• You don't own the car at the end of the lease.
• Your mileage is limited to a set amount, typically 12,000-15,000 miles a year (excess miles are paid for at the lease termination).
• Lease contracts are confusing.
• Leasing is more expensive in the long run (as opposed to buying and driving until the wheels fall off).
• Wear-and-tear charges can add up (paid at lease termination).
• It's costly to terminate a lease early if your driving needs change.

Advantages of Car Buying

• Pride of ownership — you can modify your car as you please.
• Car buying is more economical in the long run unless you buy and trade-in regularly.
• No penalty for driving excess mileage
• Increased flexibility — you can easily sell the car whenever you want.

Disadvantages of Car Buying

• Higher down payment is generally required.
• Higher monthly payments
• You're responsible for maintenance costs once the warranty expires.
• Trade-in or selling hassles when you're ready to get rid of your car
• More of your ready cash is tied up in a car, which depreciates, rather than an investment that appreciates.

Look to Edmunds.com for more valuable information and analysis!

Ready, Set, Start!

GET READY! We're having a live remote with ESPN 1-3pm tomorrow, Feb. 8 at Dave Solon Kia, 1560 Auto Mall Loop In Colorado Springs.

GET SET! On March 1 at Dave Solon Kia, each of the qualifiers will have their chance to win!

START! One qualifier is guaranteed to win the car! 

We hope to see you - Good luck!

You Won't Believe These Driving Laws in the US

In Alabama, it is illegal to drive while blindfolded.
In Arkansas,  it is illegal to blare a car horn where ice cold beverages or sandwiches are served after 9 p.m.
In Connecticut, it is illegal to hunt from your car.
In Derby, Kansas, it is a misdemeanor to screech your tires while driving.
In Rockville, Maryland, it is a misdemeanor to swear from your vehicle.
In Massachusetts, it is illegal to operate a car with a gorilla in the backseat.
In Oregon, you can be ticketed if you leave your car door open longer than is deemed necessary.
In Scituate, Rhode Island, it is illegal to drive with beer in your vehicle even if it is unopened.

Hope you enjoyed these!

4 Strategies to Effective New Year's Resolutions

1. Remember why you are setting the goal. When you find and remember the core reason to why you want to reach your goal, you will be more inspired to stay on track to completing it. Without a strong desire or passion, your resolution will be recycled for the next year.

2. Be specific. Set a time to complete and have a measurable goal. Instead of "exercise more", try "going to the gym 2x per week". 

3. Write it down. A Stanford University study found that when people wrote down their goal, it increased the probability of them achieving it by over 70%!

4. Forgive failures. Nobody is perfect. There will be breakdowns and set-backs. Just because you fail one day, one week, or one month doesn't mean you should give up entirely! Persistence pays off.

Why Snow Tires Are Important

A set of winter tires will dramatically improve your safety. While brand new all-season tires can provide reasonable traction during the winter, their performance is roughly equivalent to half-worn snow tires. Snow tires have superior tread patterns that are designed for traction on ice and snow and they employ "softer" rubber compounds to enhance grip. Snow tires help a car get moving on icy pavement and help any car to both stop and corner in snow and ice. They may seem costly, but compared to the cost of an insurance deductible, not to mention the possibility that a good set of winter tires might be the difference between life and death in an accident, the tires are worth it.

Keep your family safe this winter and invest in some snow tires!

10 Gifts for Car Lovers

1. Cylinder block table
2. Car lighter USB port
3. Car engine part cuff links
4. Metro Vac Handheld Vacuum Cleaner
5. Classic Car Wines
6. Brookstone Key Finder
7. Grippy Pad (to hold your gadgets on your car dash)
8. Build your own car wash kit
9. Heated electrical windshield de-icer 
10. Tire ring

Beating Cyber Monday

Uninterested in the absolute madness that is Black Friday, but still want the great deals? The solution in recent years has been Cyber Monday -- the Monday following Black Friday where you can get all the deals online from the safety and comfort of your home.

Here are some tips to getting the best deals this year:

1. Don't wait until Cyber Monday! To be competitive, companies are starting earlier and earlier. Start researching now and find great discounts.

2. Copy & Paste. It's so easy to search and compare prices. Take that one extra minute to copy whatever item you're looking at and throw it in the Google search bar and find the lowest price. We suggest looking for things on Amazon.com and then using their descriptor titles to copy.

3. Use coupons to get extra savings! CyberMonday.com and BestCyberMonday.com offer coupon codes that, when applied while making an online purchase, will take an additional discount off the final Cyber Monday sales deal price.

Good luck!