The Ray Laethem dealerships are a 40-year old Mack Avenue landmark with Grosse Pointe roots that run deep. The Company’s Founder, Ray Laethem was a Grosse Pointer. His son Jeff, who now manages the dealerships bearing his father’s name, is a life-long Pointer as well. Managing two dealerships representing six separate brands of cars, trucks and SUVs, Jeff seemed to be the right person to ask what advice he would offer to a family considering a car for their teenager. Here’s what he had to say.---
There are many factors to consider when choosing a vehicle for the teenage driver. Some are non-negotiable, like safety and reliability. Some factors are variable. Your teen should be driving a vehicle with the latest safety features… not just air bags, but active safety, like lane change alerts or rear cross path detection. Reliability is the other “must have”. You can’t have a teenager stranded with a car that won’t start, causing a stream of expensive repairs. Variables, like budget and anticipated usage drive decisions about leasing vs. buying or new vs. used should be taken into consideration. Leasing is best option if you only need the car for two to three years. Since you are only “buying” the depreciation for the period of the lease, payments are much lower…but you build no equity. Purchasing is a better alternative if you will be keeping the vehicle for more than two to three years. Which leads to another question…new car vs. used car. The benefit of purchasing a late-model pre-owned vehicle is clear. Its price is lower because the initial depreciation was absorbed by the previous owner. With a manufacturer’s “Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle”, the extended warranty combines with a lender’s “Certified” terms to make it like buying a new car. My recommendation? With our two dealerships representing 6 great brands…picking one is like asking me to name my favorite child. The answer is the same…I love ‘em all. But since you asked… For a lease… a Jeep Compass Limited 4X4. This Jeep combines ruggedness with features like heated leather seating, remote start and back-up camera assist. Its resale value is so high, the lease payment on a Limited is less than Jeeps not nearly as well equipped. For purchase, a 2018 “Certified Pre-Owned” Buick Encore SUV. This one-owner Buick Encore Sport Touring with 5,100 miles is like new and comes with a 6-year 100,000-mile factory warranty. Price? $10,000 less than the original MSRP!
Ray Laethem Buick-GMC can be found at 17677 Mack Avenue, at University; Ray Laethem Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram at 18001 Mack, at Washington. Find more about them on-line at www.raylaethem.com