Tips for Buying a Used Car

Kelley Blue Book reminds consumers that today’s used car buyers have lots of information available to them that helps to make the experience much less stressful.  However, both Edmunds and Kelley Blue Book stress the importance of first determining how much vehicle you can afford before you begin to seriously start shopping.  

They recommend you establish the amount you are willing to spend and stick to that amount.  If you are planning to take out a loan to pay for the vehicle, you will need to calculate the maximum monthly payments you want to take on.  At the Dan Tobin Chevrolet, Buick GMC dealership, we offer an online payment calculator that makes it easy to figure out your car payment after your trade-in value and down payment is considered.  Remember to also factor into your budget the tax, title, registration and insurance costs for your new car or truck.

Another thing to watch out for is to not make the mistake of buying a vehicle that does not fit your needs.  Just because it looks great and offers a smooth ride, if it does not fulfil your requirements or meet your budget, it is not a good deal.  Kelley Blue Book advises that before you start shopping to make a list of the priorities for the car such as good gas mileage, hauling kids to and from activities, maintaining a good re-sale value, etc.  Next they suggest you make another list of all the things you admire in a vehicle like body style, color and luxury options and then cross-reference the two lists. 

Remember to use the Internet as it makes buying a used car much easier and provides a wealth of information on a particular vehicle.  At our Dan Tobin’s website you can read all about a vehicle’s specifications and details as well as go over the CARFAX and much more. 

Dan Tobin Chevrolet, Buick GMC dealership is a full service operation and sells brand new Chevrolet, Buick and GMC cars, trucks and SUVs as well as operates a Service Center, Parts Department and Body Shop.  Dan Tobin also sells all makes and models of used, certified pre-owned and one owner vehicles.  Visit our website to learn more.   

Dan Tobin Chevrolet Buick GMC dealership sells new, certified pre-owned and used cars, trucks and SUVs at market based pricing.  Our website lets you shop our large inventory from the comfort of home, and to contact us for more information, to schedule a test drive or request a quote.  We invite you to browse through Columbus’ best inventories for a great deal on a CPO.   

Sources: edmunds.com/car-buying/10-steps-to-buying-a-used-car

kbb.com/car-advice/car-buying/step-1-find-out-how-much-you-can-afford/

Get a Great Deal on a Chevy Spark

Dan Tobin Chevrolet has a large inventory of 2017 Chevy Sparks including some of the five new colors with names like Brimstone, Mosaic Black and Mint.  The Spark is rated for up to 30 city/38 highway mpg and is offered in three configurations including the LS, LS CVT and the 1LT trim.  In January of this year, Chevy released the Spark ACTIV model.     

The subcompact is a multi-award winner including: Kelley Blue Book’s 5-Year Cost to Own: Best Subcompact Car (2017 Model); the Best Economic Performance (2017 Model) and Best Mini-Compact Cars (2017 Model) by Automotive Science Group; and the Best Vehicles by Class: Subcompact Cars (2017 Model) from GreenerCars.org.   Car and Driver also awarded it with their Editors’ Choice Awards: Small Cars (2017 Model).  The Spark is available as a standard hatchback or the crossover-like Spark Activ that offers additional ride height. 

While offering passenger room for four, if you desire more cargo space you can fold down the back seat to get a maximum of 27.2 cu ft.   Nor does the Spark shortchange owners on technology as it offers the Chevrolet MyLink, which is a 7-inch diagonal color touch-screen that allows you to send and receive texts, play music and more.  Also the 2017 Spark has a total of 10 air bags, 4-wheel antilock brakes, and a high-strength steel safety cage along with a standard rear vision camera and other safety features. 

Please visit our Dan Tobin Chevrolet showroom in Columbus, conveniently located to nearby Dublin, or browse our website to view our extensive inventory of brand new Sparks -all offered at fantastic prices.  Contact us today for a quote or to take a test drive.  

Dan Tobin Chevrolet Buick GMC dealership sells new, certified pre-owned and used cars, trucks and SUVs at market based pricing.  Our website lets you shop our extensive inventory from the comfort of home, and to easily contact us for more information, to schedule a test drive or request a quote.  We invite you to browse through Columbus’ largest inventories to find the best deals in town.   

Buy the Car Parts You Need at our Online Store

At the Dan Tobin Chevrolet Buick GMC dealership, we have made it easy to order any of the factory parts you need online.  We recognize that it is important for you to get your vehicle back on the road and we want to help you do so with the proper parts designed to fit your car perfectly.  All you need to do is visit our website and open our Parts tab to find the online order form. 

It will take just a few minutes to fill out the forms as we need to know your vehicle’s make and model.  We also want to know if the vehicle is new or used along with the year, the VIN number, and your contact information.  It addition we also offer the option to use our Ask a Tech feature that gives you the opportunity to get advice about the part you need from our team of certified professionals. 

Also while you are on our site, consider filling out our Vehicle Recall Request form, which is designed to keep you up to date on safety notices and recalls from the manufacturer.   Again it is simple to fill out as we just need the year, make, and model of your vehicle.  Once you submit the form, one of our service representatives will run a report on your vehicle.

Also take a look at the Specials offered by our Parts Department.  Currently we are offering a “Tire Price Match Guarantee.”  This means if you buy tires from a select group at Dan Tobin and find a better price within 30 day, we will refund the difference.  Our eligible brands include: BF Goodrich, Continental, Bridgestone, Firestone, General, Dunlop, Hankook, Michelin, Pirelli, Uniroyal. (not compatible with other offers). 

If you want more information or have questions or concerns, you will find our Parts Department manager’s contact information along with the rest of our team including other department managers and sales reps in both new and used sales.   Please visit our website for more. 

Dan Tobin Chevrolet Buick GMC dealership sells new, certified pre-owned and used cars, trucks and SUVs at market based pricing.  Our website lets you shop our extensive inventory from the comfort of home, and to easily contact us for more information, to schedule a test drive or request a quote.  Browse one of Columbus’ largest inventories for excellent customer service and great deals. 

Find a Great Inventory of the All-new 2018 Chevy Equinox

At the Dan Tobin Chevrolet dealership, we have 21 brand-new 2018 Chevy Equinox SUVs in stock as of this post, but our vehicles are very competitively priced and they do sell fast.   The all-new, versatile crossover is the complete package and offers everything from design and technology to performance and safety.

With its completely redesigned exterior, the all-wheel-drive 4-door hatchback has a new Opel-engineered platform that trims 4.7 inches off the length and about 350 pounds off in weight.  Even with the shorter (5.2-inch) wheelbase, the new 5-passenger Equinox still offers plenty of passenger room, and the 60/40 split-folding rear seat folds flat to create a generous 63.5 cu. ft. of cargo space.   The handsome interior has six USB ports, one 120-volt AC outlet, and an inductive charging pad to power toys and tablets.

You also have the comfort of ten advanced safety technologies that help to detect and prevent potential hazards on the road.  Features include a system that automatically applies the brakes as it senses an imminent front-end collision with a detected vehicle when traveling below 50 mph.  In addition it offers a standard rear vision camera and Intellibeam® headlamps that switch from low to high beams as driving conditions necessitate, and back to low beams when another vehicle approaches.  Another innovative safety feature is Surround Vision, which provides the driver with a virtual bird’s-eye view of the vehicle on the color touch-screen.

Dan Tobin’s inventory includes the top-of-the-line Premier and LT and LS trims.  Along with our great deals to buy an Equinox, we also have leases starting as low as $198 a month.  Please visit our website to view our inventory and to learn more about how we can help put you behind the wheel of a brand-new 2018 Equinox.  

Dan Tobin Chevrolet Buick GMC dealership sells new, certified pre-owned and used cars, trucks and SUVs at market based pricing.  Our website lets you shop our extensive inventory from the comfort of home, and to easily contact us for more information, to schedule a test drive or request a quote.  Browse one of Columbus’ largest inventories for excellent customer service and great deals.