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Making the smart decision to buy a previously owned vehicle instead of a new one has many benefits. Chiefly among them is that used cars don't depreciate as much as new cars and trucks.

However, your new-to-you vehicle may not have every piece of technology you'd like for it to have. No worries. Adding new car tech to your ride is surprisingly affordable.

Here are a few that are now available:

Tire Pressure Monitors

Add bluetooth-enabled valve caps to your tires to continually monitor tire pressure. It will also let you know if you have a slow leak or if pressure is dropping. Data is sent wirelessly to an app on your phone.

Parking Sensors

Take the stress out of parking in a tight spot. Some of the most affordable parking sensor options are easy to install on your own. Using soun...

With the cost of new cars and trucks rising, consumers are turning more and more to pre-owned vehicles.

And that's a good thing! Today's market is strong for consumers, offering many choices with reliable and classy transportation options.

At Joe Bowman Auto Plaza, many of our pre-owned vehicles are Carfax one owners.  Some of the Carfax vehicles have the balance of the manufacturer's warranty.

Regardless, all have either 30 or 90 day warranties depending on the year and the mileage. What's more, all of our vehicles must pass a 75-point inspection to be placed on the lot for sale.

As far as is humanly possible, we make sure the vehicle is safe and that all of the features are in 100% working order. With that in mind, take a look at the five questions most used car buyers ask.

Con...

So, you just got a great bargain on a preowned vehicle. Congrats! Now you want to make sure that your investment lasts and lasts. Depending on where you bought your vehicle, it may have a questionable or unknown service history.

If so, you'll want to do some additional maintenance checks to help your vehicle last and last.

Besides thoroughly inspecting the vehicle before you buy it, what kind of maintenance should you do once you drive your car or truck home? Here's what we recommend, especially if you aren't buying from Joe Bowman Auto Plaza.

Change Your Oil and Oil Filter

Unless the oil is a gold color, you'd be wise to go ahead and change it. Start fresh. Reset your oil change interval to zero and you're good to go. That way there's no second guessing. And while you're at it, chang...

Tire blowouts are scary. Our Chevrolet service department has replaced blown out tires from customers' cars, and it isn't a pretty site! And, as you can imagine, it's not safe, either.

But what causes blowouts? Technically, it's the sudden failure of a tire due to wear, defect, or most commonly, under inflation. That's right. Most tire blowouts are caused by under inflation.

Tire under inflation causes the side of a tire to flex more which generates heat. It's the heat that leads to the blowout. What's important to understand is tires lose pressure over time. You can expect your tires to lose about a pound per inch every month.

PLUS, 1 pound per square inch for every 10 degree drop in temperature. Since most cars are inflated to around 45 pounds per square inch, it doesn't take long f...

As a Harrisonburg used car dealership of some 60 years, we've seen many trends in car buying. In general, one trend remains true. Most people tend to shy away from buying high mileage cars because they think it's riskier.

The general assumption is that with higher mileage comes the risk of more things going wrong. That may be true to an extent, but in general, the public's fear of high mileage cars is overblown especially when the vehicle is a late model.

There are several very good reasons for buying a late model high mileage used car. We've outlined them below.

Late Model High Mileage Is Better Than Older with Less Miles

You might scratch your head at our logic but hear us out. Parts on a car wear out, especially the rubber components, regardless of mileage. That's true with older cars. ...

Kristi and her husband wanted to upgrade their Silverado 1500 to a Silverado 2500. They found the Silverado they wanted and purchased it. But they thought they'd sell their old Silverado 1500 on their own.

Kristi posted the truck on one of the Buy, Sell, or Trade sites. She added pictures and all of the information about the vehicle.

Then the texts started:

• What color is it?
• How old is it?
• Are there any dings or dents?

All of the information was listed on the site, but people weren't reading what was written. Frustrated, she and her husband decided to try a Harrisonburg car dealer to sell their vehicle. Nervous about it, she came to Joe Bowman Auto Plaza.

"The woman was very nice and professional. She went over the entire vehicle and pointed out some dings, but she said they weren't a...

It could be a bang, a clank, a rattle, or that funny noise you can't describe, cars and trucks have a unique way of talking to us.

Car problems can be tough to diagnose because one problem can cause several symptoms. Conversely, multiple problems can have one symptom. As a new and used car dealership here in Harrisonburg, our service department has literally heard it all!

And we're here to tell you that those noises are your car's way of telling you it needs attention. That's why we've rounded up our 7 favorite weird car noises and what you should do when you hear them.

1-The Banshee Squeal When You Brake and Under the Hood

You know that high pitched squeal that comes from your tires when you step on the brake? That's your brake pad indicator getting way too cozy with the rotor. It's actua...

Buying a new or used car is an exciting time! But it's important to temper excitement with practicality. For first time car buyers, it's important to do your homework before you buy!

At our Harrisonburg auto dealership, we do everything possible to make sure that first time auto buyers know the car buying process before they commit to a purchase.

We've outlined the process below and hope you can use the information to find the right vehicle for you, whether you buy from us or not.

Get Pre-Qualified

It's important to know how much car you can buy before you start shopping. There are a couple of good options here. So, take your pick about what feels best for you.

The first option is to go to our website and fill out the pre-qualifying form. Here you can calculate what you can afford by adjus...

You've found a preowned vehicle that you really like. Now it's time to take it for a test drive! As one of the Harrisonburg VA dealerships in the area, we take our responsibility of selling cars, new and used, seriously.

That's why all of our used autos must pass a 75-point inspection to be placed on our lot for sale. Then we back up that commitment to safety with either a 30 or 90 day warranty.

When you're ready to take that test drive at Joe Bowman Auto Plaza, we know you won't be disappointed. The biggest question you'll need to answer is, "Do I like how this car handles and drives?"

But we know that not everyone has the same commitment to customer service and quality. So, we've outlined 3 big red flags to look for when test driving that vehicle you want.

Steering Wheel Jitters

Make sur...

Having to say goodbye to your old truck is a lot like losing your best friend. It's tough. Truck owners love their vehicles as much as they do their pets or family.

But there's absolutely no reason for you to have to bid adieu to your truck before its time. Like everything in life, your truck will give you the performance you want if you simply take care of it.

Bowman used trucks are rigorously examined before they can be placed on the market for sale. Every preowned truck must pass a 75-point inspection or it's not for sale. Then we back up that commitment to safety with either a 30 or 90 day warranty.

But after that? Well, we preach two aspects of responsible ownership: maintenance and consulting your owner's manual. Most vehicle owners only use the manual when they want to find out how ...

Thinking about buying a new or used car? Joe Bowman Auto Plaza has been helping customers for 60+ years to get into the vehicle of their choice.

In fact, our auto financing rates are highly competitive, often beating out other local banks!

And if you have poor or a bad credit history and you are working to repair it, we have special financing auto loans just for you.

Joe Bowman Auto Plaza works with you to help you re-establish your good credit and helps you get car financing at the best interest rates.

How? We look for lenders who don't have astronomical interest rates, allowing you to build equity.

Additionally, we offer simple interest car loans with no pre-payment penalties, providing you with some of the best auto financing deals in Harrisonburg.

What's more, we even help you fin...

As part of the Bowman Chevrolet GMC dealer in Harrisonburg VA, we not only sell new vehicles, we also sell quality used cars and trucks.

Used trucks especially are a hot item because of their ruggedness and durability. And with demand for these vehicles so high, pre-owned trucks have become a valuable commodity.

That doesn't mean as soon as we get a used truck that we roll it out on the floor to sell. Quite the contrary.

Every used vehicle we sell must pass a rigorous 75-point inspection, and that includes trucks. We make sure that they are 100% mechanically sound, and that every feature works beautifully.

Then, we follow up our commitment to your safety with either a 30 or 90 day warranty, depending on the mileage and the year of the vehicle.

The JD Power Most Dependable Pickup Guide

In F...