Blog
Emissions testing vehicles in the Denver metro area   Jul 18th, 2010 

Live in Colorado and need to renew your plates?  If you have questions about where or if you have to get emissions testing, here are some answers for you.

There are fourteen testing centers in the six county area that requires emissions tests.  The counties that require emissions tests include Boulder, Denver, Jefferson, Adams, Douglas and Arapahoe County.  If you live in one of these counties, be sure to view the map for your nearest emissions testing location.  You can also call 303-692-3270 for information on these centers' locations.  The test is required every other year with certain exceptions including change of ownership, or if it registered in an area that doesn't require emissions testing but is driven at least 90 days per year in the emissions required area.

There are also rapid screen locations that are set up along metro highways, which, if your car is running clean twice within the last ten months, you can forego the trip to a testing center. 

If you are concerned that your vehicle will not pass the test, here are a couple of tips to help take out the error in the test, as you can read on the Colorado Air Care site.

If when you're out and about and you see a smoking vehicle, you can report this vehicle's license plate to the Smoking Vehicle Hotline, 303-692-3211.  

If you plan on purchasing a used car in Denver be sure to keep a maintenance program in mind to make sure that your vehicle runs clean and efficiently.

 
 
 
Safely install a Car Seat   Jul 18th, 2010 
According to SeatCheck.org 7 of 10 kids are using a car seat that is not properly installed.  As a parent you check safety recalls, protect your children from household chemicals under the sink, but is your car as safe as it can be when driving your kids?

First it is a good idea to read thru the safety tips, not only when you have a new baby, but as your child grows to make sure that you're properly belting them in for each drive. When installing a car seat, know about the LATCH system.  As SeatCheck explains, "LATCH stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren. It is a system mandated by the federal government in an effort to standardize and simplify the installation of child restraints. Nearly all new vehicles and child safety seats manufactured on and after September 1, 2002 will be equipped with the LATCH system. Cars, minivans and light trucks will be required to have anchor points between the vehicle's seat cushion and the seat back in at least two rear seating positions. Child safety seats will have tether straps or rigid connectors that hook into these anchors, thereby eliminating the need to secure the child safety seat to the vehicle using the vehicle's seat belt system."

There is another helpful site for Colorado residents to read about car seat installation and having children as passengers in your vehicle.After a car accident you may need to consider purchasing a new car seat.  Read this link for more information about replacing a car seat after an accident.

If your car seat does not have the LATCH system, you can still use the seat belt to properly anchor the carseat.  If your child has grown out of a car seat but now needs a booster seat, the installation will likely not have the LATCH system, be sure to ready the directions on the specific seat.

If you have a car in Lakewood Colorado and are needing help with your car seat installation, you can set an appointment to have your car seat properly installed at the fire department.

We hope this information is helpful to you and your family!  
 
 
 
The minivan in America - Originally published March 24, 2010  Jul 18th, 2010 
As defined by Wikipedia, "A multi-purpose vehicle (abbreviated MPV), minivan, people-carrier, people-mover or multi-utility vehicle (shortened MUV) is a type of automobile similar in shape to a van that is designed for personal use. Minivans are taller than a sedan, hatchback or a station wagon, and are designed for maximum interior room."

In America, the minivan's form has met function and many models are much more comfortable than ever before.  As the vehicle design changed over time, it became more suitable for larger teenage or adult passengers.  Due to the passenger space, it has also been coined as the vehicle for soccer moms as it fits a majority of their youth teams.  But no longer are mini-vans only suitable for juice drinking, happy meal consuming, pre adolescents.  As a passenger vehicle most minivans fit six to eight passengers.  Once difficult to enter the rear rows of seats with only one sliding passenger door, all of the current popular models including the Chrysler Town and Country, Dodge Caravan, Kia Sedona, Ford Windstar and Ford Freestar have dual sliding passenger doors.  Additionally on many models the narrow seat benches have been redesigned.  As most minivans are not filled to full capacity for its ordinary use, instead of a second row bench, many models have a captain seat option.  In some models there are no benches, and while the capacity is reduced by two, there is comfort for six adults in captain seats.  For comfort for rear passengers, more minivan models now offer wing windows in the back to increase air circulation.  

Whether or not your passengers are young and old, options on newer models include passenger entertainment with DVD players, and personal headphones.  Additionally these entertainment items can be added after market on a used minivan that is not already equipped.

Additionally cargo capacity is a great option for other drivers.  With Dodge/Chrysler's stow and go cargo space, sporting equipment or groceries can easily fit in, despite full passenger capacity.  Cargo capacity is made easier in these models as the seats fold down into the floor.  No longer does it require two strong adults to lift out heavy bench seats on many models.

Minivans have become a more alluring vehicle to many American car shoppers with its improvements.  The passenger capacity beats almost all used mid sized SUVs--often SUV third row seating, can only fit a small child.    

If you are an active family and needing a used vehicle in Colorado, test drive at Mark's Auto Sales.  Depending on your family's vehicle needs, the gas mileage, cargo/passenger space, just may be the right used car for you!  
 
 
 
Are you a Toyota owner? Do you have questions? -originally published March 12, 2010  Jul 18th, 2010 
For weeks now Toyota owners have heard about the Toyota recall and accidents when an accelerator took off with the driver out of control.  The causes of this anomaly have not been entirely clear either.  Initially the vehicle's floormats were pointed at as the only issue, but evidence now suggests that wear of the acceleration mechanism, increased stickiness of the pedal and possibly the electrical system are at fault.  Certainly a Toyota certified mechanic can give you more insight about the recall, can inspect your vehicle, and answer specific questions.  Certainly many owners, who purchased their vehicle based on Toyota's reputation for reliability and safety are thinking twice if they should continue driving their vehicles until the problem has entirely been corrected.  As many Toyota vehicles are still on the road, an important thing to know if your Toyota, or any vehicle for that fact accelerates uncontrollably, is how to regain control of the vehicle.  Thank you to an article in the Huffington Post for sharing this from Toyota:"What should you do if your car suddenly accelerates? Here are three ways to stop the vehicle, according to Toyota:_ Step on the brake pedal with both feet using firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the brakes._ Shift the transmission gear selector into neutral. Use the brakes to make a controlled stop by the side of the road._ If you're unable to put the vehicle in neutral, turn off the engine. This will cut off power assist to the steering wheel and brakes, but as long as the key is in the ignition, you will still be able to steer and brake. If you have an engine start/stop button, press it firmly for three seconds to turn the engine off. Do not tap it. If you have a conventional key ignition, turn the ignition key to the ACC position. Do not remove the key from the ignition."In case if you haven't taken a look at the models and vehicle years that are being recalled, you can find them listed here.We hope you found this information insightful.  As information relevant to the car industry becomes available, Mark's Auto Sales strives to be your trusted source for insight as a car owner.  Thank you.   
 
 
Not too late to file your taxes!  Jul 18th, 2010 
It's still tax season, and not too late to file and drive all in the same day.  Save time going to the accountant and the bank and spend that time test driving a used car at Mark's Auto Sales.

Now is a great time to buy at Mark's Auto Sales.
-Bank and credit union financing available for those who qualify
-New inventory arriving weekly
-Buy here pay here program can finance good, bad and ugly credit
-Oil change discounts available to Mark's Auto Sales customers and more!!!

Contact our used car sales staff or come in to Lakewood, 7800 W. Colfax Ave.

It's easy to file your taxes with our Tax Max program.  Bring in your W-2s, social security card for yourself along with all your dependents, and other tax related documents.  

Our managers are trained to assist you to save time, so you can use part of your tax return for downpayment. Keep informed of everything happening at Mark's Auto Sales on Facebook
 
 
 
Financing options available at Mark's Auto Sales attributable to Financing Extraordinaires   Jul 18th, 2010 
Mark's Auto Sales, the home of the true buy here pay here financing in Denver since 1983 is proud to showcase the finance department, that says "approved" more than the rest.

"Right now we have the most talented manager staff of all time, drawing on experience throughout the automotive industry," says President and owner, Mark.  Mark's Auto Sales has a particular corner of the local automotive market.  Dealer financing, also known as buy here pay here, sets Mark's apart from many other dealers.  As customers' credit scores have taken a hit with the economy, and banks' hesitation to loan to this growing segment, there is more demand for buy here pay here.  Mark's Auto Sales is backed by a larger credit line, so that they can meet the demand for buy here pay here loans.

Aside from the traditional buy here pay here financing, the managerial staff, with their previous finance experiences at large new dealerships, selects those clients capable of being financed by a bank or credit union program, and works on that approval.  Sometimes customers come in, not knowing what they can qualify for, and within a couple hours have been financed by a bank, received a great interest rate and their desired payment.

Customers who are looking to buy a used car but are hesitant because car buying is a big decision or, because they have bad credit can all be assisted due to the talented finance staff at Mark's Auto Sales.  Not only do the managers draw experience across the industry, but customers will feel comfortable with a trained, professional and experienced sales staff.  

"There are a lot of good people with bad credit, unfortunately, while shopping around some customers have had such a rough experience dealing with dealers and lenders, they just need a salesperson and sales manager that won't look down on them for having some credit problems" commented marketing manager Staci.  

 
 
 
Tax time is your time to drive at Mark’s Auto Sales   Jul 18th, 2010 
Mark’s Auto Sales is proud to have the Tax Max program back in force this year.  This is a great program that allows customers a chance to put more money down, and start off strong on their auto loan.

With the program, you can bring in your tax documents, and drive away with a vehicle.  If you are single with no dependents or if you are married with dependents Mark’s Auto Sales can file your return.  Be sure to bring in all necessary documentation including W-2s for all the jobs worked at this year, social security card for you, your dependents and spouse.

The computer system allows us to file your taxes.  Once it has processed and determined the amount of the return, the consumer can decide how much they would like to use for downpayment with a refund anticipation loan.

Using tax money is a great way to get in a car loan.  The larger the down payment is, a shorter term may be available, and there can be a better flexibility with payment amounts.  If you’re planning to purchase in 2010, tax season may be your best option!

Mark’s Auto Sales is not only proud to have the Tax Max program available, but is also proud to be the home of the true buy here pay here financing and can approve when other lenders will not.  Find out for yourself at Mark's Auto Sales.

 
 
 
Carfax, trusted resource or fraud?   Jul 18th, 2010 
We've all heard the ads, "ask for your free Carfax report." When purchasing a vehicle, we're trained to ask for the Carfax report for piece of mind in a used vehicle purchase. 

However after reading many online complaints of vehicle owners, whose vehicles were fine, yet when they tried to sell, the report stated an accident, inaccurate miles, etc that was not the case. A misprint of miles was corrected with the DMV, so the vehicle's title was no longer mistakenly marked "Not Actual Miles" yet Carfax would not change the report. 

Certainly the frustration of car owners is understandable when they know the history on their vehicles, and then, suddenly their vehicle can't be sold for their asking price with this negative report.

Imagine fixing the paint for a scratch that occurred when your kid scraped their scooter against it in the narrow space of the driveway. You take your car in to have the paint fixed, go to sell the car and Carfax reports this incident as an accident. Truth is, online there are many stories like this.

On the otherhand there are many people who purchase and feel confident when it reads, "no accidents/ airbag deployment/ odometer rollback/ etc reported." Yet the keyword is "reported." In many cases owners have reported that it was a clear report when they purchased, yet a few months later, a previous accident was finally reported, too late for the car purchaser. Carfax has not been big brother looking at every little use of your car, and updating its report immediately. While they rely on third party sources for information that comprises their reports, there can be damage that never makes its way into the Carfax report.

So what are your alternatives when you are shopping for a vehicle to still have the peace of mind that your vehicle does not have: structural/frame damage, total loss, odometer rollback, etc?

While there are other sites similar to Carfax available to check vehicle history, they have the same pitfalls as the industry leader. Your best alternative is to bring along your most mechanical and car savvy friend. With a trained eye, somebody who has worked in a body shop or as a mechanic can see the signs that body work has been done or a part has been repainted, that the rest of us may miss. Their expertise can enlighten you if this was a quality repair or if you shouldn't trust it as dependable.

Unfortunately, in this .com world, we look for online solutions to tangible items that we have to make important decisions about. While the insight about your vehicle from Carfax may give you piece of mind, understanding how many owners had the car prior to you, and if it were for rental or personal use, this information is not bomb-proof. Look at this information and have the discriminating eye of a mechanic for a better piece of mind.  

 
 
 
Winter has hit early in Denver and Mark's Auto Sales   Jul 18th, 2010 
Winter weather alert yesterday and today throughout the Denver metro area. Schools are shut, along with many businesses.

So you would imagine that inventory is snowed over at every car dealership in the front range. Nope! At least not at Mark's Auto Sales. Mark's Auto Sales is open for business and has inventory kept dry and inside on snowy nights. This way car, truck and suv buyers like yourself can still come in, view inventory and test drive on the plowed roads surrounding our location.

Our one location is two blocks west of Wadsworth on Colfax (south side of the road) at 7800 W. Colfax Ave. If you've found your vehicle inadequate for winter driving or just needing to purchase a car, we'll be open for you. If you have a snow day with work, a friendly sales associate is available to assist you. Mark's Auto Sales has a variety of pre owned inventory available for bank finance or buy here pay here. Call ahead for an appointment to test drive and the heater will be warmed up in time for your test drive!  

 
 
 
Shopping for a car? Start online at MarksAutoSales.com !   Jul 18th, 2010 
Hello car shoppers of the world and the Denver metro area!

 Sometimes you have time to prepare for your car search, and other times you suddenly need a car. Working in the dealership, I've found customers who came to us with every situation, needing a car because their broke down or was wrecked, those who have been borrowing a car from a friend or family member and needed to give it back, and those who have become accustomed to planning their daily schedule around the bus schedule. Each customer ended up in the car that best suited their needs and budget. 

 While the car buying process can be intimidating, there are more resources online to start your search and learn more about your car dealer. I'll give you a tour of the Mark's Auto Sales website and some of the features you may want to use to start the painless process of buying a car.

 First, you can read or hear what our current customers have said by visiting our testimonials page. As I said, different Denver car buyers had different automotive needs, yet they each found and were satisfied with Mark's Auto Sales and our buy here pay here financing. 

 You can also browse our inventory to find available cars, trucks and SUVs. From any of the vehicle pages you can also contact us. We get new used car inventory in each week, but don't wait too long; the car you're thinking about today, may be the car that someone else was thinking about yesterday, and coming back for, today! 

 And you can get started from home by applying for car loan credit online. 

 Whether you've been weighing your options to buy, need to return that car on loan to your friend, or tired of planning your day around the RTD bus schedule, financing options are available with Mark's Auto Sales. We have special financing available for those who qualify. Our buy here pay here financing is also available which can get you in an auto loan if you have a job and down payment, even if your credit has hit some hard times.

 Let MarksAutoSales.com be your first and last stop in your vehicle search! 
 
 
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