When drivers find a car repair shop they like, they stick with it… and that’s because they trust the mechanics will do a good job. A recent study finds that about 50 percent of people completely trust their garage to fix their cars.

The survey, which was conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, sheds some interesting light on car owners, who are now keeping their vehicles for an average of nine years. That means that if drivers want to keep their cars on the road longer, they need to find a trustworthy garage to carry out repairs. Of those questioned for this sutdy, 77 percent said they take their car to a garage to keep it maintained. Of those shops, 37 percent of respondent prefer small, independent shop, 30 percent go to dealerships and 11 percent take their car to get serviced at a brand-name repair chain.

Women, older drivers and more affluent households are much more trusting when it comes to a garage fixing their car, with 91 percent saying they trust their repair shop. When it came to authorizing whatever work the shop recommended to repair their vehicle, 73 percent of those polled had no worries giving mechanics the go ahead. And to finish off this feel-good survey, 83 percent of said they are confident they’ll get the right repair work done for the right price.

Do you have a preferred car repair shop you visit on a regular basis? Do you trust them with your car or do you go to them because you haven’t found any garage more trustworthy? Let us know in the comments section below.

[Source: Consumer Reports]

There are a lot of great feelings that come along with buying a new car, but there are a few things that we wish weren’t attached to the experience. Can you guess what they are? We’ll give you a hint about the top two that head the top of the list – they have to do with your wallet and where you’re going to have to buy it.

According to a recent survey conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, the two greatest complaints made by new car customers are the cost of the vehicle (30 percent) and the dealership experience (22 percent). In the survey, 1,764 adults were interviewed about car purchases. Also in the things people dislike about buying a new car is financing (six percent), trading in or selling old car (five percent), not knowing if you got a good price (five percent) and making the final choice (four percent).

The survey also covers used car sales as well. Topping the list were concerns about reliability (24 percent), with dealership experience coming in second (11 percent), even though many of these sales are done privately. Rounding out the top five are the cost of the car (eight percent), not knowing if you got a good price (seven percent) and researching (four percent).

[Source: Consumer Reports]

If you’re looking to buy a car this year, chances are it’s going to be a used one… at least, that’s what a new survey by the Consumer Reports National Research Center says.

According to the 2011 Car Brand Perception survey, 65 percent of people who responded said that they were more likely to consider buying a late-model used car, while 30 percent stated that they would be less likely to consider a used car. Other numbers show that 71 percent were likely to consider a late-model used car instead of a new car, and almost half of that number was very likely to head in the used car direction. In terms of the gender divide, 75 percent of men are likely to buy a used vehicle, while about 67 percent of women were considering buying used. On the flip side, 28 percent of respondents said they were unlikely to consider a used car.

Are you buying a car this year? Will you be going with used or new? Tell us in the comment section below.

[Source: Consumer Reports]

Now that the market is on a tentative upswing, there is no time to waste – one of the positive points about a recession is that new-car buyers are in charge when it comes to making a deal.

Data collected from a recent survey by the Consumer Reports National Research Center shows that half of those polled believed that they were able to negotiate a much better deal in these tough times. Further results found that around 27 percent of respondents reported no change, while 18 percent said their ability to negotiate has diminished some or a lot.

Other important information gathered from this survey showed that income played a significant role in negotiating tactics. New-car buyers who earned at least $50,000 were more likely to say that their ability to negotiate improved, compared to those with household income under $50,000, while twice as many consumers who earn less said their ability diminished relative to those who earning power was greater.

So how do you ensure you get the best deal? The key to getting the best deal is to do your homework and have a strategy when your go into dealerships. Here are some negotiation tips that will come in handy when you’re ready to start haggling:

• Be sure to get all dealer quotes by email or phone. This allows you to focus on the dealership offering right car and price.
• Don’t be afraid to play one dealer off another in order to get the price lowered, and tell them that you’re going with the lowest price, even if it means driving a few miles out of town.
• It’s important to negotiate up from the bottom line price, not down from MSRP. This tactic keeps you closer to the real target while proving you mean serious business.
• If you have a trade-in, keep it removed from the new-car negotiation, as it’s a totally different transaction that needs to be managed separately.
• Stay away from dealership sales events – the showroom tends to be staffed with its best, profit-creating experts during these promotional events.
• Compare interest rates and get pre-arranged financing. This way, if the dealer can’t meet or beat your best loan option, you still have secured the best rate and are not pressured into taking a bad financial deal to get the car.

[Source: Consumer Reports]