Thank you so much for your help! It was the best car buying experience I have ever had! We are very happy with the car. It is exactly what we were looking for! Shalom, Michael
- Pastor Michael Walker; Church in the City, Denver, Co
May 2011
I have sold & purchased several automobiles through Charlotte. In a difficult economy, she was able to sell my sports car and get a fair market value. As a busy professional, I have limited flexibility in my schedule. On several occasions, Charlotte has met me at my home and work place to show me cars. She is professional, knowledgable, hard working and well connected int he industry. Thanks!
- Deborah Stegner
June 2011, Denver, Co
When I found out about Charlotte and Women’s Automotive Solutions, I had nearly decided to put off buying a car. At the age of 25 I had never owned a car before, so I did not know all the “ins and outs”. Initially, I was working with an auto broker at a large company, but felt a lot of pressure to purchase something that was over my budget and not entirely what I wanted. I spoke to a friend of mine about my frustrations and she recommended Charlotte, saying that she had a way of easing the fears of women in the process. This renewed my hope! I contacted Charlotte right away. Within 3 days, I drove home in my brand new car! It was EXACTLY what I wanted and with in my price budget. In addition, she secured a good auto insurance policy for me. I cannot speak highly enough of Charlotte and Women’s Automotive Solutions!
- Julia Marinozzi
Denver, Co.
3/2011
Feeling shook up, sore & broken after my Pathfinder was totaled, I was lucky to have discovered Women’s Automotive Solutions! Running my Pet Sitting business, I had to replace my car immediately! Charlotte snapped into action and arranged demo drives for my targeted “next car” within days! She not only helped me find the car, but helped me reason through decisions at a time I was not thinking clearly. She also arranged financing for me all in a 2 week period!
I plan to use Women’s Automotive Solutions again and highly recommend Charlotte to anyone who has neither the time or interest in haggling with auto sales people. It’s great to have someone on your side knowledgable, when you are vulnerable after an accident.
- Barbara Himmelein
Charlotte NC 3/2011
Working with Charlotte was a simple process that took all the stress off our shoulders. All you do is tell her what you want and that’s it!…….it’s that easy. I am very satisfied with the outcome that Charlotte provided us. I would definitely recommend her services.
- Shaunn Roark
Denver, Co. 3/2011
Highly recommend Charlotte Spraggins for any of your car leasing or purchasing interests! She puts herself into finding the vehicle of your dreams. 110%! I recently had a difficult request for her. I had been shopping over a year to get out from under an “upside down” loan of a 6 + year old Benz. I did not want to loose the investment I had in it and needed to get a lower interest rate and payment. She got me into a much newer Benz, with awesome extended warranty, much lower rate adn saved me $355 a month! It’s simply the car of my dreams and was hand delivered to me in just 2 days! I did not have to spend the hours and stress of shopping, meeting dealers or test drive cars. She found it, told me it was the one and I took possession of it totally on her highly respected “trusted word” site unsceen. Charlotte goes above and beyond with only YOUR interests in mind!
Thank you Charlotte!
- Pam Bourdo
2011 Parker, Co
According to the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, approximately 75% of all automotive maintenance decisions are made by women. Yet, many women are not comfortable making those decisions due to a lack of automotive knowledge and a general distrust of dealerships and service centers. Woodie’s and Women’s Automotive Solutions have partnered to create a seminar to better acquaint women with vehicle maintenance needs and to instill confidence in their ability to communicate effectively with their mechanic.
Women’s Automotive Solutions is a unique car buying service dedicated to helping women through the entire car selection and buying process, enabling them to save hundreds to thousands of dollars on a new or pre-owned vehicle. Co-owner and Chief Car Chick, LeeAnn Shattuck, is passionate about empowering women to make informed decisions about everything relating to their automobile. Shattuck is known as “The Car Chick” and co-hosts the weekly educational and entertaining automotive radio show, America’s Garage.
Woodie’s Auto Service is a local, family-owned automotive repair and service company that has served the Charlotte community since 1962. Woodie’s has seven automotive repair and service centers in and around the Uptown Charlotte area. Their new, flagship service center opened January 5, 2012 near the corner of Carmel Road and Hwy 51. “Woodie’s dedication to honest customer communication and quality automotive service made them the perfect partner for this ‘knowledge is power’ car care seminar”, said Shattuck.
The seminar, entitled “My Car Needs a New WHAT?#$!”, is for women only and will be held on Saturday, January 28, 2012 from 10am – 11:30am at Woodie’s Auto Service new location at 6625 Carmel Road in south Charlotte. The cost is $5 per participant, and all proceeds will be donated to United Family Services to benefit the Shelter for Battered Women.
I am grateful to Charlotte for helping me find the perfect car. Being a first time buyer, I had no clue what I was doing. She took care of everything from start to finish, explaining the process and keeping me informed along the way. She even took me for test drives and kept an eye on things as I signed the paperwork. She removed the stress and with such skill! She clearly has the respect of all of the car salesman and management we met. I would not ever buy a car another way! I will give her name to everyone I know. Thanks Charlotte!
Amanda Schuster Jan. 04 2010
Lakewood, Co.
I have always dreaded the car-buying process, but after my experience with Charlotte & Women’s Automotive Solutions, I just might look FORWARD to my next car purchase! I will be excited to recommend you to anyone that I know is in the market for a vehicle. You were able to find the car I wanted in record time and negotiated more for my trade that I expected. Really, what more could I ask for??!!
Thank you!
Mark Boyer Dec. 29, 2010
Charlotte, NC
I knew what I wanted, but I did not have the patience to negotiate and shop with dealers. The time that Charlotte saved me from that having to play games with the dealers allowed me to work, play & enjoy the experience of buying a new car. I felt confident I got a good price an in a reasonable amount of time. I will be recommending to all my friends!
Thanks again Charlotte
Ben Wilson Dec. 2010
Charlotte, NC
Nearly every car enthusiast (mostly the guys) dreams of having a home garage to rival that of the average NASCAR team. Most spouses of car enthusiasts simply dream of a home garage that doesn’t look like a cross between a salvage yard and the clearance rack at the local parts store. Here are five things that will help make your automotive “man cave” functional, organized and even “acceptable” to your wife.
1. WORKBENCH W/ A VISE. This can be as simple as a mounting an old solid-core door or some medium-density fiberboard on top of two sawhorses. If you want something more sophisticated, there are hundreds of easy-to-build designs floating around the Web, or buy something ready-made from Sears or even IKEA! Be sure to install a good vise to make those projects easier and safer.
2. GOOD LIGHTING! You can’t work on a car (or any other project, for that matter) if you can’t see properly! Most garages have minimal lighting, such as the lights on the garage door openers or exposed bulbs hanging from the rafters. Luckily, it’s not too difficult or costly to upgrade your lighting with ceiling-mounted fluorescent light fixtures. Hanging shop lights are single-, double- or four-bulb fixtures that drop down from above your workbench to provide illumination where you need it most. Sometimes just adding one of these lamps to an otherwise dimly lit garage can lead to noticeably better visibility. A portable worklight is also a must-have, especially if you plan to spend a lot of time under the hood of your car.
3. PROFESSIONAL-QUALITY FLOORING. The slab of cement that came free with your house is perfectly usable as a garage floor. But an upgraded finish will be more forgiving to dropped objects, as well as make your floor more appealing and keep it that way by protecting it from spills. Some people prefer epoxy finishes, which are available in “kits” with tons of color and “fleck” options and very easy to do yourself. Modular tiles are also a great way to go. A little more expensive, but installation is easier, and tiles offer numerous color and style options, including checkered flag patterns. RaceDeck is one of the best garage-floor tile manufacturers on the market – nothing but positive feedback about their products and customer service.
4. A GOOD TOOL CHEST. The more tools you own, the more important organization becomes. Few things are as frustrating as spending an hour looking for a tool you need for a 10-minute job. You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars for a SNAP ON tool chest. For a few hundred bucks, you can get a 6-drawer Craftsman from Sears that holds plenty of tools with room to grow.
5. POWER STRIPS & EXTENTION CORDS. A 6 to 10-outlet power strip (or two) is perfect for placement on a workbench and can easly accomodate cordless-tool battery chargers. Use smaller power strips to make difficult-to-reach outlets more accessible, and be sure to use metal-encased power strips with built-in surge protection. Extension cords are also essential. A ceiling-mounted retractable reel is indispensable for working on cars. It offers greater range and eliminates the need to drag power cords across the floor. You can get these cheap at Harbor Freight, Northern Tool or even Lowes. If you will be using multiple power devices at the same time, consider upgrading the wiring in your garage to its own circuit and fuse box.
You don’t need a big budget to have a great home garage. A little organization combined with some design flair will go a long way to giving you a functional automotive project space that your spouse won’t be afraid to show to the neighbors.
Women’s Automotive Solutions co-owner, LeeAnn Shattuck (a.k.a. The Car Chick), was quoted in a recent article on Bankrate.com, the internet arm of the Wall Street Journal, about end-of-year car buying. The article gives great tips for car buyers looking to make a purchase this winter.
Women’s Automotive Solutions isn’t one of those impersonal car buying services. We are a team of automotive consultants who are passionate about helping people make smart car buying decisions. The Car Chick helped Wisebread, a national financial blog, write this article about the safest cars for teen drivers.
The Car Chick, co-owner of Women’s Automotive Solutions and co-host of the America’s Garage radio show, talks with Fox News about holiday car shopping. Are YOU leaving money on the table?
The Car Chick talks with Fox News about Holiday Car Shopping
What’s wrong with this picture? I’m in an SUV, but the roof is missing. At the same time, I’m in a convertible, but I’m really high off the ground. Weird.
Indeed, the 2011 Nissan Murano Cross-Cabriolet is a weird car. It’s a two-door Murano SUV with a ragtop and a coupe-like trunk. This radical concept comes from the same folks at Nissan who brought us the Cube and the Juke. Of course, Nissan has also designed some of the best sports cars, like the Z and the GT-R, as well as solid sedans like the Altima and the Maxima. Either the Nissan design team is schizophrenic, or they have a mad scientist division made up of engineers who have watched too many episodes of Top Gear while stoned.
That being said, the CrossCab is not a bad car. It’s actually quite comfortable. You won’t find this much legroom in the backseat of any other convertible except the half-million dollar Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe. The doors are ginormous, making it easy to get in and out of the vehicle – except in the grocery store parking lot. The truck is comparable to that of a medium-sized sedan, even with the top down, so you should be able to squeeze in a couple of sets of golf clubs. You also get that commanding view of the road that is a top selling point of SUVs. It’s also very well equipped, with luxury options like leather, heated seats, a backup camera and navigation as standard features.
Unfortunately, it also comes standard with a $47,000 sticker price. With only one trim level, you also get automatic xenon headlights, foglights, heated mirrors, a fully powered soft top and keyless ignition/entry, automatic dual-zone climate control, cruise control, power/memory seats, Bluetooth, and a seven-speaker Bose sound system with an iPod interface, CD player, satellite radio and 9.3GB of digital music storage space. You are also stuck with the ridiculous 20” rims and the mostly pointless AWD.
The 2011 Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 that produces 265 horsepower and 248 pound-feet of torque. This means that despite it’s heavier weight, the CrossCab has just about as much “umph” as the regular Murano, and Nissan’s CVT transmission does a good job of keeping you in the ideal powerband. We clocked a naught to 60 time in just over 8 seconds, which isn’t too shabby for an SUV. The CrossCab also stopped from 60 mph in less than 130 feet, which is also respectable.
Handling is very similar to that of the regular Murano, with appropriately tight steering and decent feedback to the driver. The reinforced structure of the topless CrossCab combined with the overkill 20” rims make for a slightly bumpier ride. Yet, despite the stiffer suspension, the CrossCab corners with the grace and elegance of an inebriated elephant. And you certainly won’t be taking it off-road.
Safety-wise, the as-yet-unrated CrossCab comes standard with antilock brakes, traction and stability control, pop-up roll bars, and a cocoon of airbags mounted in every nook and crannie. Fuel economy is unsurprisingly mediocre at 17 mpg city/22 mpg highway, and it drinks premium gas.
The new Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet is definitely different. If you want a convertible, but you still need to haul four adults and two golf bags, then buy this car. If you want the neighbors to gaze into your driveway and say, “what the #$%&?”, then go for it. It’s a nice car, pleasant to drive, and certainly the most practical convertible on the market. But, should a convertible be practical? Isn’t that the point of having a mid-life crisis? Nissan is trying to do too much with one vehicle and at too high a price point. For $50,000, you can buy a small SUV AND a nice, used convertible. Nissan doesn’t break out the Cross-Cab sales from its overall Murano sales numbers, so we don’t know how many have sold so far. The fact that Nissan has dropped the sticker price by nearly $2,000 for the 2012 model year tells us that they are not exactly flying off the lots. And what happens when the novelty wears off? Well, ask Chevy about their short-lived SSR convertible pickup truck idea.
With shorter days and cooler temperatures upon us, now is a good time to get your car ready for the upcoming winter driving season. Although some seasonal car maintenance will require the skills of a qualified mechanic, here are five, easy maintenance items that you can do yourself (and save some cash).
1. Change your wipers – You generally use your wipers more frequently in the fall and winter. They’ll also be taking a lot more abuse from road grime and windshield-washer solvent, so it’s best to have a fresh set. Don’t forget the 3rd wiper for the rear window if you have a hatchback, wagon, van or SUV!
2. Top-off windshield wiper fluid – We also tend to use more windshield wiper fluid in the fall and winter, so be sure your reservoir is full. If you live in the mountains or other colder climates, change to a wiper fluid that contains anti-freeze.
3. Check your tire pressures – Temperatures have dropped in the last couple of days, and so have your tire pressures. Tire pressures can drop as much as 10psi or more as the weather cools down! Don’t forget to check the spare tire too!
4. Check your engine air filter – In the South, our air filters tend to get dirty in the spring and summer with all the dirt and pollen in the air. So fall is a good time to check the filter and replace it if necessary, so your car can breathe easily going into winter.
5. Check your battery – for dirt and corrosion on the posts and cable connectors, and clean them with a damp rag and mild detergent if needed. Consider having the battery tested to make sure it has enough charge left to last you through the winter.
For parents, handing over the keys to the family car isn’t easy. But there are steps you can take to help your teen become a smart driver – even before they get behind the wheel.
Start driving education before your teenage driver gets behind the wheel Before your teen even starts driving, you can demonstrate smart driving habits. Every time you’re driving, follow safe driving practices – wear your seat belt, stick to the speed limit, and don’t use your cell phone or engage in other distracted driving behaviors. Also, talk to your teen about driving hazards before you begin to teach driving practices. Have discussions about driver safety, including dangerous times to be on the road – at night – and distracted driving behaviors to avoid, like texting while driving.
Supplement your teen’s first driving lessons
Once your teen has a learner’s permit, many states require a minimum number of driving hours while under the supervision of an adult. Check with your state’s department of motor vehicles for requirements in your state. During these supervised driving sessions, take the time to review all the car’s controls with your teen, like turn signals, wiper blades and headlights. When you’re ready to teach driving, choose a deserted area such as a large parking lot. As your teen gets used to operating the vehicle, slowly introduce low-traffic, familiar streets around your neighborhood. Continue to review what they’ve learned in driver’s education, like paying attention to their surroundings.
Create a driving contract
Another way to reinforce teenage driver safety is to create a driving contract. Sit down with your teen and outline responsibilities, privileges and consequences related to using the car. Once you and your teen agree on the terms, keep the driving contract in a visible place like on the refrigerator.
Effective teenage driving safety starts with setting a positive example behind the wheel. Don’t forget to keep your son or daughter protected on the road with car insurance for teenagers. Compare quotes from trusted insurance companies that offer multiple discounts for more affordable coverage, like discounts for completing a driving safety course.
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