Buy a new Chevrolet and deduct the sales tax!

Part of the Economic Stimulus Package that was unveiled and signed earlier this month will be of interest to anyone planning on purchasing a new car.

If you purchase a new vehicle between February 17th 2009 and December 31st 2009 you will be able to deduct the amount you pay in State Sales Tax from your Federal Income Taxes. This is available on purchases up to $49,500.

The national average cost of a new vehicle is approximately $28,000. In Michigan, our 6% Sales Tax on this purchase amount would be $1,680 which you would be able to deduct from your Federal Income Taxes.

This deduction, along with the great incentives from General Motors and high trade values make it a great time to purchase a new vehicle.

If you have any questions regarding this program please contact a certified accountant or www.irs.gov

You can always visit our Website at www.graffbaycity.com for the latest programs on a huge selection of Chevrolet cars and trucks as well as a great selection of pre-owned vehicles.

Valentine's Day Is Coming - Show Your Vehicle Some Love!

Just a little TLC for your car or truck can go a long way.

Most people are familiar with the 3 month/3,000 mile recommended schedule for oil changes. While following that rule of thumb will help keep your vehicle in great shape, GM has added great tools to their vehicles in recent years to help you keep more accurate tabs on when your vehicle will be due for routine service.

Many GM Vehicles now come equipped with computerized Oil Life Monitoring systems that take more factors than just mileage into account when alerting you for your next service. These new systems take variables like the type of driving you do, engine temperatures and drive time into account when deciding to alert you for your next oil change. In some cases, this may mean that in some cases you may be alerted for an oil change before or after the 3,000 mile/3 month marker you are used to.

Following along with the Oil Life Monitoring System and GM's recommended maintenance schedule at a GM Dealership can help reduce the risk of engine problems and can help ensure that your warranty remains up to date and valid.

Another great tool available on many GM Vehicles is the Onstar Vehicle Diagnostics email. Customers who have an active Onstar Subscription can sign up for a free monthly email that will send them an update on their vehicle's vital systems and account information. They can even choose a specific dealership's Service Department to be notified when their vehicle is due for regularly scheduled maintenance.

If you have any service related questions please feel free to contact Graff Chevrolet's Service Department at 989-684-4411 or email baycity@graffservice.com

GAP Insurance and You

The next step after agreeing to purchase a vehicle can sometimes be an intimidating one. This is the time when you meet with the dealership's Business Manager or Finance and Insurance (F&I) Manager to go over the specifics of your financing and also review some additional products that may be available to you to help protect your investment.

One of these optional products is GAP Insurance. GAP Insurance is actually one of the most inexpensive products the dealership can offer but it can also be the one that can save you the most money and prevent a lot of headaches.

In a nutshell, in the event that the vehicle you purchase is in an accident and totaled, GAP Insurance will pay the difference between the amount owed to your Bank or Credit Union and what your Insurance Company decides our vehicle is worth.

For example – A year after you purchase your new Chevy Impala you are in an accident and the vehicle is considered a total loss. You may owe $21,000, including interest, to your Credit Union and your Insurance Company decides it is worth $16,500 based on current market value. That would leave you owing $4,500 to your Credit Union before they would consider the loan paid off. If you had decided to purchase GAP Insurance with your loan that difference would be paid off.

Like many types of insurance, the monthly cost of the protection is minimal but the benefits and savings to you can be huge!

Your local Credit Union WANTS to lend you money for a new car!

Over 1,200 Credit Unions throughout the Midwest, including Michigan, have joined together with General Motors to provide their members with an exclusive program to help get them the new GM vehicle that they want at payments they can afford!

Credit Unions affiliated with the Michigan Credit Union League have access to over $10 Billion in funds set aside to provide low interest auto loans to their members. Members can also go on line to www.lovemycreditunion.org and become eligible to buy GM vehicles for the GM Supplier Price and received an additional $250 in savings.

If you have been considering purchasing a new vehicle, it is a great time to buy a Chevrolet! Right now you can get the best incentives, the best selection of award winning models and the best programs that have ever been available. Graff Chevrolet in Bay City, along with your Credit Union, are ready to help you Buy American and help keep our economy rolling!

For details on the Invest In America program visit http://www.lovemycreditunion.org/ and for the latest specials and most up-to-date inventory visit http://www.graffbaycity.com

2010 Chevy Camaro Ordering Information

At Graff Chevrolet in Bay City, we are excited to announce that we still have a limited number of 2010 Chevy Camaro pre-orders available. Be one of the first Camaro fans around to have an instant classic in your driveway!

The 2010 Camaro is expected to be in dealership showrooms in the first quarter of 2009 and pricing information has just recently been announced. The Chevy Camaro LS with a V6 Engine will have a base MSRP of $22,995 and the Chevy Camaro SS with the V8 Engine will start at $30,995.

For more information on the Chevy Camaro, visit Chevy's Camaro Website. To place your order contact Graff Chevrolet today!

What to expect when picking up your vehicle

We live in a world where everything has been streamlined and convenience is king. Now we have drive through windows everywhere, even pharmacies. We can buy our groceries online, schedule flights and book hotel rooms, order pizza and, as you have probably noticed, you can get a lot of your car buying research done on the Internet as well. And while you can pick out a car online, get quotes and even submit financing information, it is important to know what you should expect when you make it to the dealership for the delivery of your new vehicle.

People are busier than ever and most dealerships will do whatever they can to make the delivery and vehicle orientation process as convenient as possible. You should know though, that the happiest and most satisfied customers are the ones who are able to take their time during the delivery process and are able to get comfortable with their vehicle before they leave the dealership.

When making plans to come and pick up your vehicle, we recommend you plan on spending 60 to 90 minutes at the dealership. Late afternoons and early evenings are usually when dealerships are the busiest and your delivery may take a little longer, so if you can, schedule your delivery in the morning or early afternoon since it may actually save you time.

If you have never purchased a car from a dealership before, or if it has been a while since you have gone through the process, a refresher on what to expect maybe helpful.

We will make sure we have all the information we need to make sure the vehicle is registered properly (a copy of your Driver's License, Proof of Insurance, registration for the license plate you may be transferring etc) and we'll go over any of the paperwork you'll need to fill out for the manufacturer and the dealership. If we have set up financing for your vehicle you'll sit down with one of our Business Manager's to discuss the contract and financing terms and have any of your questions answered.

After that we will register your vehicle through the Secretary of State right at the dealership and give you a tour of the dealership so you will be comfortable if you ever need to come back for service or body work.

Finally we will go over your vehicle with you inside and out to help you get comfortable with the features and controls.

As you can see, there is a lot more involved than just coming in and picking up the keys to your new vehicle and it is our goal to make sure you are completely satisfied before you leave the dealership with your new car.

Exciting Changes to the GM Certified Program

In a previous post we talked about the benefits purchasing of a GM Certified Pre-owned vehicle. Well those benefits just got better.

GM has increased the warranty associated with GM Certified Vehicles to 12 months or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first. That's an increase of 9 months or 9,000 miles of coverage from the previous warranty. GM Certified Pre-owned vehicles are also covered with the 100,000-Mile/5-Year Powertrain Limited Warranty.

Now you can have even more peace of mind when purchasing a GM Certified vehicle.

To refresh your memory, here are a list of the benefits that come with buying a GM Certified Pre-owned vehicle -

• 100,000-Mile/5-Year Powertrain Limited Warranty

• 12-Month/12,000-Mile New Vehicle Limited Warranty Extension

• 117-Point Inspection

• Vehicle History Report

• Like-New Vehicle Financing for Qualified Buyers

• Vehicles with the latest generation of Onstar get 3 months of Free Onstar Safe & Sound Service

• Vehicles equipped with a factory installed XM System receive 3 months of Free XM Service