Geo Models – An Intro to the Geo Prizm

Posted on February 16, 2011 by Addison Craig

As part of our ongoing series of articles introducing our Geo models to St. Louis, today we’re taking a quick tour of the Geo Prizm.

The Geo Prizm was introduced to the US market in 1989. Although re-branded as the Chevrolet Prizm in 1998, the car lasted on the market until 2002, a solid 13 year run. Introduced as an entry level car in the compact car category, the Prizm was based off of the Toyota Camry. Initially, it was built to replace the highly unsuccessful Chevy Nova – the butt of numerous car marketing jokes due to it’s Spanish translation as “Does Not Go”. All Prizms were built at a plant in Fremont, California called New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc, which was a joint venture between Toyota and General Motors.

The Geo Prizm is available in a standard body type as well as a hatchback. There’s also a model called the GSi, which boasts a 130 horse power engine, sport suspension, and a handful of other sport performance features.

When it was redesigned in 1993, the United States Environmental Protection Agency upgraded the car to Compact status. This was largely due to the increase in interior space it was given by the redesign. This redesign also resulted in a driver airbag, new engine options, and a four speed automatic engine (instead of the previous three speed).

The Prizm was redesigned again in 1998, and then re-branded from Geo Prizm to Chevrolet Prizm. The most meaningful update was the addition of a new engine that featured more power without sacrificing existing fuel economy.

Bad Credit Loans and Marriage – How Do They Relate

Posted on February 11, 2011 by Addison Craig

Our customers bring us all kinds of questions. One we hear all the time is how getting bad credit car loans in St. Louis Missouri relates to your marital status.

Getting married entitles you to a handful of government benefits like tax breaks. You can also typically get family plans for things like health insurance and cell phone usage to help keep your costs low. In general, being married helps you get a few additional benefits that being single does not create.

Access to bad credit car loans, however, is not one of those things. And there’s a common misconception out there, under which people seem to think that marrying someone with better credit can improve their credit. Not so.

The flip side is also true. If you have a good credit score, and marry someone with a horrible credit score, you cannot be denied a bad credit loan simply on the basis of your marriage. There’s actually a law on the books protecting that right. It’s called the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, commonly abbreviated as ECOA.

The nuances of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act go far in protecting an individual’s privacy, and protect against questions that a bad credit car loan applicant may not want to answer. For instance, the law implies that a lender is not allowed to ask if you are married when evaluating your risk. In general, it also means that if you apply for a loan as a couple, a creditor can only ask very broad questions as to the nature of your relationship. And across the board, it means that it is unlawful for a lender to subject you to a higher interest rate simply on the basis of being married.

St. Louis MO. Used Car Dealer Advice – Wax Your Car for Winter

Posted on January 10, 2011 by Addison Craig

Having been a used car dealer in St. Louis for many years, we’ve picked up all kinds of tips to help people get as much “bang for their buck” as possible. One of those tips that might not seem obvious is to wax your car before the cold winter months set in.

And why? Because waxing your car isn’t just about making it look nice. As a matter of fact, lots of people think that waxing a car just before heading into the slushy, grungy winter months is silly. Why make it look all shiny just to drive it through a bunch of cruddy road mess?

Well the answer is because waxing your car protects it. Over time, the paint of your car can crack and chip. Sometimes you notice it, and sometimes the cracks are so small you can’t see them. But either way, when your paint cracks, the metal below the paint is exposed. And when that metal gets wet, it does what all wet metal does. It rusts.

When you wax your car, you can build up that layer of protection again. The wax fills in the small chips and cracks in the paint, creating a protective layer that keeps debris out. What’s more – it’s a waterproof layer. Wax is naturally water resistant, meaning it won’t wash off in the first slush of the year.

That said, it’s a good idea to wax a few times throughout the winter. It does, eventually, wear off, and to keep your car protected a couple good reapplications go a long way.