By Alex Perdikis

If you’re like most people, you’re on a budget. And if you need a new car, you might feel overwhelmed. You worry about how to stay within your budget but still find the right car for your needs. You’re probably asking yourself, “Is it possible?” It is possible to find the right car and stay in your budget if you follow these tips.

1. How Much Can You Afford?

You may be on a tight budget but you need to know how much your car-buying budget should be before you start looking at cars.

“Some financial experts recommend your monthly automotive expenses —including car payment, insurance and gas— be no more than 20 percent of your take-home pay.” — Alex Perdikis

That formula doesn’t tell the whole story, however. If you take into account your other expenses, such as utilities, rent or mortgage, loan and credit card payments and other monthly expenditures, 20 percent of your take-home pay may, in fact, be a larger payment than you can comfortably afford.

Unless your other monthly bills are low, use the 15 percent of take-home pay figure as your budgetary limit.

2. A Second Car or a Replacement Car?

If the new car replaces a current vehicle, fine. You’ll probably have to pay a bit more for insurance, which you should of course add in, but gas costs should stay relatively the same or maybe even go down. If the new car is going to be an additional vehicle, you’ll have to add gas, maintenance and insurance costs to your monthly expenses as well.

Add the costs to the 15 percent total you came up with earlier.

3. New, Used or Leased?

The choice of new, used or leased depends on your budget and preferences. Here’s the breakdown:

New car: The highest priced option is new and may seem out of your reach. That may not be the case, however. Buying a new car offers a host of advantages including dependability, the latest safety features and the fact that the car will still be relatively new when your loan is paid off.

Used car: The sticker price and monthly payments for a preowned car will be a lot less than for a new car. You can purchase used cars through private parties, usually for cash in hand without finance options, or your local dealership.

Dealerships may offer certified preowned vehicles that can be a bargain. Certified means the manufacturer warranties the car for a period of time. That means you won’t be out-of-pocket for a big repair right off the bat. Dealerships also offer other used cars as well perhaps with a warranty option or as is.

Sounds great, right? A used car might very well be the right choice for you. But, remember, if you finance your purchase with the typical six-year loan that used car is going to be ancient when you finally pay it off.

Leased car: If you want a new car and can’t quite justify a new car payment, consider leasing. With a lease option, you’ll most likely pay less on monthly payments and you’ll be able to drive a new car after three years. You’ll have to start the lease all over again but if a new car is your dream, that’s not such a big deal.

What to Do?

Which is right for you? If you want to buy a car and keep it for a long time, buy new. If you want to drive a new car every few years, lease. If you can’t make the new car payments, look at used. Above all, stay within the budget you worked out before you started looking for a new car.

Alex Perdikis, Koons of Silver Spring general manager and owner, lives in Chevy Chase with his wife and daughters.

By Alex Perdikis

No one wants to spend more on gas for their car than they have to. But you may be doing things, or not doing things that lower your car’s fuel efficiency without realizing it. Not only does it cost more if you don’t take measures to improve fuel efficiency, it also increases greenhouse gas emissions and pollutants.

The good news is you can increase the fuel-efficiency of your car by as much as 30 percent with these simple tips.

It Starts With Maintenance

Your car runs most efficiently when it’s well-maintained. Look at your owner’s manual and follow the recommended maintenance schedule. Get the oil changed, change air filters and replace spark plugs as suggested.

Make sure your tires are properly inflated and aligned. Underinflated tires increase fuel consumption by as much as 6 percent.

If you don’t have them and are looking at purchasing new tires, consider low rolling resistance (LRR) tires. LRR tires improve mileage as much as 1 to 2 percent because they reduce rolling resistance.

“Keep track of your gas mileage. A sudden drop indicates trouble, possibly in the engine. Have it checked.” — Alex Perdikis

How Do You Drive?

How you drive significantly impacts your gas mileage as well as your pocket book. Follow these tips when you’re behind the wheel:

• Drive steady and lawfully: Follow posted speed limits on highways. Many states are increasing speed limits up from 55 mph, but if it’s lawful, driving at 55 is much more fuel efficient than faster speeds. The faster you go, the less effective your fuel becomes.
• Leave aggression behind: Hard braking and Jack-rabbit starts consume fuel like there’s no tomorrow. Aggressive starts and braking increase fuel consumption by up to 40  percent. Instead, accelerate slowly and move into high gear as soon as possible.
• Avoid idling your vehicle for more than a minute: Unless you have an older vehicle, most cars don’t need to idle or “warm up.” Idling wastes fuel and produces large amounts of greenhouse gases. If you’re not in traffic, turn your car off if your stop will last longer than 30 seconds.
• Older car? Forgo the air conditioner if you can: Older vehicle’s air conditioners don’t run efficiently and using one increases fuel consumption up to 10 percent in city driving. Opening vents and windows may provide enough cool air to get you by if you’re moving at low speeds. Higher speeds are a different story, however. Open windows on the highway means lost fuel due to wind resistance. Use the air conditioner instead. If you have a newer model, no worries. Your A/C is already energy efficient.
• Use the right gear: Driving in a lower than necessary gear wastes fuel. Work through the gears to reach the optimum gear as soon as possible.
• Use cruise control: Save gas by maintaining the same speed with cruise control when driving on the highway.
• Choose parking spots wisely: If it’s a hot summer day, try to park in a shady area. Not only will your car remain cooler, the shade acts as a shield against gas evaporation.

A More Energy Efficient Life

You can also make lifestyle changes that improve fuel efficiency. For example, instead of running a lot of errands on different days, pack them into one trip.

Join a carpool to get to work and back. Plan your route if you’re going to an unfamiliar area. You’ll see the difference in your wallet and enjoy the satisfaction of knowing you’re living a more energy efficient life.

 Alex Perdikis, Koons of Silver Spring general manager and owner, lives in Chevy Chase with his wife and daughters.

By Alex Perdikis

Gadgets for your car run the spectrum from silly to amazing and back again. Some are fun and others provide a range of functions that enhance the driving experience and make it safer as well. Which devices are worth spending your hard-earned cash on? Here’s the latest in car gadgets and what you need to know about them.

The Smart Wheel Cover

Parents of teenage drivers — this one’s for you. Distracted driving causes millions of accidents in the U.S. Teens are particularly susceptible to distracted driving due to texting. The Smart Wheel Cover tackles the problem of keeping your young driver’s hands on the wheel and off their phone.

The Smart Wheel Cover uses smart technology to determine if a driver’s hands are both on the wheel and at the “10 and 2” position. If the driver’s hand is improperly placed or the driver removes a hand from the wheel, a red warning light flashes and an audible alarm is triggered.

The wheel cover connects to a mobile application for parents that keeps track of their teen driver’s performance. The young driver is given an overall safety grade, from A on down, and includes charts to breakdown activities.

If you have teenager drivers in the house, this gadget could be a lifesaver.

Heads-Up Display

Your phone has navigation but to safely use it, you need to be able to see it without taking your eyes off the road for more than a second. Smart heads-up displays give you a way to use your phone’s apps safely. The display mounts on the dash and syncs with the apps on your phone. When mounted correctly, the large screen gives you an easy and safer way to see at a glance.

“Higher end heads up displays allow you to use most of the apps on your phone, such as Pandora and Spotify, come equipped with touch screens, read your messages aloud and include hands-free phone calling.” — Alex Perdikis

A smart heads-up display is better than a simple phone mount. The larger display alone makes it a worthwhile purchase.

Dash Cameras

Dash cameras finally get their due this year. Although not a safety gadget per se, the footage from a dashcam becomes invaluable when you’re in an accident or if you become a victim of road rage. Dashcam footage can be used by your insurance company and your lawyer to prove what actually happened.

You might also capture surprising moments with your dash camera. Drivers from the middle of America to Russia have caught spectacular video of meteors flying into earth’s orbit. Others have recorded trees falling during storms and accidents involving other drivers. You never know what you’ll capture with a dashcam.

Car Safety Hammer

This is one of those gadgets you’ll probably never need, could save your life if you do. If you find yourself trapped in your car after an accident, you can used the hammer’s steel points to smash through safety glass.

The hammer also includes a recessed blade designed to help cut your way out of a stuck seat belt.

Exhaust Jack

If you go off-road a lot you know the lighter your load the better. Exhaust jacks are light but if you need to change a tire on the trail, they become powerhouses. Simply inflate the jack through a hose you connect to your vehicle’s exhaust and you have a jack strong enough to lift the vehicle and change the tire. You’ll be back on the trail in no time.

Alex Perdikis, Koons of Silver Spring general manager and owner, lives in Chevy Chase with his wife and daughters.