So let’s say you’ve been “displaced”, like about 20 million of your friends, neighbors and countrymen. It’s time to sell the Porsche 911 GT2 and buy something a bit more… affordable. Sure, you can find good deals on cars these days from just about any manufacturer, but even a screaming deal on a Mustang GT is going to bite you in the ass when it comes time to pay the insurance bill.

If you’re a 40 year old male with a good driving record, here are the 10 cheapest 2010 vehicles to insure, based on a U.S. national average. Mind you, this also means that they’re the 10 least entertaining vehicles from the driver’s perspective, and most are base models with steel wheels and cheesy plastic wheel covers. The good news is you can park them with the keys in the ignition and a full tank of gas, and not worry too much about about finding your ride stolen.

List after the jump.

Mazda Tribute i 2wd

A rebranded and mechanically identical Ford Escape, the Tribute is an aging cute ute with questionable build quality and dated styling. How many of you even knew that Mazda still sold these? I certainly didn’t.

Honda Odyssey LX

Long the minivan of choice for growing families who want a trouble free chariot, it’s good to know that the Odyssey is cheap to insure. No worse to drive than any other minivan, at least you can count on the Odyssey to be predictably reliable.

Mazda Tribute i 4wd

If you live in snow country, this is the cheapest 4wd vehicle you can insure.

Chrysler Town & Country LX

The second minivan on the list, but certainly not the last. I guess minivan drivers aren’t known for their hoonage, and the Eastern European black market for stolen minivans isn’t exactly booming.

Jeep Wrangler X

I’m surprised to see a Wrangler on the list, since I always thought they were high theft vehicles. If you need a four wheel drive that can actually get you off road, and don’t mind a truck with the ride comfort of a hardtail chopper, the Wrangler is a good option.

Mazda Tribute S 2wd

Same as number one on the list, different trim level.

Dodge Grand Caravan SE

The same as its Chrysler cousin. Slightly more expensive, probably because more are on the road.

Toyota Sienna CE

Another base model minivan, this time from Toyota.

Hyundai Tucson GLS 2wd

The Korean automaker is selling the hell out of these right now, so much so that they’ve had to ramp up production. If you’re looking for a compact SUV with decent style, a comfortable interior and an unbeatable warranty, the Tucson is worth a look. Just don’t expect it to be a driver’s car.

Kia Sportage LX

Kia has come a long way, especailly under parent company Hyundai. Yes, they’re still a price point vehicle, but so was the mid-70s Toyota Corolla. If you need an inexpensive compact SUV, the Kia Sportage is a good place to begin your search.

Source: Insure.com

Here comes the salesman - cue Jaws soundtrack...

Buying a new car shouldn’t require a prescription for Xanax. If you spend the time to figure out exactly what you’re looking for and what you’re willing to pay for it, then it’s just a matter of finding a dealer who’ll work with you. Sure, I’ve encountered my share of amoral scumbag car dealers over the years, but the vast majority of businesses I’ve dealt with have been courteous and helpful. Here are a few tips to ease the pain of your next new car buying experience:

Remember: there's no such thing as a free lunch...

- Don’t believe the dealer’s advertising hype. If a dealership spends the bulk of its advertising budget trying to convince you that they’re the little guy, or that it’s a family business, or that they have the lowest prices in town, chances are that none of it is true. If they offer you a “free extended warranty”, you’re paying for it somewhere. Car dealerships are like Las Vegas or strippers: they exist to separate you from your money as quickly and efficiently as possible. You’re not car shopping to make a new BFF; you’re shopping to get the vehicle you want at a price you’re willing to pay.

- Always have financing worked out ahead of time. If you’re lucky enough to buy new cars with cash, this rule doesn’t apply. For the rest of us working class heroes, make sure you know what special deals are available from the manufacturer and from your bank or credit union. Get pre approved, as this eliminates any last minute surprises when you go to close the deal. Never fall for the “how much can you afford per month?” line from a car salesman; know what you’re willing to pay, and how much you’ve qualified for before you walk in the showroom.

- Always test drive the car you’re going to buy, even if the dealer has to special order it. I never cease to be amazed at the new cars I drive that have rattles, bad alignment or other QC related issues. If something is wrong with the way the car drives or sounds, pick another vehicle or dealership.

- Understand everything you’re paying for. See something on the sticker you’re not sure of? Ask for a full explanation. If the salesman won’t give it (or worse yet, tries to feed you BS), don’t be afraid to walk away. A good example is ADM, which stands for Additional Dealer Markup and can commonly be found on high demand, limited production vehicles. If you see this on the Shelby GT 500 KR you’re lusting after, try to negotiate. If you see this on a Toyota Camry, just walk away from the dealership.

- Know exactly what you want before heading to the dealer. Do your homework ahead of time; pick the models and trim levels you’re interested in and build a cost analysis spreadsheet. You can find invoice and list prices at several internet sites (including KBB and Edmunds). Decide what you think is a fair price for the car, based upon its popularity, availability and your need to drive that make and model. Remember that there’s money changing hands that you won’t see; dealers get holdback (generally 2% or 3% of the car’s sticker price) from the manufacturer, and may get additional manufacturer’s incentives for selling targeted volumes. Even if a dealership sell you a car at invoice, they’re still making a slim profit.

- Don’t fall for the bait and switch. See an ad for a car at an unbelievably good price, only to find out the dealer just “sold the last one”? Is he willing to make it up to you by selling a different car for only a few thousand more? That’s called “bait” (the car that never really existed at a once-in-a-lifetime price) and “switch” (the car that the dealer is now willing to sell you at list price). How about this: You want an AWD Honda Element but you live in Florida. The dealer tells you, “Sorry, we can’t get them here”, which really translates to, “I wouldn’t sell enough to justify keeping them in stock, and I really want to sell you something from my bloated inventory”. If the dealer you’re at can’t or won’t locate the car you want, move on to another dealership that’s willing to work with you.

I told you the window etching wasn't negotiable!

- Don’t be afraid to be rude. I’ve walked out of showrooms because a salesman has pissed me off, and you should be willing to do the same thing. If the salesman is making you uncomfortable in any way, don’t waste your time asking for a manager. Simply get up and go on to the next dealership.

But the Blue Book says it's worth more!

- If you’re trading in a vehicle, prepare to be disappointed. Even though you’ll find “trade in” values on sites like KBB and Edmunds, I’ve never had a dealer offer me anywhere close to that number, regardless of the car’s condition. You’ll make more money if you sell the car on your own, but that can be a big pain in the ass if you still owe money on it. Decide in advance if the convenience of trading in a used car is worth the cost.

- Beware of leases. Sure, they make sense for some drivers, but they can be a huge money pit if you exceed the annual mileage (typically somewhere between 10k and 12k miles) or return the car with damage or excess wear. If you trade up every two or three years, don’t customize your ride and drive less than 10k miles per year, then a lease may be worth looking into. If you don’t fall into that category, you’re probably better off buying a new car.

- Talk to your insurance agent before you buy a new car. Chances are, you premiums will be higher because it’s new, even if it’s the same make and model you’ve been driving for years. If you’re going from a four door Buick to a Corvette ZR-1, your premiums will be much, much higher. Be sure to factor the increased cost into your budget, because nothing sucks more than realizing you can’t afford to own the car you just purchased.

So you’re not the type to buy or lease a new vehicle, and even “Certified Pre-Owned” cars are more coin than you’re willing to part with. So, Mr. Cash-and-carry, how can you avoid getting ripped off when buying a used car? There are no absolutes, and even well respected manufacturers build lemons from time to time, but here are my top ten pointers for buying a good used car at a fair price:

1) Know EXACTLY what you want. Don’t shop for a “sporty car” or a “sedan” or a “pickup truck”. Shop for a 2000 to 2005 Mazda Miata, or a 2001 – 2003 VW Passat or a 1997 – 2000 Ford F150. If you stay focused, you are less likely to be lured into buying a car you have NOT done research on just because it appears to be cleaner or in better shape. Focus, people!

2) Do your homework. Once you decide on a year, brand and model, learn all you can about it. Sites such as Edmunds and Kelley Blue Book are good places to start and can give you a feel for regional pricing of the car you’re shopping for. Better yet, brand and model specific forums will give you much more in-depth information on reliability, problem areas, tuning and prices. Google is your friend here, and I recommend you visit several message boards to get a feel for the type of information on each.

Hmm, why has a five year old car had ten owners?

3) Once you’ve found a vehicle, Carfax is your friend. Many sellers now offer a Carfax report as proof that their vehicle is worth buying; don’t be afraid to ask for one, especially if you’re buying from a dealer. Running a Carfax report on a specific VIN will tell you how many owners the car has had, whether it’s been in any accidents, what recalls the car has been subjected to and what the mileage should be. Walk away from any cars that have bad histories (major accidents, many owners, unclear mileage, etc.), but be aware that Carfax is not omniscient: accidents, if unreported to police or insurance companies, will not show up in a Carfax report.

4) Remember, cars purchased at dealers will cost more money than private party sales. The trade off is that you should have SOME recourse with a dealer should the car turn out to be a lemon. Many new car dealers offer limited warranties on used cars, which may give you some piece of mind. New car dealers can also be a source for “lease take back” vehicles, which can be a good choice for a used car.

I'm in sales, trust me

5) Beware of small used car dealers. Not all of ‘em are shady, but many of them are. Never buy from a used car dealer unless you do the research on the vehicle you’re buying first. Word of mouth counts for a lot here, too – if a friend or neighbor can recommend a used car dealer from personal experience they may be worth a visit. Megalots like Carmax are the exception here; their vehicles are carefully bought from customers and auctions and inspected prior to sale. You’ll generally pay more than a private party sale, but the megalots generally give you a limited warranty.

And I got it for six grand! The lights and radio don't work, and the carpet smells moldy...

6) NEVER buy a vehicle with a salvage title. A salvage title means that an insurance company has written the car off due to accident damage, flood damage, etc. Salvage titled cars typically sell for 20% to 50% less than “clean” titled cars, for good reason – they almost always have problems, and can be difficult to sell or even insure. It doesn’t hurt to see the title in person either; titles with white-out or scratched off information should set off alarm bells. If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

I didn't know I had to check the alignment...

7) Personal Inspection – this is obvious, but go over the car with a fine tooth comb (figuratively speaking). You are looking for rust, dents, scratches, transitions in paint color, mismatched body panel gaps, uneven tire wear or other damage. A shiny paint job can be a bad sign – look for evidence that the car was recently repainted (overspray in wheel wells, trunk, door frame, etc). No one wants to spend a lot of money to repaint a car if they’re trying to unload it. Mismatched paint (door to quarter panel, for example) may be a sign of accident damage. “Flat” paint (not as glossy as surrounding areas) may be a sign of body filler. If the seller agrees, use a soft magnet (preferably through a microfiber towel) to check for Bondo. If a fender should be steel and you can’t get a magnet to stick, it may be time to walk away and keep looking.

8 ) Mechanical inspection – this is too lengthy a subject to cover here, since what to look for varies from car to car. It’s always a good idea to have the car checked out by a competent mechanic. Brand specific mechanics are best – don’t take a Volvo to a guy who wrenches on Cadillacs for a living. Walk away from any deals where the owner refuses to let you have the car inspected.

9) Test drive – make sure you take your time here. Look for any problems like:

- Does the car smoke at start up? How about on deceleration?
- Does the car pull to one side?
- How do the brakes feel?
- Where does the clutch grab?
- Any unusual noises?
- How does it feel at idle? Does it accelerate smoothly?
- Does the A/C work? Stereo? Wipers? Lights?
- Any unusual smells? (a sweet smell in the interior can be a sign of leaking coolant from the heater core – just walk away).

10) Can you afford the insurance? This is often overlooked when people shop for a new (used) car. If you’re going from driving a 20 year old Volvo 140 to a 3 year old BMW M3, expect an increase in insurance costs. A BIG, HONKIN’ INCREASE. Depending on your age and record, cars like a Mustang or Camaro may be uninsurable – make sure you know this BEFORE you buy.

Take your time and shop smart. A car is a long term investment, and will last for hundreds of thousands of miles if well cared for. Don’t be afraid to haggle on the price, but remember that the best value is not always the lowest price.

The words “affordable” and “Italian” generally don’t play well in the same sandbox. Italian sports cars as a whole bring up thoughts of big dollars, big repair bills and big ego’s, that is, until now. I recently had the opportunity to view one of these rare Italian beasties in person and was pleasantly surprised by what I found out, that being, that most anyone whose employed can own one.

What you see here is a 1960 Alfa Romeo 2000 and it is a beauty. Think of it as the Mazda Miata’s illegitimate great grandfather. These cars, although rare are actually quite affordable with the price spectrum ranging from about 20k-40k which really isn’t that bad when you consider this car was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro… never heard of him? Well, he’s the guy who also designed the Ferrari 250 Berlinetta Bertone, De Tomaso Mangusta, Iso Grifo and Maserati Ghibli, so in short… he’s got mad skills.

Performance wise the little Alfa is no pavement shredder. It’s little four cylinder cast iron mill churns out about 105 HP @ 5300 RPM and sounds glorious, not to bad for a car that weighs less than 2300 lbs. Although, if you want to get really crazy the later 2600 models did have an 2.3L inline-6 that produced 145 HP… BOOYA!! Make no mistake, these little Alfa’s are all Italian, all sports car and everything you’d need to fit in to any car show anywhere in the world. So before you go out and spend that 30k on some new pasta rocket or strudel wagon, take a look around and think outside the box, because if you do, you may just be amazed at what you’ll find.

Confirming the suspicions harbored by many automotive journalists that the vast majority of the car-buying public has zero interest in vehicles that are actually fun to drive, the Toyota Camry has earned the top spot as the best selling car of December 2009. As if that fact itself were not discouraging enough to end the year on, the even less impressive Toyota Corolla managed to snag the Number 2 spot, followed closely by the Honda Accord (3rd), Honda Civic (4th), and finally, the Chevy Malibu (5th). The singular reason for this, at least by our good friend Timothy Cain’s analysis, appears to be that many consumers value basic functions over frivolous things such as “performance” and “aesthetics.” This would explain the quasi-success of the PT Cruiser.

Surprisingly absent from the elite 5 was the Ford Fusion, which is perhaps the only vehicle outside of a Subaru lot that enjoyed a successful run in 2009. Another notable exclusion was the 2009 & 2010 MY BMW 328i, which despite the brutal recession has been spotted in overabundance in the fetid armpit alternatively known as “New Jersey.” With no rational explanation for this anomaly, RideLust is forced to conclude that we are living in the end times. We hope this scores us mad page hits from those Nostradamus nutjobs.

Source: GoodCarBadCar

In stark contrast to the European money pits traditionally featured, today’s FOTD is a 1991 GMC Syclone. Despite the fact that it’s probably older than your first born child and manufactured by a company not exactly renowned for its longevity (which I expect will be directly refuted by a barrage of GM forum trolls), both the Syclone and the Typhoon have left such an indelible legacy that they are granted a reprieve from my domestic scorn.

As a matter of fact, so enamored am I with arguably one of the best examples of superior engineering to ever leave Michigan, I’m even willing to overlook the ominously rebuilt title. According to the seller (and confirmed by Carfax), the truck was stolen in 2001 and recovered with damage severe enough to warrant a “salvage” branding, which still only resulted in a $2k price decrease. The slightly blurry photos paint a promising picture, though, and as long as you’re adept at maintaining a vehicle constructed almost entirely out of Bondo, this is definitely a piece worth investing in.

Source: eBay Motors

If you’re like most consumers in the market for a used car, your needs are probably best served by eBay, AutoTrader, or your local Craigslist. If you are like 99% of automotive enthusiasts, however, your pursuit for that perfect diamond in the rough exists in perpetuity. You can easily squander 5+ hours at work tirelessly refreshing your browser in the vain hope that the pristine Volvo 850R you’ve spent the better part of your adult life pursuing will magically appear for thousands less than its Blue Book value. If such is the case, then the chances are good that you’ve also experienced significant frustration at the hands of Craigslist’s rather limiting search parameters. Although you probably could if you neglected your job, family, and personal hygiene for days on end, it’s realistically impossible to search every Craigslist in every state in every city in the continental U.S. (though you’ve certainly tried). Fortunately, I’ve found a way: searchtempest.com. Not only will SearchTempest.com allow you to expand your search radius to include any location within your current zip code, it also throws in all the relevant eBay listings as a bonus.

In the event that the skeptic in you is wondering: no, neither SearchTempest nor any marketing company related to it coerced me into or compensated me for the production of this post. I’m just an obsessive car collector that spends more time than I should virtually car shopping, trying to convince myself that an ‘86 L7 that’s probably riddled with electrical problems is a great investment.

(Hat tip to Caio Campos for exacerbating the illness)

Inspired by my current quest for a sub-$5,000 daily driver, I’ve decided to publish a companion piece to the generalized buyer’s tips I outlined months ago specifically geared towards purchasing from Craigslist. Unlike other digital automotive marketplaces (Vehix, AutoTrader, etc) Craigslist provides the unique opportunity to find both rare treasures and immensely entertaining, often poorly executed scams. As a matter of fact, so prevalent is the latter it would likely be prudent to offer a few tips to avoid losing your shirt to the crown prince of Nigeria, but if the giant banner at the top of the auto classifieds proclaiming “OFFERS TO SHIP CARS ARE 100% FRAUDULENT” doesn’t serve as enough of a warning, you should probably be sterilized. So, moving on.

The first and most solid piece of advice I can offer is this: lower your standards. If you’re shopping for a used car with the same kind of operating budget that I am then your search is going to be not entirely unlike that of the skeezy guy/fat chick’s at the single’s bar. Your options are going to be limited, so you can’t afford to be too picky. At this stage in the game (10+ years old, 100k-ish miles), barring any miraculous discovery of a Granny-driven, garage-kept Benz, the cars that you’ll be looking at will have seen much better days. The “Service” indicator will probably be stuck on because the local garage didn’t have the right code reader needed to turn it off, there’ll be a couple dings from lost battles in cramped parking garages, and the leather might be ripped from where the K-9 unit started smelled the coke. What you need to determine is which defects you’re willing to let slide and which ones will be a deal breaker. For example, I need: air conditioning, a tape deck, no leaks, and rear windows that roll all the way down. I can live with: blood stains, minor dents, and awful aftermarket rims. I can also live with a wealthy beneficiary whose willing to buy me a decommissioned military-spec Gelandewagen and/or a Land Rover Defender…but I digress.

My second piece of advice is equally as simplistic as the first: get a clue. Kbb.com and Edmunds.com offer excellent used car appraisal services – use them. I’ve found that often times owners will demonstrate a particular soft spot for their aging piece of crap by pricing it for thousands more than it’s worth, so it pays to be aware of exactly how delusional a seller may or may not be. With the ‘93 Volvo 240 I discussed below, the seller wanted literally double what the vehicle was worth – though to be fair that wasn’t so much an example of die-hard loyalty as it was a blatant rip-off. At any rate, the likelihood that you’ll run into a comically priced vehicle on Craigslist is actually much higher than if you’d gone the dealership route since most of these guys have a personal attachment to their rides. Keep this in mind when you march in to meet them with your KBB print out in hand and try not to piss all over their hard work. Gently yet firmly explain to them how much the vehicle is worth, how much you’re willing to pay, and if all else fails offer to perform sexual favors. I jest, of course. You should offer the favors up front.

Finally, and most importantly: be safe. If you call up a guy and ask to see his drastically underpriced Volvo V70 and when you show up to meet him he suggests you head upstairs to what you can only imagine is a shag-carpeted, dimly-lit bachelor pad to discuss the final terms of the sale, run like hell.

Thanks to the ingenious social marketing wizards employed by Mercedes-Benz Financial, you can now make the $500 payment on your leased GL500 while your date is freshening up in the girls’ room. Or, more likely, you can make the $500 payment from the floor of your broskie SoCal condo while you’re face down in the Berber carpet nursing a serious hangover. Either way, Mercedes-Benz Financial has made it easy and – dare we say – cool to fork over your scratch every month.

Since the new application’s official launch last week, Mercedes-Benz reports they’re already averaging 80-100 downloads a day, essentially confirming our previously held belief that the only people wealthy enough to afford an iPhone and its related service plan are either a.) in the upper tax bracket or b.) living off the fruits of Daddy’s labor. If you personally fall into one of the above mentioned catagories and have financed a Benz through Merc’s in-house financing arm, check out the site for yourself at Mercedes-BenzFinancial.com/iPhone.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

More grist for the mill in the ongoing debate about the aftereffects of Cash for Clunkers and the current recession: Kelley Blue Book reports that small car sales unexpectedly rose in September, after tumbling precipitously when gas prices stabilized. This is despite the fact that the Cash for Clunkers program ended on August 24th, and that overall sales of new cars have been down after the program. This also contradicts a recent survey among new car buyers that suggested that large numbers of the C4C buyers who purchased small cars were unsatisfied with their purchase and would buy a larger car next time.

Nevertheless, as the graph shows, subcompact car sales are up 3.5% over last month, which isn’t easily explained. KBB data shows that all inventories of new and used cars are significantly down after the buying frenzy of the Clunkers program, and it may just be that as manufacturers ramped up production of their smallest cars, these subcompacts are simply the least affected of all the car segments and are able to sell more. That’s just a theory, it’s all a little unclear from this data. But it does show that there are no easy answers as to whether the Clunkers program was effective, and what the lasting impact will be on car sales in the US.

Press Release

Kelley Blue Book Monthly Market Report: Compact-Car Values on the Rise; Market Stabilization Years Away

For additional information, please visit www.kbb.com/media for the latest Blue Book Market Report. To subscribe to the monthly Blue Book Market Report, please email pr@kbb.com.

[Source: KBB]