The Wise Guide

Welcome to AutoGuide’s Deals of the Week. Do you have the time to scour the internet to find the best deals on auto parts and accessories?

Just like anything else, supercars suffer from depreciation, making them a bargain buy as they age before they start getting collectible. It’s been interesting to watch the market over the last few years, as we’re seeing these depreciation curves shifting in a variety of vehicles. As you’ll see below, some of our selections are already climbing in value, whereas others have yet to hit the bottom of their price curve. Either way, a pre-owned supercar is a great way to get a lot of car for a lot less bank, though it’s not without its pitfalls. The more complex the car, the fussier its engine and electronics can be, and thus more expensive its repairs can get. Buy with caution, and plan on setting some cash aside for fixing it up, but you’ll be happy you did.

Rear-wheel drive is generally considered to be the best powertrain layout for handling, and while all-wheel-drive devotees might disagree, the fact remains that RWD is the choice for purists.

The fun thing with the luxury car market is, the more loaded and over-the-top the ride, the more values plummet on the secondary market. Now, these cars come with their own fair share of risks—cost of service and maintenance being the big one to consider—but when you consider the caliber of car you can pick up at a sometimes shocking entry price, there’s a pretty compelling case to be made for picking up one of these epic pre-owned gems. Here are 10 of our favorite rides you can snag

Today’s cars are much less maintenance intensive, but there are still bits and pieces that, when faulty, can keep your car from running its best. And when it’s running its best, it’s not only delivering the most horsepower, but also the best fuel economy (depending on how you use the go-pedal). Here are six parts you might want to replace to get your car running smoothly again.

Nothing is really inexpensive when it comes to racing (or even just lapping), but getting your car ready for the track can be done in stages, and in the grand scheme of things the first priorities on the list aren’t the hardest on the pocketbook, all considered. You’ll notice that we avoid the power-adders in this list, as we (and countless others) recommend focusing on traction and handling first. As a general rule, adding power without also ensuring your car can handle it and bring it to a stop is a dangerous game, and one we’d strongly suggest avoiding.

It’s not always easy to get there, but when you reach the point of being able to build out your garage there’s a lot to consider. How much DIY are you looking to do, how much space do you have, and what’s your budget? These are the core questions, and the former will quickly be guided by the two latter criteria. Even if budget and space are slightly limited there’s a lot that can be done, providing us the perfect opportunity to round out this list of some of our favorite tools and equipment to properly kit out your home garage.

As you dig deeper and deeper into automotive DIY you quickly realize why a professional mechanic’s tool set is as extensive as it is. You can get by with the basics, but if you want to be efficient (and not cursing every automotive engineer on the planet) there are a lot of handy tools out there that make life easier without breaking the bank.

Many modern-day safety systems are available through the aftermarket, and at surprisingly affordable prices. Here are five new car technology systems you should consider for your older vehicle.

Are you an amateur photographer with a passion for automotive photography? Or perhaps you’re an experienced automotive photographer looking to take the next step in upgrading gear. Either way, now is a great time to advantage of some sales. There are plenty of deals currently available and in this guide, we’ll take a look at some of the deals you can take advantage of if you’re an aspiring automotive photographer or videographer.

The Black Friday Deals are still rolling out, and this time around it’s Autozone—the massive auto parts and tools powerhouse—and their Black Friday flyer is jam packed with deals of all shapes and sizes. It’s going to be a mix of in-store and online promos, with deals as high as the 50% off mark depending on the product in question. The 4-page flyer seen here covers everything from motor oils, to tool sets, booster packs, and dash cams (among other things), and we don’t doubt that come Friday proper the list will be even more extensive. Be advised, a small selection of their deals will be “In-Store Only”, but those should be few and far between.

Rather than looking at specific products, you can save from one end of the site to the other with this Advance Auto Parts promo code, valid on Thanksgiving and Black Friday 2018.  The promo code you need is BF18, and by the looks of things you’ll be able to apply it to all purchases without restrictions. As we’re anticipating further deals to be running across the Advance Auto Parts site, this will be a great way to stack even further discounts on your order of parts, tools, and other goodies.

Over the years we’ve seen a fair share of killer automotive art, but the depth and breadth of automotive geekery in these chalk drawings we’ve stumbled across is just too good to not share with our fellow enthusiasts. In total 99 variations are available, showcasing a range of iconic cars including everything from the Lamborghini Miura to more outlandish models like the Lotus Europa and Alpine A310. Available in a range of sizes from 17.7″x12.6″ for $49, up to a more substantial 35.4″x25.2″ for $169, these artworks are printed on metal plates with a matte finish, which works particularly well for these chalk-style designs. Whether you’re sprucing up the den, office, or the automotive shrine in the garage, these will make a fine addition. The only question remaining is who is the enthusiast/buyer for a chalk drawing of the 2011 non-SRT version Dodge Charger? Fun fact, it’s described in the artwork as follows:

It was a simpler time; without toy cars like this kicking around, chasing one another around the house pointing a finger and making gun noises was still enough to fuel hours of entertainment.

Removing automotive trim panels is a frustrating task at the best of times, but having trim tools handy will quickly save you from extra minutes (or hours) of cursing. Most newer cars use plastic clips to hold many interior panels in place, and a simple set of tools like this allows you to get the proper pull and leverage needed to make these clips cooperate. Sure, you can drop $30-$50 on the pricey Snap-On or Mac Tools equivalent, and there’s a chance that those tools will last a little bit longer overall, but for a bargain price, this little set is more than adequate for your occasional bit of at-home DIY.

Before the kids get to an age where they can tell the difference between a MINI Cooper and a Bugatti Chiron (but after 3 to avoid choking hazard risks), there’s nothing wrong with throwing a nondescript toy car set into the mix.

Possibly the strangest promo we’ve seen in a while, valid only through October 6th, Sears.com is practically giving away this massive tool set, though it’s not quite as clean-cut as that.

If you don’t have a tire pressure monitoring system built into your car, you’d better make sure there’s a tire gauge in your glovebox (and that you actually know how to use it).

Those of us further north know it’s almost time for winter tires, and TireRack.com is making the snow tire hunt a little easier on the pocketbook.

Experience and proven instruction count when doing a DIY car repair.

To celebrate Amazon Prime Day, the online retailer is giving away an Alexa-equipped Lexus ES.

One of the best ways to get outside and enjoy the outdoors during the spring and summer months is on the water.

It’s that time of the season, the sun’s shining and the insects are out to play. Most likely, this means the hood or front of your car will soon be filled with a lot of dead ones.

Off-road lighting is an essential part of the off-roading enthusiast toolkit. Like winches and lift kits, spotlights and light bars are useful when out on the trails. Here are some of the best off-road LED lights we could find.

There’s nothing like ripping through trails in fresh mud … until you get stuck.

Your car’s exterior, particularly the paintwork, is consistently exposed to the elements: Sunlight exposure or exposure to extreme cold weather don’t make things easy on your paint. 

With a little help, you can transform your own garage into the ultimate DIY workspace for all your automotive needs.

You don’t have to switch to a new car to enjoy the benefits of current car technology.

LED lighting accessories are one of the most exciting upgrades that can be done to any vehicle.

Camping season is quickly approaching and now is the time to make sure you are set for successful outdoor adventures.

Driving a car doesn’t have to mean hurting the environment.

Your prized older car may be looking like it had better days, but there are things you can do to spruce it up with technology so you don’t feel left out.

Warmer weather and longer days usually mean two things: The start of spring and car and coffee season.

The legendary Jeep Wrangler is arguably one of the most popular enthusiast vehicles out there. Visually a throwback to the simpler days of Jeep, the Wrangler represents everything that is fun and adventurous in vehicles.

There are a few gadgets that could be really worth your while.

Warmer sun and longer days are finally here.