Car, Trucks, and SUVs Reviewed By The People That Drive Them!

Vehicle Reviews Written By The People That Matter The Most

The People That Own Them!

Researching a vehicle before you buy is a great way to avoid costly mistakes and also narrow down the zillions of ads that are available to us via the Internet, classifieds, and more.  Knowing what you want before you start looking can save you lots of time and unnecessary driving.  It can also help you head in the right direction when it comes to price, comfort, and a myriad of other things that are important when it comes to buying a vehicle.

Many people choose to read reviews of the vehicle's they are interested i,n hoping to find the 'best' and the 'worst' of the type of vehicle they are looking for.  Reviews are a great way to learn about vehicles.  What kind of motor configurations are available, colors, sports editions vs. luxury editions, and lots more.  But, most reviews are written by "professional reviewers", and, well, a professional reviewer is "just that", a professional.  

These reviewers are hand picked by the manufacturer's, flown to their destinations first-class, given a vehicle configured by the manufacturer, and wined and dined while they are putting together their "journalistic" comments about the vehicle in question.  I love reading reviews done by the pros because they (the pros), do a great job making sure that they cover all the important things we're interested in, like motor size, options available, and, last but not least, price.

However, we always have to remember that these reviews are done by professionals and not someone who just went out and bought the car, truck, or suv, drove it for awhile, and, then decided to put their reactions to the whole experience down on paper.  They are paid to do what they do.

Yesterday, while going through my "social networking" tasks, (a task which is getting longer and longer by the day I might mention), I came across a site that is dedicated to vehicle reviews done by the folks that own them!  What a great idea.  These reviews are done by people just like you and me.  These "reviewers" actually own the vehicles they are reviewing.  They are not "special" vehicles that have been 'customized' by the manufacturer to be the "ultimate" vehicle.  They are "real" vehicles.  The kind that people like you and I are going to end up with if we buy one.

The site is called Car User Reviews and you can find it at http://www.caruserreviews.com.  This is a great place to do your research when looking for a specific vehicle.  You can look up the vehicles by type or by manufacturer.  But, the best part is, the reviews are as real as they get.  They are also, for the most part, concise and to the point.  

Who could be more "brutally honest" than the person who went out and spent their hard earned dollars for their dream vehicle?  That's right! NO ONE!  I mean, if you want to find out about a specific kind of vehicle and get the truth, ask someone who owns one, right?  That's exactly what this site is all about.

Car User Reviews also reviews car dealerships!  That's right....you can look up the reviews for dealerships in your area and find out which ones people love and which ones, well, not so much.... Anyway, it's a great site that you really should check out, especially if you're in the market for a new or used vehicle.

It's also a place where you can voice your own opinion.  Have something to say about the car, truck, or suv that you own?  Tell it like it is!  You can even tell everyone about the experience you had buying your vehicle if you bought it at a dealership.

So, the next time you need some info regarding a specific vehicle, head on over to Car User Reviews and check it out.  

You could save yourself some money, time, and even the grief of not making the same mistake someone else already has.  I think it's a great idea.

Finding out as much as you can before you purchase a vehicle is the best way to avoid headaches.  Running a vehicle's history report is also a good way to ensure that the car, truck, or suv you are looking at is worth your hard earned dollars.  Protect yourself from hidden problems. AutoCheck® vehicle history report for only $29.99.

Happy Motoring!
Larry and Dee Blackman
LDJ Auto Body & Mechanical, Gibsonton, FL
www.ldjautobody.com

Know of a site that our readers would love? Send us the site url and a description so we can let everyone know about it.  We are always looking for new and interesting information to share with our readers.

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Would Your Shop Go The Extra Nine Yards? Customer Service Should Be Their Number One Concern.

We were recently contacted by one of our customers who told us that the water pump on her 2005 Saturn Ion 3 was leaking badly and needed to be replaced.  The pump had been leaking water and had gotten progressively worse.  Upon inspection of the vehicle, we found that the water pump bearing was the problem and replaced the water pump to resolve the issue.

After she had picked up the car and driven it home, she called to let us know that there was a "high-pitched" squeal comming from the engine compartment that got louder as she excellerated the vehicle.  We told her to bring the car back to the shop so we could inspect it and see if we could find the reason for the noise.

Our mechanic inspected the car and determined that the noise was comming from the timing assembly.  On this vehicle, the timing chain actually drives the water pump.  The whole situation was beginning to take shape.  Upon removing the timing assembly cover, our mechanic discoved a timing chain tensioner that was sticking and causing a severe pressure to be put on the timing chain and the water pump bearing.  Aha!  This is the reason the water pump had gone out in the first place!

Now, this particular vehicle had only 38,000 miles on it.  Really low milage for a vehicle of it's age, but, still within the warranty of the vehicle.  We documented the job, took pictures of the defective part, replaced it, charged the woman the necessary labor AND offered to help her get the work done under warranty.  Would your shop have done the same?

In these economic times, it's important to save money where you can.  Using the warranty for your vehicle is extremely important as car repairs can be expensive.  This woman's repair bill would have cost her around $900 in labor, plus the parts! 

My point here is to be sure that your repair shop is willing to work with you when it comes to items that should be repaired under warranty.  Ensure that they will back up the repairs with a letter, if necessary, explaining the reason for the repair and any information leading up to what caused the damage or need for repairs in the first place.

Customer satisfaction should be the number one priority of any shop, big or small.  Going the extra nine yards for customers is what gains respect and loyalty and when it comes to car repair, both of those should be at the top of any shops' list.  If it's not, it's time to find a new shop.  In these times, shops and customers need to work together to make sure that everyone comes out a winner. 

When it comes to buying a car, knowing your shop will go the extra nine yards there can be really helpful too.  If possible, have your mechanic check out the vehicle before you buy.  Small problems that might not be noticeable to just anyone might be found by your mechanic and save you money down the road.  Problems that need to be fixed are also great bargaining chips when it comes to negotiating the right price for a car or truck.  When it's not possible to bring the car to your mechanic, always use a good, established servcie to get a vehicle history report.  AutoCheck is the best vehicle history report available.
 
Buy a vehicle history report today and find out why AutoCheck is better than Carfax!
Shopping for a used car? For only $44.99, an AutoCheck® Unlimited lets you check unlimited VINs for vehicle history for 30 days.  That's right, unlimited VIN# checks for a full 30 days! 

This allows you to check each vehicle you look at and compare them all for one low price.  You can also take those vehicle reports to your shop and get a professional opinion of which vehicle is the best buy without having to bring the car to your mechanic or vise versa!

Try AutoCheck today!

You'll be happy you did.

Happy Motoring!

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