When you’re ready to check out the new and used cars at the Chevy dealer Houston, you’ll find plenty of online tools to help you decide what kind of car to buy and what kind of financing is right for you. You'll even get help figuring out your credit score. There are Internet tools available at RonCarterHoustonChevrolet.com that will come in handy for any buyer: the payment calculator and the purchasing power calculator. How do these calculators help you get into the right vehicle?

The payment calculator helps you determine what your monthly payments would be for a new or used car for sale at the Houston dealership—you enter the purchase price, subtract your down payment amount plus the amount you’ll get from a trade-in if you have one. You’ll also enter the length of your auto loan and interest rate. The final number you get is how much you can expect to pay each month for that Chevy car.

This isn't much different than the purchasing power calculator—which uses the same information in a different way. To determine your buying power, start by entering the amount of money you can afford to pay for the car each month, plus your down payment, trade in and other factors. The number you get as the end result is how much you can afford to borrow based on your figures. Consider using the purchasing power calculator before getting pre-approved for a loan amount from your Houston Chevy dealer or your bank. You can request the specific amount you got from the purchasing power calculator instead of guessing at how much you need.

There are plenty of Chevy cars in the Houston market, but how do you decide which is right for you—new or used? If you’re looking for car on a budget, chances are you’re looking at used vehicles first, but ask yourself a few questions before you rule out getting a new model from the Chevy dealer in Houston. Are you a high-mileage driver? Do you travel for work or is most of your driving in the local area? Do you plan on staying in your vehicle for many years, or do you want to get a different model in three to five years to take full advantage of the trade-in value at Houston dealerships?

If you need a vehicle for high-mileage travel, new cars may be the best place to start looking, but you can also try shopping for last year’s Chevy models with low mileage and some time left on the warranty. You'll find a selection of “slightly used” cars at Houston dealerships that aren’t “showroom new” but still very close; comparison shop on the Ron Carter Houston Chevrolet lot and see how the sticker price on the new cars measure up to a low-mileage used vehicle. When you’re comparing price tags, don’t forget that price is only one factor—any remaining warranty coverage, better gas mileage or extra features are also worth money even if they don’t directly affect the amount of your car payments.

It’s easy to forget about simple vehicle safety issues when buying a car, truck or van. Some people feel more confident after doing a test drive a certified used Chevrolet on the Houston roads, but don’t forget to give yourself some extra time getting used to the handling and feel of the new vehicle—especially if you’ve moved from a car to a new Chevrolet van.

When you close the deal and drive your car off the Ron Carter Chevrolet lot, two important things to watch out for are braking distances and acceleration power. How do the brakes in the new vehicle work compared to your old car? Do you feel your new purchase is more sensitive and has shorter stopping distances? Or do you need extra time to slow down? If you’ve moved into a more powerful vehicle, give yourself plenty of extra time to brake until you’re used to the new handling. You’ll also need to be more aware of the size difference compared to your old car.

You should also use caution when accelerating from a red light or stop sign--if you’re not used to a more powerful engine, it’s easy to do what used to be called a “jackrabbit start” because you’re expecting a slower reaction as you step on the gas. A bigger vehicle means a more powerful engine to run it. It’s easy to get into a fender-bender if you aren’t used to the handling of an unfamiliar vehicle. A new Chevrolet van or certified used Chevrolet may take some time to get used to compared to a smaller car or even a truck.

Over the past few years, the country has begun to explore alternative fuels to power their Chevrolet cars and trucks.  Vehicles powered by alternative fuels are beginning to enter the market place, so I’ve put together this brief list of the different types that are available now at our Houston Chevy dealership, and what is coming right around the corner.

Hydrogen powered vehicles are still in the research stage, and most of the research being done is how hydrogen fuel cells could be used to power a car or truck.  A car running on hydrogen alone would only emit water vapor.

Arguably the most popular in recent years, ethanol is made from sugar cane or corn.  There are vehicles sold today that can run on a gasoline/ethanol mixture.  Unfortunately, ethanol is not as fuel efficient as gasoline (you can drive further on one gallon of gas than on one gallon of ethanol) and it can often cost more per gallon.

An electric-run vehicle would need to be plugged in before use, but there are many hybrid cars and trucks use both electricity and gasoline to reduce their environmental impact.  These hybrid vehicles are popular at our Texas Chevrolet dealerships.  In 2010 Ron Carter will bring the Houston Chevrolet Volt to market.  The Volt is an electric car that can create its own electricity.  It can run on a pure electric charge for up to 40 miles — gas and emissions free. After that, Volt uses a range-extending gas generator that produces enough energy to power it for hundreds of miles on a single tank of gas.

Just like many of our Houston area customers, Ron Carter Chevrolet is trying to do our part to reduce the impact we have on the environment.  We will continue to bring you information about alternative fuels as it comes available, and carry the latest in automotive technology at our Houston Chevrolet dealership.

It’s so important that you test-drive the new or used Chevy you are interested in buying before you buy it.  This step in the buying process will help tell you whether or not the vehicle is a good fit for your driving style and needs.  To help make your next test drive successful, I've put together a list of things you should look for on a test drive.

Before going to your Texas Chevrolet dealership lot, know what you are looking for.  When you know what features you need, you'll be better able to determine which car or truck is right for you and your family.  If you have children, it may be important to have a large backseat.

You’ll probably spend a lot of time in your Chevy, it’s important that you will be comfortable, so pay attention to how easily you can get in and out, how much leg room you have, how well the seat belts fit, and how easily you can reach the control panel.

While on the test drive, drive the Chevy in a similar manner to how you will if you buy it.  If you drive on the highway a lot, ask if you can drive it somewhere at highway speeds.  It’s important to make sure the car or truck will fit what you need.

Our Houston Chevy dealership conducts test drives to make sure our customers find the right Chevrolet for you and your family.  Contact our sales staff at 888-809-5381 or on our Ron Carter Chevrolet website.

Our customers have to occasionally deal with unavoidable roadside emergencies.  No one plans to have an emergency, but everyone should plan in case you have one.  Here are some tips so you can be prepared in case you encounter car trouble on your next road trip.

You should keep a blanket, flashlight, and flares in your Houston Chevrolet.  You can buy a satisfactory pre-made roadside emergency kit, but it's fairly easy to create your own.  If you have a cell phone, make sure it is always charged and you keep it with you in your Chevy car or truck.  I don’t advocate actually using your cell phone while driving your Chevy in Texas, having one available to use in case of an emergency will allows you to call for help.  If you don’t have a traditional cell phone plan, consider getting a pre-paid cell phone just for emergencies.

It’s also important to keep a spare tire and the tools needed to change a tire in your Chevy in case you get a flat tire.  If it is a slow leak, sometimes a can of temporary tire foam will be enough to allow you to drive to repair shop, so try keeping a can in your Chevrolet as well.

While our Texas Chevrolet dealership sells safe vehicles, sometimes roadside emergencies happen.  Our service department can tell you about our warranties and roadside assistance packages.  Call our Houston Chevy service department at 888-278-4006 or leave your contact information on the Ron Carter Chevrolet dealer website.