Adam's Autos

Welcome to Adam's Autos! "Where I rate autos to help YOU find an A-Rate ride!" Adam’s Autos is a creative medium dedicated to providing consumers with the appropriate information to make an informed new or used automotive purchase. Additionally, Adam’s Autos highlights and promotes local businesses, alongside a variety of today’s latest automotive trends and topics. I also discuss my own personal cars and projects. So fasten your seat belts! We're going for a ride!

Friday, May 24, 2019

Used Car Shopping Tips

Do you get stressed at the thought of buying a car? These tips below will hopefully give you an advantage going in the door of the dealer!

Car shopping doesn’t have to be tricky, especially used car shopping. You can turn it into something fun and in your favor. That’s what I’ve strived to do with my 2008 Saturn Aura and 2004 Oldsmobile Bravada. Here’s a few tips to help you navigate used car buying.

1. Know what you want and the price you want to pay - This might seem basic, but having the basics established before you walk into a dealer is key. Know what you can afford in your budget, what you’re looking for in your next vehicle in terms of safety, convenience features, etc., and then perform the necessary research to find out what vehicles offer what you want/need in a purchase.

2. Don’t be afraid to negotiate - Getting the best deal out of anything in life requires advocating for yourself, and that includes car deals. If you feel in your gut a price is too high, bargain on it! This often requires research so you know what similar vehicles are selling for, but leaves you more informed about the products and situation you’re walking into.

3. Don’t be afraid to “get dirty” and inspect the car yourself top to bottom, inside and out - For my Bravada I just got, it was a great deal at $3,700 - lower than any Bravada within several hundred miles! But I had to check the car out to ensure it was worth the deal. I looked under the hood, looked under the bottom of it, went for a full test drive, check all exterior lighting, checked the Carfax, had a checklist of trouble spots I was looking for... This all took planning, but the key word is “check”!

4. Never drive off without making sure everything is in working order how you want it. Any issues you notice, report them to your salesperson and say, “I don’t want to drive this vehicle off the lot until these issues are resolved so I’m safe.” Note that some dealers may try to wiggle out of the responsibility to fix the car - Todd Wenzel in Davison, MI fixed several of the things I pointed out, but did leave a few tasks undone. I’m still very appreciative either way.

Bonus: If you choose to finance a cheaper car, it can be a solid way to build credit. Keep up with your payments and again - make sure it fits well within your personal budget and is decently maintained so it’ll last while you’re planning your life out and building.

So there you have it, a few tips from my own experience buying cars. Have any of your own to add? Feel free to state what you know. Happy hunting!

My Dream/Project Car Highlight - The 2004 Oldsmobile Bravada

If you’ve talked to me for any length of time, you’ll probably hear about how I enjoy finding uncommon cars and how I’ve always wanted my own Oldsmobile. I’ve been making plans literally since grade school, writing book reports on Olds, and my mother has had several Oldsmobiles and Buicks. 2004 was the final year for the Oldsmobile brand. But now...it’s officially a reality!

I’ve had this 2004 Oldsmobile Bravada AWD 4.2L I6 for roughly a month and a half now, and it’s been GREAT. What’s even better is that it’s a 1-owner vehicle that had 88,000 miles when I got it - the only 2004 Bravada within 500 miles of my home like this. Wild! My 2008 Saturn has almost 103,000 miles on it! The price was right at $3,700 (similar Bravadas with 100-200k cost thousands more), and the only mechanical things I’ve noticed that need addressing are possibly an alignment, a slight rattle under the rear (loose spare tire?), and the check engine light (bad sensor).

My goal is to now fix this and my Saturn Aura 3.5L V6 up (and maybe my Jeep - but it’s a lease) in my own ways and to start attending various car shows in the future. And road trips! I’ve already started detailing and repairs - let’s just say it’s been quite an endeavor haha. Shoutout to my coworker for helping me get to the shop to pick up my Saturn and DaVonta Grant at Todd Wenzel Buick GMC in Davison, Michigan!

Here’s to “Operation: Project Cars”! I’ll be highlighting my experience along the way. I’ve also posted an article on Adam’s Autos on things to look for if you’re shopping for a more affordable used car. I encourage you to strive to follow your passions and goals you've set as well. #Oldsmobile #Bravada #Saturn #Aura #Customization #DreamCarHighlights

My 2008 Saturn Aura V6, 2018 Jeep Compass Latitude,

2004 Oldsmobile Bravada

SN: Been getting questions about “how you’ve got all green and white cars!” I know, and the answer is NO - I’m not purposely buying all my cars green and white because I went to Michigan State haha. Purely coincidental. But hey - IT WORKS! Go Green, Go White! My next new car will definitely be red, black or blue though.

Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Lincoln Is Winning In Style

I am really digging Lincoln more and more. Nice modern spin on classic American luxury. Though the MKT is definitely the oddball of the lineup now, and should be phased out soon. I'm also liking how the company is reverting back to using actual names on its cars! YES! The Corsair will replace the MKC for 2020. #MKZ #Continental #Corsair #MKC #Nautilus #Navigator #Aviator #MKT #FordMotorCompany #TheLincolnMotorCompany

Saturday, May 18, 2019

Dream Car Highlights - 2003 Oldsmobile Aurora V8, Final 500 Edition Oldsmobiles, Or Any 2004 Oldsmobile

The final Oldsmobile was a 2004 Alero, on display now at the GM

Heritage museum. Its hood was signed by all of the line workers.

What Is It: Oldsmobile was a mid-luxury brand from General Motors, and one of the oldest car brands in existence before its demise in 2004. Over the years, they made a variety of personal luxury coupes, sedans, a minivan, and an SUV among other cars. The Final 500 models were special edition Oldsmobiles made between the 2002-2004 model years with dark cherry paint, unique badging, and commemorative ornaments for the owner celebrating more than 100 years of the brand.

It’s worth noting which of these models you CAN’T get and when. You can’t get an Aurora for 2004 - it was discontinued after 2003, and only the V8 model was available that year. The Intrigue and Aurora V6 were discontinued after 2002. Of the three remaining Oldsmobile models in 2004 (Alero, Bravada, and Silhouette), I’d get an Alero V6 or Bravada if it was in great shape.

2001-2003 Aurora

Why Do You Want It: Let’s establish something if you didn’t already know: I love Oldsmobiles. My mother had 3 (two Achievas and a Silhouette) and I love the history of the brand. When I heard the brand was being shut down in 2004, I was shocked, even as a kid. We had a lot of great times in our Oldsmobiles. It’d be great to have some more of those.

2002-2004 Bravada

That’s why for me, I’d like to someday have a Final 500 Oldsmobile, preferably an Aurora. But since these are hard to find, especially in decent shape nowadays, I’d also take any 2004 Oldsmobile. Having a piece of automotive history that reminds me of my childhood is just special to me. Sharing that passion with the world and encouraging others to follow their ambitions, whether it’s car-related or not, is equally critical.

Literiture on the Final 500 Bravada, Silhouette and Alero:

Dream Car Highlights – 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP

With a 6.2L V8 good for 415 HP, the G8 GXP was Pontiac's real true send off!

What Is It: The Pontiac G8 was a large four-door rear-wheel drive sedan produced by the now defunct General Motors-Holden division in Australia and exported to America for 2008 and 2009. The G8 replaced the Bonneville and GTO as Pontiac’s full-sized/import offering within their lineup in the 2000s. It was Pontiac’s last new sedan introduction – the ST (Sport Truck) version never made it into production.

The G8 was available with a 3.6L V6 and two V8s – a 6.0L V8 with 361 HP and a 6.2L V8 with 402 HP. Arguably, the G8 GXP with its 6.2L V8 is the rarest variant. One with the 6-speed manual would be extra, extra rare – I’ve seen some examples of low mileage GXPs still cost upwards to $35,000-$40,000! A full decade later!

Why Do You Want It: To have one of the very last Pontiacs would be pretty special. Specifically, the G8 GXP and Solstice GXP were like Pontiac’s last hurrah. One car I really wanted in high school was the 2010 Pontiac G6, which was not quite as special as the G8, but holds the honor as the last Pontiac ever made. Given one of my goals to compete in car shows some day, a G8 GXP would round out whatever collection of rides I have at time nicely… If one can be found in good condition down the road at a nice price! I simply can’t imagine that these prices will decrease any time soon.

Friday, May 17, 2019

Show Me the Car Fact #FactFridays

"Its been a long time, shouldn't have left you..." I'm back with more vital information for your everyday life and also updated the mobile site layout. Don't blame me, blame grad school for my absence.

Now that we've gotten those couple 90s references out of the way, let's jump right in.

Did you know: The 2019 Genesis G70 and Buick Regal Sportback are two of the only new cars I’ve noticed that give you a standard heated steering wheel BEFORE you get standard heated seats…

I like it when I don't have to jump to higher trims for comfort features I want...

A heated steering wheel is standard on the base trim of the Genesis G70. But you must jump up to the Elite Package for an extra $5,000 to get heated/cooled front seats among other features (such as real leather seats, navigation and rain-sensing wipers). On the other end, the Regal Sportback’s Preferred II trim will give you a heated steering wheel. But you must jump up to the Regal’s Essence trim for an extra $2,000 to get real leather seats and heated seats…

This seems backwards to me… Personally, I’d want to have heated seats before a heated steering wheel. Although now that I’ve had both in my Jeep, I won’t go without either. Regardless, these are both stylish rides.