Car Care and Buying 2009

It's hard to say goodbye to summer, but as every motorist north of the Sun Belt knows, it's just a matter of time before you'll be driving on rain-slicked streets, not to mention ice and snow-covered highways. If you're savvy, you won't wait for that first flake to melt on your windshield to get your car in shape for winter driving. In fact, the best time to start the process is now.

Admit it: There's something that tugs at you when you see an old Model T Ford with antique plates chugging down the highway. Or how about the rocket fins on that showroom-new-looking '59 Cadillac Sedan De Ville? Wouldn't you like to own one of them? Go right ahead: Car collecting is a big hobby in America and worldwide, spawning clubs, shows, competitions, specialized libraries and museums that pay tribute to automobiles that have come and gone since the late 1800s.

It's all about protection -- for yourself and for those you come in contact with. You are responsible for any damage you may cause while driving your car, and a good insurance policy can protect you, your family and the things you've worked hard to have. But how much protection do you need, and what can you do if you can't afford it?

If you're looking for luxury, you've found it. From theater-quality sound systems and built-in refrigerators to virtual dashboards and warnings for distracted drivers, the auto world's latest high tech offerings put comfort, convenience and safety in the driver's seat. "On the whole, innovations continue to capture the attention and imagination of buyers," said Elliot Darvick, manager of programming at Autobytel.com, a leading consumer automotive site.

When you have lemons, make lemonade -- or so the saying goes. It may be tried and true for some of life's roadblocks, but not every sour situation has such a sweet outcome. When it comes to buying a car and finding out it's a lemon, the circumstances result in more than just a bad taste in the mouth. How do you know if you have a lemon, and what can you do about it if you do? How do you avoid buying one in the first place?

Buying a car is a huge purchase, probably second only to buying a house. For that reason alone, it's important to know everything you can about what you're looking for in a vehicle in order to make the right decision. "There's a ton of research you can do online to allow people to see the gamut of vehicles out there -- everything from photos to videos to reviews of every car and pricing," said Jack Nerad, executive editorial director and market analyst for Kelley Blue Book. "Doing a little homework on an expenditure of $20, $30 or $40,000 makes a lot of sense to me."

Buying a car is one of the biggest purchases most people make in their lives, so it's only natural to take the time to weigh your options carefully. The unlimited amount of choices that car buyers face can be overwhelming -- black or red, sedan or SUV, import or domestic, new or used, shop online or visit a car lot. Now another question has come up for potential car buyers: What about a hybrid?

Power control modules. Rear differentials. Intake manifold gaskets. Confused? It may sound like your mechanic is speaking a different language, but with a little know-how, you can find common ground. "Your vehicle is probably the most important mechanical device you have, and the value is only realized when it's out of commission," said Rick Jorgensen, general manager of NAPA Auto Parts in Goodland, Kan. "If you can't communicate with your repair professional, if you don't understand what your technician is doing to your vehicle, your technician is not doing his job correctly."

If your car -- and the dealer who sold it to you -- has gone the way of cheap gas, sidewalk pay phones and service station attendants, don't fret. No matter how troubled the U.S. automotive industry may seem, finding an identical replacement part for a piece of your vehicle's original equipment will be relatively easy for a long time to come -- even if individual models and entire lines seem to have been dumped at breakneck speed.

The 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid made headlines recently when a team of Ford engineers, with Wayne Gerdes, noted hypermiler and CleanMPG.com founder, and NASCAR driver Carl Edwards, drove 1,446 miles on one 17-gallon tank of 87-octane fuel. The team took turns driving over three days and varied routes and elevation changes from Mount Vernon, Va., to Washington, D.C. The car averaged 81.6 miles per gallon, or about twice the estimated EPA fuel-economy ratings.

If you equate an economy car as synonymous with deprivation, think again. Costing less than $15,000, some of the new models are not only affordable -- they're roomy, peppy and downright hip. You need to do your homework before buying, though. Selecting the right car for your needs and lifestyle, especially one you can afford, is paramount according to two of the nation's automobile experts: Jack Nerad, executive editorial director of Kelley Blue Book, and George Peterson, president and founder of AutoPacific, an automotive research firm.

Still waiting for that flux capacitor? You may not be going "Back to the Future" any time soon, but greener cars that check e-mail, change color with the flip of a switch and prevent drivers from running red lights are on the horizon. "It's going to be wild. The next ten years should be quite interesting," said Karl Brauer, editor-in-chief at Edmunds.com.

If you're of a certain age or older, a part of growing up meant becoming at least somewhat familiar with performing basic maintenance on your car. It wasn't enough to be able to change a flat or replace the wiper blades. Almost all high school students (at least the males) had to take an auto shop class, which would teach you the basics of maintaining a car and how to perform common roadside repairs.

Believe it or not, buying a car in today's very tough economy can be a good deal. Auto dealerships are anxious to move both new and used cars off of their lots. Banks, though wary about lending, need to loan money to earn interest. Meanwhile, consumers just like you are eager to sell their bigger, more expensive vehicles in order to downgrade and cut costs. There are a lot of deals out there, so look carefully.

Cars aren't cheap -- it's an understatement, to say the very least. Considering the cost of buying a car, anything to help keep that car on the road a little bit longer is a blessing. For those who may need it, don't fret: Many dealers are offering deals on maintenance programs for your car. Lauren Fix, nationally recognized TV automotive expert and authority -- also known as "The Car Coach" -- believes that these deals have great benefits, among them being that your work is done according to OEM, or manufacturer, standards by technicians trained to work on that vehicle.

Although Toyota is dominant in the hybrid market, Honda and Ford have been catching up. Each company has two cars in the top six for recent hybrid car sales.

By preparing your vehicle for cold weather, you'll enhance your safety on the road as well as give your car a longer lifespan. Try these tips.

With the economy grinding to a halt, vehicle sales have declined as well. Here's a look at how cars have sold in recent years.