Free Republic

On Sunday, CBS Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer praised President Obama’s recent media blitz for health care reform: "There’s no question he is the best salesman on the staff," but wondered: "Does he run the risk of overexposing himself?" Politco.com’s Roger Simon dispelled that fear: "It is a risk, but he keeps topping himself." Simon elaborated on Obama’s oratory skill: "Every time you think this guy can’t give another speech that’s better than the last one, he gives another speech that’s better than the last one. And he’s achieving his purpose." He added that the President’s address to Congress...

Depreciation is the highest cost associated with a new car. For that reason alone, the resell value of the car should be one of the most important considerations when you buy a new car. If you’re leasing a car, it is the most important factor in determining your lease payment. The following is the list of cars that are expected to retain more of their value in the next three years. See List of Cars with Top Resell Value...

One man's clunker is another man's meal ticket. __ Mom and Pop used-car dealers are feeling the crunch as the old Caravans and Cherokees that provide their livelihood get traded in and banished to junkyards under Cash for Clunkers. By some estimates, three of every five of the used cars turned in for government rebates would have ended up on used car lots or resold for parts. While the Clunkers program helped push sales of new cars in July to the highest level in nearly a year, sales of used cars have taken a beating. "We're struggling and a lot...

'Cash for Clunkers' takes toll on local charities SAN DIEGO - The parking lot used by Father Joe Carroll's car donation program used to be filled with nearly 1,000 aging vehicles. Now it is almost empty. "I feel good for the dealerships making money, but I feel miserable that it will affect my help with the poor," Father Joe said. While many dealerships are thriving thanks to the Cash for Clunkers program, several local charities are taking a hit, because they rely on donated old cars to raise money for their services. "About 20 to 25 percent of our funding...

In the process of searching for a used car for my children to use to go to school and get to work (summer jobs), I have made a couple of significant discoveries. Many used cars are selling for way below book value because there is no book value due to the incentives for buying new cars and economic conditions. Few banks will give loans on a used car at this time. Many, many used cars are for sale and remain for sale for quite some time. Cars that should have elevated used values are selling for well below "usual" values....

The national wave of auto dealership closures has come crashing down on thousands of people who are on the hook for used-car loans that dealers were supposed to absolve. When a car buyer still owes money on a vehicle he is trading in, the dealer promises to pay off the outstanding loan, then resells the vehicle. But as more dealers go out of business, some are sticking consumers with the bill. Lenders can then go after the previous owner who thought the debt was paid, or repossess the car from the new owner who assumed it came with clear title."It's...

Ford Motor Co. said Friday it is recalling 3.6 million passenger cars, trucks, sport utility vehicles and vans to address concerns about a cruise control switch that has led to previous recalls based on reports of fires. Ford said the recall covered more than a dozen vehicle models built from 1992-2007. The company said it was responding to concerns from owners about the safety of their cars and questions about the speed control deactivation switch in the vehicles that is powered at all times. The Dearborn, Mich.-based automaker previously had recalled nearly 6 million vehicles beginning in January 2005 because...

For many consumers, buying a used car can be a daunting process, but it will become less risky after a state law goes into effect Saturday. The "Car Buyer's Bill of Rights" is not a perfect solution, consumer experts say, but will protect buyers from getting stuck with a car they don't want or excessive interest rates on their loans. "Consumers will have more leverage and some of the worst abuses will be curbed," said Rosemary Shahan, president of Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety, an advocacy group based in Sacramento. The law is the most comprehensive reform of car...

Wanted to caution everyone thinking of buying a used car, boat, or other used merchandise to use extreme caution that it is not from a storm damaged area.Within a few days, to weeks, we will see several thousand flood damaged car, and boats, showing up at auctions and local car lots around the country.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- In the market for a good used car? Watch out for vehicles that sat submerged for days in the flooded streets of New Orleans, Biloxi or other Gulf Coast cities ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. Insurance companies usually purchase such vehicles from policyholders, declare them "totaled" and then sell them at auction to be resold for parts, many of which will still be suitable for use in other cars and trucks. But some unscrupulous dealers and wholesalers buy flood-damaged cars at scrap prices, clean them up, retitle them and resell them. The vehicles may look good, but...

MEXICO CITY — Wanted: millions of pre-owned vehicles. Inquire south of the border. The Mexican government Monday cleared the way for older cars from the United States and Canada to be imported here, opening a potentially vast new market for U.S. vehicle merchants looking to unload old Detroit iron. The move, part of an amnesty to register as many as 3 million scofflaws tooling around Mexico in illegally imported cars, could provide a boon to Mexican consumers who are expected to benefit from lower prices and a better selection. It's also a godsend for a U.S. market glutted with second-hand...

ROME (Reuters) - A second hand car once said to be registered in the name of Joseph Kardinal Ratzinger -- the new Pope Benedict - is up for sale on eBay and the sky seems to be the limit when it comes to bidding. The vehicle, a metallic gray 1999 Volkswagen Golf, went up for auction on the German site (www.ebay.de) at a minimum price of 9,900 euros ($12,790) Wednesday and, just over 24 hours and more than 300 bids later, the price had temporarily hit one million euros ($1.3 million). German Web Site n-tv.de identified the seller as Benjamin...

PHOENIX (AP) - Law enforcement officials in the Phoenix area are using new tactics to cut off illegal immigration: They are going after used-car salesmen who sell vehicles to smugglers and are arresting operators of safe houses where immigrants stay after crossing the border. Unlike past crackdowns, which have focused more on stopping immigrants at the border, immigration officials say the new campaign frustrates smugglers by zeroing in on the tools of their trade. The tactic seems to be working in Phoenix, the nation's hub for transporting illegal workers throughout the country. Smugglers, also known as coyotes, typically charge thousands...

45 minutes to go. If there is already a live debate thread go ahead and delete this. I understand posting a live thread has become a somewhat of a political ordeal here, when it shouldn't be. So to take the pressure off, I'm posting this anyway. Do I dare? LOL!

Luxury vehicle owners fearful of parts liability ROTTERDAM, Netherlands -- Smit Salvage has been besieged with calls ever since a Norwegian-registered ship with thousands of luxury cars on board sank late last year in the English Channel. The callers -- used car salesmen, junkyard dealers and modern-day treasure hunters -- guessed correctly that the Rotterdam company was the likeliest candidate to raise the sunken ship, the Tricolor, and its cargo of 2,871 BMWs, Volvos and Saabs, worth about $40 million. What they did not fully consider was the corrosive effect of spending eight months in salt water. Neither were they...

I've noticed that a lot of used vehicles are for sale everywhere. A LOT of nicer later-model vehicles are for sale and they're not moving very fast. SUVs sitting there week after week are NOT selling. Cars are NOT selling. One used car lot near here put out some used Mercedes Benz cars for around $4000 apiece and then moved them off of the lot and now has put them back on the lot (hoping someone would think they sold, I guess). What's the situation elsewhere?