Reliability is the most important variable in a used vehicle purchase. A lower sticker price means nothing if the model you’re buying carries a history of expensive repairs. The right SUV, with the right history, delivers years of low-cost ownership. The wrong one costs you more than you saved by the second year. These…
Quick Answer Yes. Bad credit does not disqualify you from financing a vehicle in St. Louis. Subprime auto loans exist specifically for buyers in this situation, and dealership finance departments like Suntrup Automotive work with low-credit buyers regularly. You will likely pay a higher interest rate, and a down payment will improve your chances. The…
It is one of the first questions people ask when they start thinking about financing a vehicle, and the honest answer is that there is no single number that unlocks car ownership. Lenders set their own standards, and those standards shift depending on whether you are financing new or used, how much you are putting…
If a used car’s odometer reads six figures, most shoppers slow down. The 100,000-mile mark has been treated as a hard limit for decades, and for a long time that caution made sense. But the vehicles on today’s used car lots are built very differently than what was on the road thirty years ago. What…
When you drive a brand-new vehicle off the dealership lot, you instantly participate in one of the most predictable financial realities of the automotive world: depreciation. Over the first few years of a vehicle’s life, its market value naturally decreases. However, many car owners do not realize that depreciation is not a completely fixed percentage….
If your goal is to minimize your long-term expenses while maximizing daily driving value, choosing the right vehicle segment is paramount. This comprehensive guide breaks down how ownership costs are calculated, ranks the vehicle types with the lowest long-term operational expenses, and highlights the high-value models you can find across the local market. The Hidden…
If you spend serious time on I-270 or I-64 every day, finding the right vehicle for your commute matters more than most buying decisions. The best hybrid SUVs for long commutes combine strong hybrid SUV MPG, comfortable cabins, and modern technology to make every mile easier on your wallet and your patience. At Suntrup Automotive…
Most St. Louis drivers who come into Suntrup already know they want better fuel economy. Where they get stuck is the follow-up question. What happens when something needs fixing? Hybrids have a reputation for being complicated, and complicated usually means expensive. That reputation, it turns out, is largely undeserved. Here’s what hybrid car maintenance actually…
Why Third-Row Usability Matters More Than Most Buyers Expect Here’s the honest truth most comparison articles skip: not all third rows are created equal. One of the most common complaints from families who buy a 3-row family SUV is that they discover, too late, that the back row only fits a fourth-grader comfortably. Some models…
A lot of car shoppers want to get their financing lined up before they pick out a vehicle, but they also want to protect their credit score. That concern makes sense, especially since terms like pre-approval and pre-qualification are not always used the same way from one lender to the next. So, does pre-approval affect…
