WHEELS

When buying a vehicle, be sure to compare apples to apples.

Example: The cheapest Hyundai Accent model starts at $9,970, while the cheapest model of the similar Toyota Yaris starts at $12,205. So the Hyundai is more than $2,000 cheaper?

Look at the fine print: The Yaris comes with air conditioning, and the Accent doesn’t. And even if you think you really don’t need air conditioning, the vast majority of the car-buying public disagrees, so when you go to sell or trade in your air-conditioning-less car, it will be worth so much less that you could have had air conditioning all along, essentially for free.

At one time, on all but the top models, most everything was optional. Then came companies such as Acura, which pioneered everything’s- included pricing.

What extra features are worth the money?

•Safety equipment. Extra airbags? Bring ’em on. Anti-lock brakes and stability control? All good ideas.

•Cruise control. Using it on trips removes maintaining a reasonable speed from the duties a driver must handle, leaving a little more mental hard-drive space to deal with a crisis.

•Automatic transmission. The days of substantial fuel saving from a manual are over. Many automatics get better mileage than a manual.

•Satellite radio. Many who are exposed to Sirius or XM become addicts. Your call.

•Navigation system. The aftermarket plug-in units have gotten so good that if you really need electronic directions, why pay $2,000 for a factory system when you can get a good one for $200?

•Dealer add-ons. These can include pinstriping, undercoating, fabric protection, a bedliner for a pickup and extra warranties. It’s all optional, and you should only be willing to pay roughly what it would cost from an aftermarket store.

•Premium paint. Skip it.

•Bigger engines. You might enjoy horsepower, but virtually every vehicle offered today makes all the power you need with the smallest, least-expensive engine available. When was the last time you really had trouble merging onto the expressway? This does not apply to truck or SUV customers who need to tow, or to fans of diesel engines.

Orlando Sentinel