Visit a Third Coast Auto Group location to find the best used car to meet your needs and budget.

Does one automaker have better used cars than another?

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Posted in FAQs, Tips and Tricks

Which brands make the best used cars? 

There are a lot of decisions a person needs to make when they buy an automobile. The top two categories people use to start their search for a vehicle are the purpose (who is using the vehicle and what are they using it for) and price. Once they figure out those elements, the next question they ask a Third Coast Auto Group product expert is, ‘Which brands make the best used cars?’ Certainly, some original equipment manufacturers have better reputations than others in terms of reliability and cost of ownership. However, the badge or logo on the front of the vehicle might tell the whole story. Let’s take a look at a few things you might need to know before you visit any of our dealerships.  Read the rest of this entry >>

Take a look at what the latest pickup trucks have to offer before they arrive.

Get a look at some of the trucks that might come to Third Coast Auto Group

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Posted in FAQs, Ford, News, Trucks

How good are newer pickup trucks? 

Third Coast Auto Group is quite famously a pre-owned vehicle family of dealerships. However, our team has found that it’s helpful for our customers to be aware of what the latest vehicles have to offer. Sure, it might be a little time before these vehicles going through a new owner and finding their way to us. According to our research, Ford, Ram and GMC are really locked into a three-way arms race for supremacy in the full-size pickup truck segment of the automotive community. While answering some questions from prospective clients, one of our product experts came across these videos that will really pull the curtain back on what these incredible platforms will bring to their owners. Give these videos a watch and let us know what you think. If you want to learn about what is available at any Third Coast Auto Group location, make an appointment with any of our product experts today.  Read the rest of this entry >>

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Are vehicle service contracts worth it for used vehicle owners?

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Posted in FAQs, Finance

Should I buy an extended warranty for my used car? 

Everyone who owns a car, truck or SUV fears an unexpected mechanical breakdown. Nobody needs the inconvenience of having a car in the shop nor the unexpected repair bill. New vehicles offer the protection of a factory warranty, but what about those of us who choose something pre-owned. If you’re wondering, ‘Should I buy an extended warranty for my used car,’ the financing experts at Third Coast Auto Group have some advice. Like anything else in life, there are pros and cons to buying an extended warranty. Our team wants you to have the best possible information before you make any decision regarding your financial or automotive future.   Read the rest of this entry >>

A stock photo of people finishing the paperwork to buy a car.

Understand how buy here, pay here financing works today

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Posted in FAQs, Tips and Tricks

How does buy here, pay here financing work? 

It is almost impossible to comfortably live one’s life without access to some kind of automobile. Combine that idea with the fact that buying a car, truck or SUV is likely to be of the one most expensive and consequential purchases of a person’s life. It’s very important that everything goes as smoothly as possible. However, paying for a safe and reliable car can be a very steep hill to climb, doubly so if the buyer has less-than-ideal credit. That’s where Third Coast Auto Group is ready to help. Our dealership specializes in helping people in a not great credit situation get a car that will get them where they need to go without being harmfully expensive. So, how does buy here, pay here financing work? Let’s take a look.  Read the rest of this entry >>

Let Third Coast Auto Group answer a few questions before you visit us.

Let Third Coast Auto Group answer a few more hard questions before you start the buying process

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Posted in FAQs, Finance

Should I worry about how many miles are on a used car? 

A person buying a used car, truck or SUV has to have a lot of knowledge going into a transaction. One of the most common stumbling blocks people encounter is getting too focused on how many miles are on an odometer. If any given vehicle is well-cared-for, the number on the odometer is largely irrelevant. Sure, there are some consumable items to pay attention to, like tires or filters, but a properly maintained vehicle that hasn’t been driven to hard will last a very long time and go on to serve multiple owners. The other issue we see some confusion with concerns buying an extended warranty for a pre-owned vehicle. There might be some peace of mind to be had, but the pitfalls generally outweigh the benefits. Take a look at these two videos our team came across if you have some outstanding questions that needed to be answered.   Read the rest of this entry >>

A stock photo showing a $100-dollar bill and toy car sitting on an insurance form.

A low credit score can make just about everything more expensive, including insurance

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Posted in FAQs, Texas, Tips and Tricks

Can bad credit affect how much car insurance will cost? 

One of the unfortunate realities of life is that a less-than-perfect credit score can make things more difficult and expensive. This is especially true when it comes to buying a car. However, that isn’t the only area where a low credit rating can raise the cost of things. Can bad credit affect how much car insurance will cost? In the state of Texas, unfortunately, the answer is yes. According to the financial website, TheZebra.com, people on the lowest end of the credit scale can up to more than $3,700 per year in insurance premiums versus people with better credit scores. Let’s take a look at some information you might find helpful.  Read the rest of this entry >>

A stock photo of a person using a checklist to inspect a vehicle.

The miles on the odometer won’t tell the whole story

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Posted in Safety, Tips and Tricks

How many miles is too many for a car to have? 

The lifespan of a car, truck or SUV is measured with an opaque formula involving years and miles. To be sure the number of years a vehicle has been on the road is important, but that isn’t much of a measuring stick without the context of how many miles are driven. Making things more difficult, the reverse of that statement is also true. So, the answer to the question, how many miles is too many for a car to have, doesn’t really have a magic number. A vehicle could have 200,000-plus miles on the odometer and be in better shape than a comparable model that is only a few years old with fewer recorded miles. The difference really comes down to, how was the vehicle cared for. Let’s take a look at a few things you should know.  Read the rest of this entry >>

A stock photo of person getting their first set of car keys.

Buying a car can be scary, but less so if you know where to start

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Posted in FAQs, Tips and Tricks

How do I get started buying a used car? 

It is perfectly natural for people to be a little nervous when they are in the car-buying cycle. After all, this is a major investment with thousands of dollars on the line and nobody wants to be stuck with a lemon. If you’re in this situation and you’re wondering, ‘How do I get started buying a used car,’ the team at Third Coast Auto Group is here to help. The first thing you’ll want to do is examine your current financial status and put some thought into where you’ll get a loan or other means of financing as well as your specific vehicle needs. Let us be clear, that is quite a bit of work and skipping a step could have negative consequences later in the process. These videos will help you get started on the right foot. If you need help along the way, make an appointment with a Third Coast Auto Group representative today.  Read the rest of this entry >>

A stock photo of people looking at some tires to buy.

Would a set of snow tires be helpful next winter? Probably, but read this first

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Posted in FAQs, Texas, Tips and Tricks

Is it a good idea to get snow tires in Texas? 

After the last week of very un-Texas-like weather, there are probably a lot of people out there wondering, ‘Is it a good idea to get snow tires in Texas?’ Believe it or not, that has actually also been a very popular topic of conversation in and around all of the Third Coast Auto Group locations. Since our team believes in being as helpful as possible, we had a few of our teammates do a little research to come up with the best answers we could find. The bottom line is, snow tires might be a little overkill, but those aren’t the only options available. Most vehicles come with all-season tires and those might be the best possible solution. Let’s take a closer look at a few things you might want to know before the next major snowfall – which is hopefully a long way away.  Read the rest of this entry >>

A stock photo of oil spots on a driveway under a car.

A leaking car is an unhappy car, learn more today

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Posted in Tips and Tricks

What is leaking from my car? 

To be sure, modern automobiles are very complex pieces of machinery. Vehicle owners can know something is wrong if they start noticing strange stains on the driveway or on the floor of the garage. If you’re wondering, ‘What is leaking from my car,’ Third Coast Auto Group has some helpful information. More detail will be provided in the videos embedded below, but there are a few easy fluid identifications you can make. A black or dark brown fluid found under your vehicle is usually motor oil. Something that looks fluorescent green or possibly pink will probably indicate a radiator leak and red, or dark red is transmission fluid. Seeing any of these is bad news, and you need to have it checked out immediately. In the meantime, watch these videos to give yourself a little peace of mind.  Read the rest of this entry >>