Carl Wyndham articles

If you've done much research in EVs, you've probably heard the line already. EV owners, some critics say, get crushed when it is time to sell. The truth is more complicated.

“Never buy a new car” is one of those pieces of advice that sounds airtight at a backyard cookout. It is also too simple to be right in every situation. The real answer depends on price, financing, reliability, incentives, how long you keep the car, and what the used market is doing right now.

It is one of the most infuriating parking scenarios out there. You paid for a private lot, came back expecting a normal day, and found an empty space instead. The good news is that you may have more options than the tow company wants you to think.

You finally get the repair estimate, and then comes the twist. Your insurer wants to use aftermarket parts instead of original equipment manufacturer parts. The short answer is that sometimes you can refuse, but it depends heavily on your state, your policy, and the specific part involved.

Few parking surprises are more infuriating than returning to your car, seeing a wheel boot, and knowing you already paid. In a private lot, that usually means you are dealing with a private company, not a police agency or city parking office. Your rights depend heavily on state law, local rules, and the exact signs and paperwork tied to that lot.

A loud engine rev at 11 p.m. can feel a lot bigger than one person blipping the throttle. Late-night revving can interrupt sleep, trigger stress, and quickly turn a quiet block into a source of tension. The good news is that you may have practical options, and many of them do not start with a courtroom fight.

If your owner’s manual says regular gasoline is okay, that is the rule to follow. Automakers test engines for specific fuel needs, and the manual is the main source for that info. But an experienced dealer service advisor might give a general recommendation that could be worth considering.

If you’ve ever bought a car, you’ve probably heard the pitch for an extended warranty right before signing the paperwork. It usually sounds like the smart, responsible thing to do, especially when repairs on modern cars can get expensive fast. But the honest answer is that extended warranties are not always worth it for every driver or every vehicle. Whether they make sense depends on reliability, coverage details, ownership plans, and the actual price of the contract.

You’ve probably heard the advice a hundred times: never buy new, because the moment you drive off the lot, the car loses value. That idea has some truth behind it, and it’s why a lot of money-savvy shoppers focus on used cars first. A vehicle is a depreciating asset, and new cars usually lose value faster in the early years than later on. But “used is always better” is a little too simple for a market that changes year to year.