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Some people do not think about the benefit of paying extra on their auto loans on their vehicles purchased from car dealerships in El Paso. They simply figure they are stuck with the regular payment amount for the life of the loan. However, this is not the case. Much like a home mortgage, your car loan has an amortization schedule. This schedule is a breakdown of every monthly payment for the life of the loan and shows how much of the payment is applied toward interest and the loan principal balance. There are tools you can use to create your own amortization table, or ask your lender for a copy. Initially, the amortization schedule will have a larger portion of the monthly payment being applied towards interest. As you continue to make monthly payments, the monthly interest amount starts declining, and the monthly principal amount starts increasing. Toward the end of the loan, the majority of the monthly payment is applied to the principal balance. By paying a little bit extra each month towards the principal balance, not only do you pay the car off sooner, but reduce the amount of interest paid back during the life of the loan. For illustrative purposes, let’s assume you financed $20,000 for five year (60 months) at a 6% interest rate. The regular monthly payment would amount to $386.66, not counting any add-ons, like extended warranty coverage or service agreements. If you were to pay an extra $100 per month toward the principal balance, you would pay off your vehicle in 4 years (48 months). Where some people are misled is they calculate 60 months times the regular car payment and compare this amount to multiplying 48 months times $486.66, and then assume they are paying more during the 4 years instead of just paying the regular payment over 5 years. What actually occurs is the principal amount decreases faster, which means the amount charged in interest also declines. If you were to look at an amortization schedule, you would discover the total amount paid in interest by just making your regular monthly payment over five years is $3,199.36, compared to $2,444,38 by paying the extra $100 per month for the life of the loan and paying it off a year early. A comparison of the monthly payment breakdown looks like this for the first 4 monthly payments: Payment Number Payment Amount Principal Interest Total Interest Balance 1 $386.66 $286.66 $100.00 $100.00 $19,713.34 2 $386.66 $288.09 $98.57 $198.57 $19,425.25 3 $386.66 $289.53 $97.13 $295.70 $19,135.72 4 $386.66 $290.98 $95.86 $391.56 $18,844.74 Paying an Extra $100 per Month: Payment Number Payment Amount Principal Interest Total Interest Balance 1 $486.66 $386.66 $100.00 $100.00 $19,613.34 2 $486.66 $388.59 $98.07 $198.07 $19,224.75 3 $486.66 $390.53 $96.12 $294.19 $18,834.22 4 $486.66 $392.48 $94.17 $388.36 $18,441.74 You can easily see the slight difference in the remaining balance You can easily see the slight difference in the remaining balance and total interest paid. While it might not seem like much at the beginning of a car loan, over the life of the loan you end up saving $754.98 just by paying an extra $100 per month. For further questions about auto financing, or assistance in applying for a new car loan, feel free to contact Integrity Kia at 915-856-2982, or stop by our El Paso showroom.

New car leases are sometimes confusing for people who have never leased a vehicle. It is important to understand the financial obligations of a lease to determine whether this is your best option in order to drive off in a brand new Kia vehicle from your Kia dealer in El Paso. Just like financing a new car, a lease is a type of financing program. A lender underwrites the lease agreement for a set period of time, typically three years. Most lease lenders require a down payment unless there is a special promotion in effect, where the down payment is waived. Acceptable down payments are in the form of cash or an allowance from a trade-in vehicle. In addition to the down payment, other financial obligations you are required to pay during the length of the lease include: Monthly lease payments: There will be a monthly payment amount, often less than traditional financing, which needs to be paid on time to avoid late fees. If you constantly are late or miss lease payments, the lender may repossess the vehicle. Repairs and maintenance: You are responsible for all repairs and maintenance of the vehicle, even though you do not own it. You are required to keep the vehicle in proper working order, as well as keep the interior and exterior clean. If you are involved in an accident, you have to get any damages fixed. Full coverage car insurance: The lease lender will require you to maintain full coverage car insurance on the vehicle during the length of the lease in the event of an accident. If you do not, the lender may take out their own policy to protect their interests, and add the costs onto your lease or repossess the vehicle. License plates: In order to drive the car, you have to obtain license plates and pay for tag renewals annually. Gasoline: Leasing does not cover fuel and other transportation costs (i.e. tolls and parking). These are your financial responsibility. Sometimes there are promotions, where the dealer does offer a prepaid fuel card in a set amount to help out initially. Now that you are aware of the financial obligations of  lease programs, you can better decide if a new Kia lease is the right choice for you. It is important to remember, there are specific terms and conditions with a lease beyond financial obligations, such as mileage restrictions and not being able to modify the vehicle from its original condition. If you drive an excessive amount, there are a few options, to avoid having to pay a fee at the end of the lease, like paying for extra miles upfront as part of your monthly lease payment. For more information about new Kia lease programs and assistance in determining if a lease is right for you, stop by Integrity Kia in El Paso today, or contact us at 915-856-2982 to speak to one of our friendly and helpful sales associates.

We are often faced with questions at our Kia service center that could easily be answered by simply reading the owner's manual. These questions run from the simple to the more complicated and are costing you both money and time. Reading the manual, for instance, gives you the information you need to check the oil in your car, change the air filters in both the cabin as well as the engine, check the state of the many belts that provide power to the engine, and many more small tasks just like these. Between the manual and some judicious use of Google, you should be able to do most basic maintenance on your car yourself, which will save you time and money compared to bringing your vehicle to the service center.   Reading the car owner’s manual and doing some of your own car maintenance tasks would mean that you only need to take your car into the garage when absolutely necessary, so when you've suffered major damage or if something is seriously wrong. Getting something as simple as a spark plug replaced can cost quite a bit of money, and you can easily do it yourself on a sunny afternoon. By doing more routine tasks yourself, you're looking at thousands of dollars in potential savings, so read up on that manual and find out how you can do things yourself. Not only will you save money, there is a sense of pride you feel after taking care of a problem by yourself that is simply worth more than money.

We often notice that people don't always check the pressure of their tires, to their own grief. After all, you're going down the highway at 65 to 70 miles per hour, don't you want to make sure that those small pieces of rubber that connect you to the road are in perfect condition? Under or overinflated tires are more likely to blow out when you hit debris in the roads. Improperly inflated tires will also contribute to a loss of fuel efficiency. By checking the state of your tires regularly and making sure there's not too much wear and tear you are ensuring that you can count on them in a sticky situation.   More important than damage, though, is pressure. Damage can be seen with the naked eye, while pressure needs some kind of tool to check it. Don't count on a kick test helping you: if you can feel there's a lack of pressure with a kick, you should have refilled them with air a long, long time ago! Instead, get a little pressure gauge from your local department store or auto parts retailer, and check your tire pressure that way. It should, however, be mentioned that these little appliances are far from perfect and have been shown to be off by as much as 20 percent. They will cost anywhere between $20 to $40 and are the very best way to ensure that soft tires are a thing of the past. Most gas stations also offer tire pressure gauges and air to refill tires that are soft.

Not everyone cares to or wants to wax their car, although there are many benefits of doing it. Waxing is a great way to protect your vehicle’s paint. It is also a great way to keep your vehicle looking shiny and new, and to keep its value at the highest that it can be. Wax your vehicle with some tips from your Kia dealer near Alamogordo. Preparing There are a few things that you should do to prepare your vehicle for its waxing job. You should first give your vehicle a good washing using car soap and water. Work on removing all dirt and grime. Wax has a harder time sticking to dirty paint. Make sure that your vehicle is completely dry before you begin, too. Wax also has a harder time sticking to moisture. Don’t wax your vehicle in extremely hot or extremely cold temperatures. You should do it in a garage or in the shade if you’re outside. Waxing Use small amounts of wax, and apply it with the applicator pad that probably came with your waxing kit. Using too much wax is a common mistake and will just make a mess. Apply the wax in small and circular motions, and work your car section by section. Take your time. Let the wax sit there until it is dry. It should come off easily when it is ready. Use a microfiber cloth the remove it in the same fashion that you applied it. Be sure to remove any residue. Then you can polish your vehicle to a shine.

Your vehicle contains many different fluids that are all required and completely necessary in its function. It’s important that all of these fluids are kept clean and full at all times. Be sure to always keep an eye on the fluid levels in your Van Horn area Kia. Oil Oil is the most important fluid in your vehicle since your engine absolutely cannot run without it. Oil is what’s responsible for lubricating all of the moving parts of your engine. Without it, the moving parts would just grind against one another, which would cause major damage. It could even eventually cause your engine to just seize altogether. You should check your oil level once a month to make sure it is not low, and you should have your oil changed every 3 months or 3000 miles. Transmission Fluid Your vehicle needs transmission fluid to smoothly run its gears. Your transmission fluid should never be low, so if you notice that it is low you need to take your vehicle to be looked at by a professional. Brake Fluid Brake fluid is needed to keep your brakes working properly. Just like the transmission fluid, the brake fluid should never be low. You should be able to check the brake fluid just by looking at the container. Coolant Coolant is needed to keep your engine at a safe and cool temperature. It’s very important that you never run low on coolant because then your engine will probably overheat.

One of the biggest mistakes people make when trading in a vehicle to purchase either a used or new vehicle from El Paso car dealers is not taking the time to find the value of their current vehicle. They put their entire trust into the dealer to give them a fair trade-in allowance. This is never a good idea, because you could end up getting far less than the vehicle is actually worth. It takes less than an hour to obtain an approximate value for your current vehicle using online resources like Kelley Blue Book and Edmunds. Keep in mind, there are numerous factors which are used to establish the value for your current vehicle. It is common to obtain completely different values for your current vehicle from each online resource you use. Criteria used to value a vehicle include the condition of the vehicle, age of the vehicle, and current mileage. It can be difficult to be honest about the actual condition of your vehicle, as owners tend to be a bit biased, but be honest with yourself to obtain accurate results. For instance, your vehicle could fall somewhere between good/average condition and very good/clean condition. In this case, look at the trade-in values for both conditions, and average those results to obtain an approximate value. If the good/average condition of your vehicle is $4,500, and the very good/clean condition value is $5,500, then the approximate value would be $5,000. ($4,500 + $5,500 = $10,000. $10,000 divided by 2 = $5,000). What Is the Difference Between Trade-In and Private Sale and Dealer Retail Values? There are up to three different values you can obtain from online resources. The trade-in value is how much you expect to receive from car dealers in El Paso. The private sale value is how much you could potentially sell the vehicle for if you sold it yourself rather than traded it in at the dealership. The dealer retail value is the average amount the same vehicle costs at local car dealers. Remember, the dealership wants to earn a profit on used vehicles, so they sell trade-ins for more money. Is It Better to Sell the Vehicle Myself? If the difference between the trade-in value and private sale value is at least $1,000, you may want to consider selling it yourself. However, it can take a few weeks or even months to find the right buyer. If you are able to wait, and sell the car before buying another one, you will have a larger down payment. In cases where you do not want to deal with selling the car yourself, trade it in at the dealer, instead. After you value your trade-in online, we invite you to stop by Integrity Kia in El Paso and allow us to make an offer on your used vehicle towards the purchase of a used, certified pre-owned or new vehicle. Feel free to contact us at 915-856-2982 with any questions or for further assistance.

Leasing can be a great option when it comes to financing your next car purchase. Do you know all the benefits of leasing? Do you want to find out if leasing is right for you? Here is what you need to know about leasing from your Kia dealer near Van Horn. The Benefits Of Leasing Leasing can be a great way to get into the vehicle you really want for less money and is a great option if you don’t have a lot of cash on hand for a down payment. Down payments are often minimal and some lease rates even offer a zero down option. Leasing is a great choice for buyers who like to drive a new car every few years and buyers who like to have all the latest technology available in their vehicle. Finally, leasing benefits also include low repair fees as leased vehicles are typically under warranty for the entire duration you have the vehicle. Other Items To Consider When Making The Decision To Buy or Lease When deciding on leasing over buying there are a few items that you should consider. Car leases have a maximum number of miles allowed each year. You need to know that you will be able to stay within the miles allotted. Another thing to consider is that you will always have a car payment. You must also keep the vehicle you chose for the duration of the lease or pay a lease termination fee. Finally, it is important to understand that you will be responsible for the cost of all general maintenance needs and must turn your vehicle in at the end of the lease in excellent condition.

Shopping for new Kia vehicles can be fun and exciting, as long as you take some time and do your homework. Before visiting Kia Dealerships in El Paso, take the time to review the following tips, as these could potentially save you thousands of dollars on your next new Kia. Value Your Trade-In: There are online resources, also used by car dealers in El Paso, like Kelley Blue Book and Edmunds, where you can see the trade-in value and private resale value. Learn the Value of the New Car: Using the same resources you used to value your trade-in, find out the actual value of the new Kia you desire. There is normally some price variance between the actual retail price shown on the vehicle’s sticker and what the dealership is willing to accept. Prequalify for Financing: If you intend to purchase the new Kia, get prequalified for a new car loan from your bank or credit union. First, this lets you know your “credit limit” the lender is willing to borrow toward the purchase of a new Kia. Next, since you are already preapproved, you are able to walk into the dealership like you were a cash buyer, rather than a buyer needing financing. Find Your New Car Online: Most El Paso Kia dealerships list their current new car inventories online. Shop around and find the dealer who has the model with the features and options you desire in the right color. In the event you cannot find what you are looking for, expand your search outside of the El Paso area. Authorized Kia dealers work with one another and exchange vehicles. Knowing where your new car is located allows you to go to your local Kia dealership, and tell them what you want and which dealer has it in stock. Test Drive the Car: Take the time to test drive the vehicle. If you do not like how it handles, or feel uncomfortable in the car, do not buy it. Attempt to Negotiate a Lower Price: Since you are already prequalified and have  researched new vehicle values, use this information to your advantage to try to get a lower price. Review Dealer Financing: Before closing on the deal, take the time to see what interest rate the dealer offers on financing. If it is lower than what you were prequalified for, use dealer financing. If not, you already locked in your rate and loan with your bank or credit union. Review All Contracts and Paperwork: Take the time to read through all contacts and paperwork before you sign. If you are not sure about something, ask for clarification. Take Delivery of Your New Kia: Schedule a time to take delivery of the new Kia and have the dealership give you a demonstration of all of the features on your new Kia. Closing the sale and taking delivery does not have to be done on the same day. Feel free to shop our online inventories, and contact Integrity Kia in El Paso at 915-859-2982 if you have any questions or need further assistance in finding your new Kia vehicle.

One of the biggest questions people have any time they need parts for their Kia are whether these parts are really worth the extra money, because there are less expensive aftermarket parts to use instead. When you take your Kia to your Kia dealership in El Paso for service, the dealership uses OEM (original equipment manufacturer) parts. These parts have been manufactured by Kia and meet Kia’s quality requirements. Depending upon the part replacement, it could have up to a one year warranty. Independent service centers tend to use aftermarket parts instead of OEM parts. It is estimated that independent shops use between 70 and 80 percent aftermarket parts. There are numerous aftermarket companies producing parts functioning similar to OEM parts. In some cases, the aftermarket part may be better than the OEM part—but not always. There are different levels of quality used by the various manufacturers. If you are replacing parts yourself, or at an independent shop, and you decide to use aftermarket parts, make sure to do some research to find out which aftermarket manufacturers produce high quality parts for your Kia. There are several advantages and disadvantages to using aftermarket replacement Kia parts. It was already mentioned, they are normally less expensive and might be equal or greater in quality than OEM Kia parts for sale. Since there are a large number of aftermarket manufacturers, there is normally better availability and variety. You can walk into any independent parts department or service center and walk out with the part. Even with these advantages, using aftermarket parts is not always beneficial. The quality of the parts varies greatly. There is an extensive selection of parts to choose from and, if you are not familiar with the top quality aftermarket manufacturers, you could easily choose a poor quality part. In most cases, aftermarket parts come with no warranties or a very limited 90 day warranty. Aftermarket parts tend to lower the resale value of your Kia. The advantage to spending a little bit more money on OEM parts is that you know the parts are made by Kia and are identical to the ones used to build your Kia. It is easier to find the right part for your Kia from your El Paso Kia dealer’s parts department. You can have confidence the new part is designed to work and perform the same. Most OEM parts have up to a one year warranty. In the end, it comes down to your own personal preference and, in certain cases, it is better to pay more for OEM Kia parts. If you are not sure which aftermarket brands make the highest quality parts for your Kia, stick with OEM parts. If you want to keep your Kia all Kia, use OEM parts. If you prefer to pay someone else to do repair and service work, use OEM parts. Always use OEM Kia parts whenever you are having your Kia repaired after an accident, especially if you are replacing exterior pieces, since aftermarket bumpers and body panels may not fit correctly or meet Kia’s crash safety standards. To order OEM parts for your Kia, or to schedule service, contact our Kia dealership in El Paso today at 915-856-2982.

Some people have misconceptions about new car leases from their El Paso Kia dealerships, since you are essentially renting the vehicle for a period of two or three years. These people strongly believe you are throwing your hard-earned money away, because you have no ownership in the vehicle. While there is no ownership during the lease period, where people with this type of thinking quickly get into trouble is by trading in their vehicles every two or three years for a brand new model. Eventually, they are underwater on their car and find their monthly payments have grown out of control. How does this happen? They get the urge to have the latest features and options, and decide to trade in their current vehicle. Let’s assume the current vehicle is several years old and is fully owned. The value of the trade-in is deducted off of the purchase price of the new car at their Kia dealer in El Paso. They finance the remaining balance and drive the car home. A few years later, they decide they want a new car. The only problem they have is they still owe three more years of payments on the current vehicle. Luckily, the new car dealer is able to take their car in on trade and pay off their existing car loan. However, since there is a balance owed on the vehicle, it lowers the cash left over. For example, the trade-in value is $10,000, and the pay-off on the loan is $9,000. This only leaves $1,000 to be deducted off of the new car’s purchase price. Regardless, they decide to go ahead and get the new car. Now, two years down the road, they want to do the same thing. The only problem, this time, is since there was only $1,000 down payment, they discover they owe more on the vehicle than it is worth. Fortunately, their new car dealer in El Paso can work with them and help get them into a new car. Again, let’s assume the trade-in value is $10,000, but now the pay-off on the loan is $13,000. Instead of reducing the purchase price of the new vehicle, the extra $3,000 is added on, increasing the total amount financed. Remember, any time the amount financed increases, so do the monthly payments. Say this person repeats this pattern of buying and trading in a vehicle every two years for the next ten years. At the end of that time, they could easily have monthly car payments as high as $1,000 or more, compared to a leased vehicle with a monthly payment of $300 or less. In actuality, the person has no equity in the financed vehicle and is throwing away their hard-earned money without gaining any benefit by refinancing their car every two years. On the other hand, if they had leased a new vehicle every two years, their payments would remain consistent over the ten year period. In addition, they would have more money in their pocket, rather than an increasing monthly car payment. For anyone who likes to drive a brand new car every two or three years, leasing is a much better financial choice. To learn more about leasing a new Kia from us, here at Integrity Kia, call us now at 915-856-2982.

We are in and out of our vehicle so many times a day that messes can really start to accumulate without realizing it or intentionally doing so.  Over time this is unattractive and unhealthy.  Let your Las Cruces area Kia dealership give you tips on how to keep your car interior clean. Act Fast If you make a mess, clean it up right away before it has a chance to become a lingering stain.  For coffee spills, dilute them with cold water, and use paper towels or clean rags to blot them away.   Hairspray will lift ink stains, while baking soda and water or club stains is ideal for removing vomit from a car sick child, pet or adult. Organize Clutter can accumulate quickly, especially if you have children!  To avoid this problem, invest in a car organizer from your auto parts store or other larger retail stores.  They make organizers that fit behind seats, in a cargo area or under the seats.  Use them to store papers, tissues, toys, chargers and more.  Only store what is absolutely necessary so you don't get cluttered up again.  It is helpful to keep plastic bags in the car for garbage to take out with you once you get home. Make a Set of Rules To avoid messes or stains from ever happening, set ground rules for what is allowed in the vehicle. It is best to allow no eating or drinking to prevent sticky messes and stains.  If someone brings an item with them in the car, set a rule that it must go out with them too.