So, You Want To Buy A New Car?

One of the worst parts of our day at Oakdale Collision is having to tell someone their insurance totaled out their vehicle. Purchasing a new car can be a big stressful ordeal. It puts a lot on the line like your credit score, financials, and long-term happiness if you purchase the wrong thing. Sometimes, it’s hard to know what vehicle is the right vehicle, until it’s in front of you. We suggest thinking long and hard about what you need, and what you want out of your next vehicle. 

The financial part is often the most worrisome step towards a new car. If your insurance is totaling out your current vehicle, make sure that you negotiate on your behalf, and that your payout is fair value. Before you set out to test drive your dream car, you need to identify what your budget is, and which type of sale you’d like to do, either private or through a dealership. You will need to identify how much you are willing to spend, and if you are planning on buying outright, or using a loan from either a bank or a dealership. If you go the loan route, decide how much money you are willing to allocate towards a monthly payment.

Paint a picture, albeit a broad one, of your ideal must haves and must nots in the next car you bring home. This can be little things, like auto start or heated seats, to the big items like being AWD or an included tow package. Create a list of your absolutes before you start searching online. This will help you cross potentials off the list, and preemptively thinking about what you absolutely need will allow you to quickly sort through the thousands of cars on the market. Then, once you know the type and trim package you desire, price check it! Look up what the industry norm is, and what people in your area are paying for the same type of vehicle. Keep that at the ready for when you visit the dealer or private party you intend to purchase though.


Absolutely always test drive the car. This is one of the most important parts of the car buying process. You need to know the depth of what you are getting yourself into, and test driving the car will allow you to experience what day to day life is going to be like. You’ll typically be driving the car, but how does the backseat feel? Can you properly use all the mirrors in the car and do you like your visibility? Is there road noise? How is the stereo? Do you feel too close to the steering wheel? Is there enough cargo space? Make sure your salesman has time to spare and take it for a thorough test. Drive on the freeway, find a hill, do a couple brake checks, cruise around and ensure you are positively in love with the vehicle before you entertain the idea of purchasing the vehicle. You also want to have a mechanic on call, for a checkup. It is always a good idea to make sure that the vehicle is mechanically sound.

A new car is an emotional and occasionally expensive venture, but you can save yourself a lot of stress by being proactive and getting your intention set before you start looking. By knowing what you want, you don’t have room for a salesman to upsell you, or to miss a great opportunity by overlooking an older model that has all your absolute must have items. Don’t let anybody push you into anything you aren’t interested in and know that you don’t have to buy anything you don’t love.

Aftermarket or OEM Windshield?

One of the downsides to having a vehicle you love and want to take care of is how often accidents happen. We’re specifically thinking about how often rocks fly up from a vehicle in front of you on the highway and put an unfortunate chip in your windshield. It happens, but what do you do when you either have too many, they’re in your line of sight, or if the whole thing is damaged beyond repair?

Insurance companies occasionally make demands that you may not agree with, but one of the best perks of living in Minnesota is a law that requires the vehicle owner’s explicit approval to replace OEM parts with Aftermarket ones. As an auto body repair facility, we don’t take a stance against or for either OEM or Aftermarket ones, but we will tell you the difference so you can make an informed decision as a consumer.

An Aftermarket windshield has many pros and cons just as an OEM one does. They meet the same requirements that OEM ones do for safety standards dictated by the Department of Transportation. This is often the more cost-effective option when replacing a windshield and are easily attainable. The windshield is a safety-related part, as it structurally supports your vehicle. Due to this, and the fact that aftermarket parts often differ in slight ways, you need to be entirely sure when selecting your glass. A very attentive vehicle owner may notice minimal differences in color, waves and the unfortunate situation of leaking, though this is the exception not a rule.

OEM windshields are identical to the windshield your vehicle came with when it was first manufactured. These windshields have their own list of pros and cons, the largest and possibly only con being the expense. A brand new windshield from your dealership will be much more expensive than an aftermarket option, and may still not be from the same manufacturer as your original piece of glass as most vehicle manufacturers sublet out their glass production.

It is important to be informed before making any decisions involving your vehicle, especially when it comes to a piece as important as the windshield. In the event your insurance company denies an OEM part and you feel strongly about it, most companies can find a way to supply you with the OEM part if you pay the difference in price. We can steer you in the right direction should you need it! If you have any questions about which type of part should be installed on your vehicle, or which company we recommend for windshield install/repair, you can always reach out to one of our employees. We are always here to help!

 

Cars Aren't For Transportation

The autobody world is in constant fluctuation, due to the upgrades we regularly see in new vehicles on the market. Every year we see newer, more luxurious models of the well known manufacturers. Cars are no longer centered around transportation, they’ve become a mode of entertainment, as intelligent as our smartphones. These advancements are great for the consumer, but from the standpoint of a repair facility, it creates an entire new realm of training requirements, time constraints and overhead costs.

The beauty of this industry is in the endless possibilities. In the next coming years, vehicles will become more and more advanced. Here are five new advancements that will change how we repair cars, soon:

• Augmented Reality Display. This technology is fascinating, and has a bit of a Tron feel. Imagine sitting at the wheel, and having access to the exact distance between you and the guardrail to your right, or the vehicle in front of you. Presently, BMW is working to get this technology into their vehicles, at no one's surprise. This very futuristic tech could be both a handy tool on the road, and as well as an unfortunate distraction.
• Communication Between Vehicles, or vehicle to vehicle communication (V2V for short). You read that right, cars are starting to talk to one another. Cadillac implemented V2V communication i n 2017, which has been said to be similar to inter vehicle wifi. The purpose is to share the intent of the driver with other vehicles, potentially alleviating the possibility of a collision. This technology only works with other vehicles that have the same ability, but it could cut back on quite a few accidents out there.
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• Self Healing Paint. This technology is already available on the market for various other items, but the jump could be made to vehicles on the market before we know it. Self healing paint is softer than normal paints, and can absorb scratches. You would no longer have those soft scratches in your black paint, and we would see fewer paint jobs.
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• Solar Panel Powered Vehicles. Imagine how fantastic it would be to have a solar powered vehicle. This is possibly one of the most exciting advancements that may sound too good to be true. You should be comforted to know that Toyota has been researching this technology and its development since 2010.
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•  Fingerprint Touch Start. Who has actual keys anymore? There’s no specific date when manufacturers decided that keys were no longer “in” but that does seem to be the upward trend. Tesla features a credit card, most vehicles newer than 2010 have push start. Ford received the patent on fingerprint touch start technology in 2015.

With the constant changing environment we’re in, it’s a good thing we’re constantly working to stay up to date on the advancements we may see coming through our doors. There are so many new and exciting things on the market, we can’t wait to see what’s brought our way next! Come see us with any of your vehicle needs, no matter how old school or advanced your ride may be!