If you examine your needs rather than wants, you will quickly discover what the right car is for you. Here are a few steps to take:

Step 1 – Determining a fair price
For that, you will need the invoice pricing for the vehicle. There are a few places to get it. Edmunds or FightingChance that sells a package (for $35) that includes the invoice pricing data as well as other valuable information.

Step 2 – Using competition to your advantage
The next thing you should do is fill out a free quote request from websites like: Cars.com, MyRide.com and CarsDirect. It only takes a few minutes to fill out each form but it will guarantee that you will have the maximum number of dealers to negotiate with.

Step 3 – Getting your financing in order
Most people are not aware that shopping around for financing is another way that you can save money. The dealership is not the only place where you can get new car financing.

Before you can get the best rate on financing, you have to know what your credit score is. You can get a representation of your FICO credit score from Experian, TrueCredit or Equifax.

Step 4 – Figure out your trade-in value
Use Kelly Blue Book to estimate the trade-in and private resale value of your car.  Trading in will be simpler and easier but you will get a higher amount for your used car by selling it privately. The trade-in value of your used car will reduce the taxable amount of your new car purchase by the value of your used car trade-in.

Step 5 – Negotiating your new car purchase
The key to getting an accurate picture of the dealer’s offer is to request that they give you the out-the-door cash price excluding rebates, incentives or trade-in’s. The price should include all dealer added fees.

NEVER NEGOTIATE BASED ON MONTHLY PAYMENT.
One of the easiest ways for the dealer to rip you off is to negotiate your new car price based upon the monthly payment. Do not fall into this trap!

And the last but not least tip: Do NOT over-equip your car with costly accessories. You can benefit from all last generation technologies for free. Let’s see how.

Vehicles Go Social

We all know vehicles are becoming more social. Automakers and the government are working to develop technology that could allow cars to communicate wirelessly and provide useful traffic information.

Some carmakers for instance, were showcasing their car models along with smart technologies integrated in the dashboard to demonstrate ways to combine social networking and greener driving. That would allow drivers earn achievements based on how far they drive and level of emissions.

But why spending hundreds of dollars when you can have it for free? A hands free holder makes it possible to have the latest technologies in your car for a few bucks only.
All you need is the Beat The Traffic and Drivee app + a cell phone holder.
Make your driving more social and enjoy the best features of a latest generation car with Beat The Traffic!

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-Beat the Traffic Team

By James E. O’Neal

NY1 traffic reporter Jamie Shupak using Beat The Traffic's on-air system

Beat the Traffic is not only on mobile, it’s also on TV, radio and web. Here is an article from ”TV Technology” about how broadcast media uses Beat The Traffic new technologies to display latest traffic news.

‘’Weather reports have been part of television since its inception as a broadcast service; traffic reporting took a little longer to reach the medium, but is also now a big part of the operation and most large and medium market stations.

One of the companies to recognize the potential of television’s evolving reach is Beat The Traffic. It was launched more than 10 years ago and now provides service to some 56 North American TV operations.

Andre Gueziec,  Beat The Traffic’s president and CEO, explained that – just as with weather information – what broadcasters report has little value unless it’s immediate and localized.

‘’My company thought it could provide a much more informative presentation, using television to its maximum in providing traffic information. When we launched, we were immediately rewarded with inquiries from quite a few stations’’ Andre said.

Gueziec observed that real-time traffic reporting by TV stations has become a necessity and has basically followed the same track as weather reporting.
‘’I would say that it’s evolving like weather reporting in the sense that many stations have decided to produce their own reports and come to companies such as ours for reporting tools and data’’.

Special shout out for those living inCalifornia! Beat The Traffic will attend the MacWorld Exhibition in San Francisco, CA on January 26-28th. This is the ultimate fan event for those who use, create, and love Apple products. Because we would love to meet you, our top users, we offer FREE Exhibits Passes. The number of tickets is limited and will be attributed on the first come first served basis. The deadline to register is Monday, January 23rd. Please note that these are the only available FREE passes for the Exhibit, usual price is $45).

Print your pass at the following link:  http://rcsreg.com/macworld/DCJ53915

3 days of Tech Talks, Music, Film and More. Come visit us (booth 818)!

Beat The Traffic Team

We’ve got exciting news:  BTT 2.0 is finally ready to be tested! Here it is, the new baby-born BTT 2.0 with new features, functionalities and design. (Available for iPhone only).

So, we are looking for a team of users who would love to try the new app and give us useful feedback.

First of all, we are going to select 100 participants based on the profile information and the needs of our software team.  Then we will send you the link where you can download the app free of charge. Take your chance to join the Team and be the first one to try the new version of our app.

To participate, please click here and answer to the quick questionnaire. It takes only 2 minutes!

-Beat the Traffic Team

You know the basic traffic laws – stop at a red light, obey the speed limit…

• In Derby, Kansas, it is illegal to screech your tires while driving. This abominable act can cost you 30 days in jail.
• In Topeka, Kansas, it is unlawful to transport dead poultry along Kansas Avenue. Lesson: look elsewhere for a KFC.

California, Eureka! Wake Up.

No matter how luxuriously comfortable that highway may look, it is illegal in Eureka, CA, to use a road as a bed. The offense is punishable by a fine up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail.

 Officials in Dunn, North Carolina, apparently have no faith in the intuitive powers of common sense:

• First, they have made it illegal to play in traffic. So make sure your kids play Candyland on the floor of a living room rather than on the asphalt of a passing lane
• Second, it is illegal to drive through a cemetery if you’re not there to bury someone. So if you intend to visit the grave of a loved one bring really powerful binoculars.