If your credit could use a little help, you’re not exactly alone. Many of us have found ourselves in that position at one time or another during our lives. Unfortunately, when it comes time to buy a car, that can mean putting two or three times the interest rates into your auto loan calculator when you’re figuring out what your payments are going to be.

Most automobile dealers offer high risk financing options. They’ll cost you more, but as the financing department will be quick to point out to you: you put yourself in that position, and the only one who can get you out of it is you.

For those who can’t even get high risk financing at a dealership, there is still an option: a buy here/ pay here dealership (also known as “buy here/die here”). It isn’t an attractive option, but at least it offers you the opportunity to buy a car when you need one. Here are some things to consider when buying a car from one of these dealerships:

• They can take your car back if you miss a payment. Most of them will be reasonable with you as long as you communicate with them, but don’t ever assume. Don’t be late with payments, and if you do have to be late due to unavoidable circumstances, let them know in advance.
• Your interest rate will be high. Typically, buy here/die here car lots charge up to double the interest rates other financing options offer. Go ahead and type in the figures into an auto loan calculator and take a good look at how much you’re going to be paying. It’s definitely enough to make you want to repair your credit.
• Make sure they report to the credit agencies. Speaking of repairing your credit, make sure that any dealer you buy from reports your payments to the credit agencies. They don’t have to, and many of them don’t. Ask about this before you buy the car. If you’re going to end up paying two or three times what a car is worth, you might as well get credit for making your payments on time.
• Some dealerships offer a deal on maintenance. Let’s face it, if you’re buying your car at a buy here/die here lot, you don’t have a lot of extra money to give to the mechanic. Some car lots will let you bring your car in to their shop and will add the cost into your payments, allowing you to pay for it over time. Of course, like buying the car in the first place, you end up paying more, but at least you don’t have to give the car up.

When we were fresh out of high school and driving dad’s old station wagon on the weekends, one of our friends went out and bought himself a brand new car. A bright shiny blue Yugo. We’re not sure what it cost, but it couldn’t have been much. Our friend (who was a linebacker in high school) barely fit in the thing, but when he ran the numbers through an auto loan calculator, he was able to get the payments low enough that he could afford it on his fry cook salary.

Most of us ended up paying just as much over the next couple of years to buy an array of used cars. Still, while we struggled to keep gas in the late ‘70s model castoffs, our friend chugged along at 50 miles per gallon. And four years later, when we were using an auto loan calculator to figure out how much our own new cars would set us back, our friend was still driving that little Yugo.

There’s something to be said for buying a new car, if you can. As long as you can handle living with a compact or subcompact car, there are plenty of great options out there which are cheaper than you may think. While Yugos aren’t an option in the USA anymore (you can still get them in Serbia, though they’re called Korals there), here are some of the cheapest new cars available today:

1. Scion XD. They may be a subsidiary of Toyota, but they’re manufactured right in the good old U S of A, in the blue hills of Kentucky. You can buy one for just a little over $16,000 and with 33mpg on the highway, you won’t be breaking the bank to keep it in gas.
2. Honda Fit. Another gas sipper coming in at just over $16,000, the Fit will get you a full 35 mpg.
3. Kia Forte. $15,400 will get you a brand spanking new Kia Forte. The Korean car manufacturer has made serious inroads in recent years, as much for their insane power train warranties as for their rock bottom prices.
4. Kia Soul. They look kind of like a Mini Cooper, but the price will put a much bigger smile on your face. While they’re relative gas guzzlers compared to the other vehicles on this list (they still get 31 mpg), you can get into one for a measly $13,995.
5. Toyota Yaris. It’s a 2 door hatchback, but if you can wedge yourself into it, you can have one for $13,900.
6. Hyundai Accent. The Accent has become somewhat notorious for not holding its resale value well (on average, they’re only worth 24% of the original cost after 5 years), but what the hell? It only costs $13,700.

7.   Nissan Versa. It comes with four doors and sells for less than 13K,               coming in at $12,700. It’s only warranted at 5 years, but at that price, who needs more?

The Indy 500 celebrates its 100^th running this year, and they’re really done so in style. Of all the festivities, perhaps the coolest of all was when they set up 33 Indy winners on the track. The cars range from the very first Indy 500 winner through every single decade of Indy car racing.

Most of the driving greats are represented, including:

• Mario Andretti ( 1969 Indy winner, fan favorite)
• Johnny Rutherford ( 3 time Indy winner)
• Ray Harroun (1^st Indy winner)
• Dario Franchitti (most recent Indy winner, 3 time winner)
• A.J. Foyt (First to have 4 Indy wins)
• Rick Mears (4 Indy wins)
• Al Unser Jr. (4 Indy wins)

In case you were thinking about getting into Indy car racing, open up a tab on your browser and find a good auto loan calculator. Type in your interest rate based on your credit, then type in $7,000,000 for the price of the car. Not sure you want to spend that much for a car? We don’t blame you. But considering the steering wheels alone have been known to cost more than $40,000, we doubt you’ll find one much cheaper.

So, unless you have a lot of collateral, stellar credit and a real desire to invest 7 mils into a car that could all fall apart with one bad turn, your best bet is to just head down to Indy to see these magnificent cars. If you aren’t able to make it in time to watch these cars on the track, don’t worry. Most of them are on display at the Indianapolis 500 Hall of Fame.

Remember when you had to actually roll the window up and down. Yes, children, that term actually does mean something. Back in the day, there was this handle with a knob and you turned it round and round-you get the idea.

Of course, we’ve been using buttons to automatically raise and lower our windows since the ‘80s (or ‘70s if your parents were particularly rich), but these days, there are things you can do from the driver’s seat that you never could have imagined a few short years ago.

Who would have thought that Bluetooth technology would make it so that, not only can you talk on the phone while you are in your car, but you don’t even need a phone to do it? Even more impressive, who would have thought that it would become so commonplace that most new cars will soon have it or that it would even be within the budget of average people?

We don’t know about you, but we never imagined cars would be developed which would offer you a warning if someone is behind you (we kind of thought that’s what rearview mirrors were for). Heck, we remember when the idea of a car talking to you was something you only saw once per week on Knight Rider. Now your car can:

• Tell you how to get where you’re going using GPS technology.
• Tell you verbally if something is wrong with the car.
• Nag you to get an oil change.
• Recognize the signs of drowsy driving and tell you to wake up.
• Play just about any kind of music you want to hear after hearing your voice command.

Of course, some cars still lack some of these features. But, they are becoming more and more common. It kind of makes you wonder if we won’t soon be flying through the air with George Jetson and Astro someday soon after all. Whatever they come up with, we just hope our auto loan calculator can keep up.

1. KITT: The producers of Knight Rider started out with a 1982 Trans Am, already one of the coolest cars of all time. Then they gave it artificial intelligence and a host of special abilities, including “turbo boost,” which allowed it to leap over obstacles without a ramp.
2. General Lee: Like all great TV cars, the folks at The Dukes of Hazzard took a very cool car and made it even cooler. The ’69 Dodge Charger is among the baddest muscle cars of all time. The distinctive orange paint, racing number “01” and Confederate flag motif made the car one of the most memorable in TV history.
3. The Batmobile: Originally a concept car called the Lincoln Futura, the Batmobile held millions of kids enthralled as the Caped Crusader cruised the Gotham streets using its many gadgets to defeat the likes of the Joker, Penguin, and Mr. Freeze week after week. Despite numerous film adaptations, no one has really improved on the original. The best part? You wouldn’t have even needed an auto loan calculator to figure out the payments to buy the original Batmobile. As a concept car that Lincoln never planned to build, it was deemed worthless and sold to the studio for a buck.
4. Magnum’s Ferrari: We don’t care who you are; if you can’t appreciate a bright red Ferrari, you’re just not a red blooded American. That might seem odd to say about an Italian car, but seriously, this car is badass.
5. ’72 Gran Torino from Starsky & Hutch: The striped red Gran Tornio was one of the toughest cars on the TV roads during the ‘70s, a decade when the muscle car ruled.
6. Nash Bridges’ ’71 Plymouth Barracuda: The yellow convertible was already a throwback by the time the show aired in the ‘90s. But if you were looking for a show with a seriously cool car, there was no need to look any further.
7. Poncharelli’s Trans Am: It only actually made it onto a couple of episodes of CHiPs, but Ponch’s gold tones ’79 Trans Am was one of the coolest cars ever on TV nonetheless. It’s kind of a shame that it was overshadowed by the show’s Harleys.

The increase is largely credited to special incentives on auto loans. GM is offering 0% financing for up to 72 months on many of its models. Compared to standard financing rates, which currently range from 4.49% – 7.49%, the savings are really astounding. We used an auto loan calculator to work out the math.

On a $20,000 vehicle with a $4000 trade-in and $1500 down, GM’s dealer financing option would cost a buyer just $15,620 over six years, including sales tax of 7%. Compare that to a third-party car loan at 4.49% ($17,847) or 7.49% ($19,440) and the savings are drastic. You don’t have to use an auto loan calculator to figure out customers are saving big, but we calculated a savings of $2,227 – $3,820 overall on these deals. That’s equivalent to 15% – 20% off the total cost of buying a new car.

“The size and scope of the U.S. market demands a strong portfolio of well-targeted brands,” Don Johnson, VP of U.S. sales operations, said in a statement. “The success of Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac month in and month out, indicates that the new GM’s brand strategy is sound.”

GM is not alone in their success, however, as other US auto manufacturers are also doing well. According to the Associated Press, “Every major automaker except Ford and Daimler said U.S. sales of cars and trucks rose from June to July. The companies credited summer promotions and looser credit for the uptick.” Read the full article here.

Most car manufacturers are offering great financing deals, with 0% financing on many models, but the bargains don’t end there. AutoLoanDaily.com reports that lease incentives are also plentiful right now.

Consumer Reports recommends making safety and agility your top priorities when choosing vehicles for young drivers. Reliability is also ranked high, since young people often aren’t able to cope financially with costly auto repairs.

The most important safety features are electronic stability control, side curtain airbags, and anti-lock brakes. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests, cars without side curtain airbags often rate poor, the lowest score given by the organization.

Sports cars are a very bad option for young drivers, since they encourage unsafe driving habits, such as driving too fast, weaving in and out of traffic, and excessive use of sudden stops. Not only are they dangerous, but they’ll really hurt your wallet, too. You don’t need an auto loan calculator to tell you that your monthly payments will be ridiculous, but the insurance rates on teen drivers (especially males) who drive sports models are also through the roof.

Consumer Reports has 24 models on their teen-approved list. We chose the Pontiac Vibe to use as an example. It offers great handling, a solid reputation for reliability, and very high fuel economy. As an added bonus, we think it’s sexy, which will certainly boost its appeal for teen drivers.

Edmunds.com lists the true market value (what you should pay at the dealer) of a 2010 Pontiac Vibe at $13,758 – $17,533, meaning you’ll pay a lot less to get the combination of safety features parents want with the sex appeal teenagers demand.

For a fully loaded 2010 vibe, we used an auto loan calculator to determine the monthly payments. Using a purchase price of $17,533 and interest rate of 4.49%, with $1500 down, the payments will be just $393.52 on a 48-month loan. The total cost of the car would be $18,888.87 at those rates. Add in factory rebates and you could be saving even more. Use an auto loan calculator to determine the monthly payments on the vehicle you choose.

Young drivers tend to be highly image-conscious, but aren’t always aware of safety features and handling variances in different vehicles. Many people think that bigger is better when it comes to safety, but that’s not always true. SUVs and large pick-ups have a higher center of gravity and are often more difficult to handle, which can put teen drivers at risk. Focusing on safety doesn’t necessarily mean buying a big old clunker, though. Using an auto loan calculator, you can figure out the total cost of buying a newer, safer car that your teen will love to drive.

Consumer Reports recommends making safety and agility your top priorities when choosing vehicles for young drivers. Reliability is also ranked high, since young people often aren’t able to cope financially with costly auto repairs.

The most important safety features are electronic stability control, side curtain airbags, and anti-lock brakes. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests, cars without side curtain airbags often rate poor, the lowest score given by the organization.

Sports cars are a very bad option for young drivers, since they encourage unsafe driving habits, such as driving too fast, weaving in and out of traffic, and excessive use of sudden stops. Not only are they dangerous, but they’ll really hurt your wallet, too. You don’t need an auto loan calculator to tell you that your monthly payments will be ridiculous, but the insurance rates on teen drivers (especially males) who drive sports models are also through the roof.

Consumer Reports has 24 models on their teen-approved list. We chose the Pontiac Vibe to use as an example. It offers great handling, a solid reputation for reliability, and very high fuel economy. As an added bonus, we think it’s sexy, which will certainly boost its appeal for teen drivers.

Edmunds.com lists the true market value (what you should pay at the dealer) of a 2010 Pontiac Vibe at $13,758 – $17,533, meaning you’ll pay a lot less to get the combination of safety features parents want with the sex appeal teenagers demand.

For a fully loaded 2010 vibe, we used an auto loan calculator to determine the monthly payments. Using a purchase price of $17,533 and interest rate of 4.49%, with $1500 down, the payments will be just $393.52 on a 48-month loan. The total cost of the car would be $18,888.87 at those rates. Add in factory rebates and you could be saving even more. Use an auto loan calculator to determine the monthly payments on the vehicle you choose.

Job losses and the credit crunch have left many people out in the cold when it comes to buying new cars. That doesn’t mean that people with bad credit can’t get auto loans, but it does make things much more difficult. If your credit is not so great, check out our tips for using an auto loan calculator to help you figure out your monthly payments, and find a lender who is willing to work with you.

Lenders are a bit gun shy these days, especially when it comes to subprime lending. Auto loans are different from other types of consumer lending, however, because the vehicle itself serves as collateral on the loan. Additionally, unlike homes, repossessed vehicles can easily be resold, meaning lenders aren’t exposed to much risk when making auto loans to people with bad credit.

Still, if your credit is bad, lenders aren’t going to be knocking down your door or sending you a flood of loan applications. Here’s what you can do to make yourself a more attractive borrower:

• Save up a large down payment. Your loan amount will be less, and you’re more likely to qualify. Use an auto loan calculator to see how much of a down payment you’ll need to get the loan amount down below your borrowing limit.
• Buy a car for less than its Kelley Blue Book value. This is another way to drive down the total loan amount, and it may not be as hard as you think. Tough economic times mean that many families are getting rid of extra vehicles, and they may be willing to accept lower offers just to get some cash out of a car they don’t use much, or pay off their own auto loans.
• Extend your loan term to get the monthly payments down. Lenders can see if your income and current debts will enable you to afford the payments on the loan. You will end up paying more for your car if the repayment term is too long. To avoid paying too much, look into auto refinancing after a couple of years of on-time payments. Your credit score should have improved by then, and you’ll qualify for lower interest rates.
• Make sure you can afford the monthly payments. Lenders aren’t likely to offer you a loan if they know you can’t afford the car payments. Use an auto loan calculator to figure out how much car you can really afford.
• Have someone else cosign on the loan, if possible. Your interest rates and monthly payment should go down, which will help you in the long run.

You see, people all over are finding ways to green their lives. They’re using CFL light bulbs. They’re taking shorter showers. They’re driving smaller cars. They’re converting human waste into automobile fuel.

What’s that? You’ve never heard of such a thing? You must not be familiar with Wessex Water, a company in England that’s just launched the Bio Bug. The Bio Bug runs on human waste. It’s estimated that the waste from 70 houses would give the Bio Bug enough power to run for a full year (assuming 10,000 miles of travel).

How does this work? Well, the idea is to use methane to power vehicles. This isn’t a new idea. Around 11,000 or more vehicles in Sweded utilize biomethane that’s produced at sewage plants. Wessex Water, prior to using that extra methane gas from sewage to power a VW Beetle, exported the methane gas to be used in the national grid.

Why did Wessex choose the beetle? The answer to that question is as strange as the rest of the situation. Apparently, some teenagers attended a workshop that was put on by the company who makes the gas treatment equipment. The group of teens chose the VW Beetle as the model to be used. They made the case that it is real-world bugs that spur the decomposition activity at a sewage plant, and so it was only appropriate.

The methane gas emitted by sewage has to be treated before it can be used. The process takes out the carbon dioxide molecules, as that can inhibit the engine’s performance.

The Bio Bug runs as well as any other car, and it perhaps the most sustainable vehicle on the road. It drives like any other vehicle.

While hybrid and electric vehicles seem to be the trend in the United States, it will be interested to see if a poo-mobile like the Bio Bug will ever catch on.

You may have seen the ads on TV or signs posted at stoplights. They advertise cash for your automobile with no credit check and instant approval. These are usually indications of a car title loan, and there are a few things you ought to know about operations like these. Using an auto loan calculator, you’ll quickly discover why the deal might not be as good as it seems.

Car title loans are usually advertised in low-income neighborhoods to people without much financial education who are in desperate need of quick cash. These unscrupulous lenders may fulfill the need for quick cash, but at an unreasonable cost.

The loans offered are typically loaded with fees and ridiculous interest rates, which the borrowers often can’t afford to repay on time. The lender then offers an option to roll the debt over into a new loan, and tacks on more fees and interest for the privilege. In the end, the consumer can’t afford the loan and the lender repossesses the vehicle.

These practices are the reason that car title loan companies are now being referred to as predatory lenders by most consumer groups and non-profit organizations. They dangle cash out in front of needy customers without considering the borrower’s ability to repay the loan, hoping to cash in on the exorbitant payments and ultimately, take possession of the car as well.

This repeatedly ruins people’s credit and can have cascading negative effects on their lives and livelihoods, too. If you want to know how much money these fat cats are making, check out the going interest rates for new and used auto loans, then compare that against 250% APR. Yep, that’s right. These car title loans often charge that much for a 30-day loan. Compare that to a standard car financing plan with an auto loan calculator, and your head will really start to spin!

The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) recently reported that 75% of the car title borrowers they interviewed ultimately had to hand over their keys. It’s hard to believe that’s by accident. The terms of these loans, along with the industry’s willingness to roll over loans when consumers can’t pay them off in 30 days, lead many to believe that lenders are structuring these deals in order to trap unwitting borrowers in a cycle of debt.

If you think signing over your title is still a good idea, consider the alternatives:

• No one wants to declare bankruptcy, but if your bills are much too high for your income, you could get some relief through bankruptcy court.
• Make sure you know your credit score. You may be able to qualify for a traditional loan.
• Research the value of your car and consider selling instead. You might be able to afford the payments on a used car loan and still meet your financial obligations. Use an auto loan calculator to figure out how much car you can afford.