Used Car Discourse

  What Is A Balloon Payment And Is It Right for Me? Are you a good candidate for a vehicle-finance deal that includes a final large – and potentially eye-popping – sum of money due at its conclusion, or should you rather avoid it? Read on before you jump into it. You've heard the term balloon payment before, but what is it? And who is it for exactly? "A balloon payment is a convenient solution that is designed to assist a buyer with their cash flow at the start of an [financing] agreement. This is done by setting aside a portion of the purchase price so the buyer's monthly repayments become lower," says Lebogang Gaoaketse, head of marketing and communication at Wesbank Motor. "Just remember that this deferred amount will still be owed to the bank at the end of the contract term," he cautions. "So customers opting for this arrangement must be disciplined enough to save sufficient cash each month so that they can settle this debt once it is due."   H...

Buying a car can be very exciting, but there may be a few loose ends to take care of before you get settled in. Before You Buckle Up Qualifying for an auto loan and signing the dotted line is only the starting point of vehicle ownership. There may be some more paperwork that you need to take care of, and if it’s a used car , there are seven things that are worth considering after you finance your vehicle. 1. Auto Insurance Being a car owner means having auto insurance. All states have guidelines on how much insurance your car needs to be considered road legal. Dealerships don’t typically let a buyer drive off their lot without proof of insurance, or at the very least, an insurance binder. A binder is temporary auto insurance until your official policy is finalized. If you’re financing your vehicle, then you need full coverage car insurance. Auto lenders require that the car be covered with liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage (which is usually what they mean by full coverag...

Consumers are growing more comfortable with buying a wide variety of things online, from fruits and vegetables to couches and cars for sale in Gauteng , from Cape Town. Partly by necessity and partly because we've realized how convenient and time-efficient it is, we've become quite comfortable with online buying. But should you buy a car online? Or is the process too complicated and personal to lend itself to the online buying process? Undoubtedly, there are pros and cons to buying a car online. While history favours the traditional in-person car-buying process, those who look to the future see a trend pointing toward an increase in online car-buying going forward. Before we outline the benefits and disadvantages of buying a car online, let's define what online car buying really is. What It Means to Buy a Car Online The vast majority of American consumers now shop online for their next car. A summary of consumer behaviour surveys in this area suggests that over two-thirds o...

All versions of the Kia Picanto for sale come with five doors as standard and there's a simple engine line-up, plus the option of an automatic gearbox should you prefer one. There’s even an SUV-aping X-Line version, although that’s more about appealing looks than real rough-and-tumble driving. What it’s like to drive, and how quiet it is Engine, 0-60mph and gearbox The Kia Picanto's non-turbocharged 66bhp 1.0 MPi is pretty much the default choice. That's because it's available with the majority of trims and with a manual or automatic gearbox. 0-60mph takes just over 14sec (or 16.6sec for the auto), which sounds slow but it's quicker than the Volkswagen Up and is, actually, fine for pottering around town. It's an engine that thrives on being revved, so, while you need to work it hard on faster roads, it does feel more eager than the numbers suggest. The reason the auto 'box slows it down is the time it takes to change gear. It's basically the manual gear...