You throw out clothes you no longer wear and electronics that no longer work, so why hang onto a car that has long surpassed the point of drivability? It takes up way more space than those old clothes and gadgets, plus it can be a drain on your finances.

Now I know saying good-bye to an old car can be hard -- my parents sold the ’97 Toyota Camry I drove for most of high school when I left for college, and I never even got to drive it one last time (cue violins). But my parents had their reasons, and their guidelines --along with these others -- are good ones to follow when weighing the pros and cons of keeping your car:

• We didn’t need it Think about your commuting/driving needs. Do you have more vehicles than drivers? If so, consider getting rid of one (or more!) of your extra cars.
• It needed costly repair work to pass inspection If your car needs a large amount of work in order to pass the state inspection that year, consider selling, donating, or scrapping it.
• They were able to sell it Just because you don’t want your old car doesn’t mean someone else won’t! My parents were able to sell ole Cameron the Camry in the local paper for a pretty good price.
• It wasn’t eco-friendly This didn’t actually apply to my Camry -- it got great gas mileage, and back in 2002 gas was roughly $1/gallon (jaw, meet floor, right?), but if your car is a gas-guzzler, you should definitely consider getting a more eco-friendly model.
• You’re not driving it When I visit my parents in the burbs, I always see cars sitting in people’s driveways that have basically become one with the ground. The tires are flat, there are leaves stuck in the hubcaps, and it’s pretty clear they are well past the point of use. Does this sound like your car? Unless it’s an antique -- in which case, you *may* want to look into a better storage facility -- you should probably say good-bye to your jalopy.
• It needs constant maintenance Do you see your mechanic more than your best friend? Your car should not be a time and money drain. If it spends more time in the shop than on the road, ditch it now.

So you’ve read the above reasons and decided that yes, it is indeed time to say good-bye to your clunker. Here’s another incentive: As a part of the 2009 economic stimulus plan, all new passenger car purchases qualify buyers for an additional tax deduction on your 2009 income tax return. So what are you waiting for? Put that clunker out to pasture ASAP!

Is it financially better to own or lease?

It depends on your money situation and your priorities, but in the long run, most people will save money if they buy. Why?

Basically, anyone who plans to keep a car for 5 to 10 years (or until their kids are embarrassed by it) should buy. But if you don't have much equity or cash to put against a down payment and you want to keep the monthly payments low, leasing might be the better option. It would allow you to get a new car every two to three years (hey, some people just can't commit to a red coupe), and you'd get to take advantage of the latest technology and safety features as you keep trading up.

The downsides? There are limits on mileage (you might pay for going over), and you won't be building equity. Plus, when you turn it in, there will be a close inspection for wear and tear, and you might be charged extra. And leases are hard to get out of if your  needs change (like you get a new job with a company car), so be very confident when making your choice.

Has this guy got a deal for you. Or is it an ordeal? Car scams are on the rise, especially among used car and small, independent dealerships. Find out what scams you need to look out for, and how you can avoid being the victim of one.

While experts say only a small number of dealers actually partake in illegal activities, the number of consumer complaints from potential car buyers about the ones that do are on the rise. And while well-capitalized dealerships are less likely to deceive than small independents, they aren't innocent. "We've had some big dealers shut their doors for this reason alone," says Mike Marando, a spokesman with the California Department of Motor Vehicles.

To help you avoid getting scammed when purchasing a car, we've put together a list of the most common dealer deceptions being perpetrated today, along with what you can do to avoid them.

Scam: Selling Cars Without Proper or Clear Titles
Title fraud is on the rise because of the current recession and is often the result of poor business management on the dealer's part, says Willy Hall, detective supervisor for the Office of the Inspector General at the Arizona Department of Transportation. It mostly happens when struggling dealers without enough money to keep operations going can't pay off the liens on titles for the vehicles they've purchased and sold. Surprisingly, a lot of dealers don't technically own the vehicles they sell. They borrow money from financiers, called "flooring agents," to pay for them. Once a dealer sells a vehicle paid for by a flooring agent, he or she is supposed to pay off the agent to get the title — or clear the lien on the title — and pass it on to the buyer. The problem arises when the dealer doesn't pay off the loan. In such cases, car buyers will return to pick up their license plates and title, only to find that they aren't available and the dealer is nowhere to be found.

The same applies to trade-ins. The dealer is supposed to pay off the lien on a trade-in, but either is unable to pay or pockets the money and shutters the business after pulling this stunt a number of times. As a result, the original owner of the trade-in is left with a car payment on a vehicle he or she no longer owns, and the new owner, who bought the trade-in with a title that has a lien on it, now technically owns nothing.

Warning Signs: "People who say they don't have a title but they can get it — that's a warning sign," says A.D. Reeves, executive director of the dealer services division for the Indiana secretary of state's office.

How to Protect Yourself: You should always ask to see the title and examine it carefully, says Hall. If the dealership owns the car or is on the up and up, it will have the title on hand or be willing to produce it. If it doesn't or won't, then something's not right. And never trade in a financed car with a balance left on the loan. If you can't pay it off for any reason, insist that the dealer put in writing that he will pay off the trade-in within 10 days, recommends Jeff Ostroff, founder of CarBuyingTips.com, whose Web site receives several e-mails a week from disgruntled car buyers. If the dealer is trustworthy, he or she shouldn't have a problem with this request.

Excuse me. I don't mean to alarm you. But your car is talking. And I don't mean that husky voice on your GPS system. Instead, your car is saying a lot about your attitude and your personality. Yes, we are what we drive.

Car nuts can admit our rides are a power window into the soul. I may love driving the spectacular Corvette Z06, but I doubt I'd own one. European sports cars have always been more my speed, ever since I defied my blue-collar upbringing by plastering Lamborghini posters on my walls.

Carmakers acknowledge that minivan sales have gone flat in part because fewer of us, especially women, still subscribe to the "mommy-mobile" image. GM and Ford have given up on minivans entirely, preferring to focus on crossovers instead.

Matter Over Mind
For more than 20 years, Dr. Leon James at the has researched and taught the psychology of driving. In our car culture, James says, drivers idealize their rides and even lend them human qualities. Under hypnosis, drivers will refer to their car as if it were a friend or lover. In everyday life, owners name their cars and talk to them. And whether the car is racy or outdoorsy, owners seek attributes that mirror their self-image.

"People construct an ideal in their mind of the perfect car, and those attributes are transferred to its driver as well," James said, noting how negatively we associate the drivers of dilapidated or dirty cars. Some of us get so offended we'll deliver a hand-scrawled scolding, strangely written from the car's point of view: Wash Me.

Whether this driving ideal has much to do with reality is pretty much beside the point. The obvious disconnect is with SUVs, which are forever being shown conquering the wilderness and clambering up mountainsides, even if most owners would hesitate to conquer the curb at the shopping mall.

Car Stereotypes
Speaking of sport utes, we've all seen people go apoplectic at the sight of a Hummer, ascribing all sorts of nasty personality traits to the guy behind the wheel. You might say you're only mad because he's guzzling gas, but I'm not so sure. Plenty of SUVs, or sports cars for that matter, drink as much fuel, but get a free pass. It's the Hummer's commando styling and in-your-face attitude that gets a person's dander up.

During the Ford Explorer rollover scandal, G. Clotaire Rapaille, the French anthropologist and auto-industry marketing guru, asserted that SUV owners were more vain and self-absorbed, and less likely to be community-oriented. As psychology, Rapaille's thesis was carelessly overstated, of course. The charge that an SUV was proof of narcissism could be as easily applied to anyone who buys a Ferrari, a mansion or a designer handbag.

Most of us realize that car stereotypes are just that. Just because Mazda Miatas are sort of cute, and women like them, doesn't mean the guy who drives one isn't manly. More likely, he's secure enough in his masculinity to enjoy his little convertible.

Yet while it's wrong to generalize, it doesn't prevent us from trying. C'mon, admit it: When you see a pickup truck, or a Bentley, it's hard not to speculate about its driver. Especially after they've just cut you off.

Owners often seek vehicle attributes that mirror their self-image. In the case of the Prius, the owner loves the planet like Tom loves Katie on Oprah.

So with tongue firmly in cheek, here are what some popular rides say about you:

Toyota Prius
We get it. You love the planet like Tom loves Katie on Oprah. Tell you what — I'll acknowledge your superior consciousness when you stop driving 52 in the fast lane.

Hummer
Gotta hand it to you. You don't give a three-ton truck about what other people think. That's the attitude that tamed the Old West, that built the auto industry, that barged into Iraq to keep that oil...um, never mind.

MINI Cooper (urban dweller)
You've got the haircut, the clothes, a taste for obscure bands and obscure coffee blends. What car could possibly make the cut in that hip dictatorship you call a neighborhood?

MINI Cooper (suburban dweller)
"Oooh, honey, isn't that just the cutest thing?"

Yugo
You have a sense of humor. And you're contemplating suicide.

Chevy pickup
You hate soccer, unless your kids are playing. You still wonder what happened to Garth Brooks. You'll buy a Toyota pickup when there's a toboggan run in hell.

Lexus
"I don't even like cars, but since this is shopping, I'm going to spend a lot of money."

BMW
"My [insert noun] is better than yours."

Rolls-Royce
"Please, tell me: What actually was so bad about colonialism?"

Lamborghini
"This car is the most interesting thing about me."

Porsche (as interpreted by Corvette owner)
"What a jerk. Probably a lawyer, trust-fund brat, never worked an honest day in his life. Bet he gets his nails manicured."

Corvette (as interpreted by Porsche owner)
"What a jerk. Probably thinks NASCAR is real racing. He thinks 'dressing up' means a monogrammed bowling shirt."

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What's the top choice car amongst car thieves?? The popular 1995 Honda Civic, which held onto the title for the 2007 calendar year, according to the "Hot Wheels" report released in July 2008 by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). Find out if your car made the list...

And while the types of vehicles being stolen remain consistent from year to year, overall car theft in the U.S. declined almost nine percent in 2007. "The continuing national decrease in vehicle theft is a positive sign that the fight against vehicle theft by law enforcement, the insurance industry and the NICB continues to be effective," said Robert M. Bryant, NICB's president and chief executive officer.

The most recent NICB report listed the 1991 Honda Accord as the second-most-stolen vehicle, followed by the 1989 Toyota Camry. In fourth position, the 1997 Ford F-150 was the highest-listed pickup truck as well as the most stolen domestic-branded vehicle. The only other domestic brands on the list were also trucks — the 1994 Chevrolet C/K 1500 and the 2004 Dodge Ram Pickup.

Other perennial favorites among thieves include the Acura Integra and Nissan Sentra. According to the NICB, thieves continue to target these older vehicles because they provide the best market for stolen vehicle parts.

The NICB encourages everyone to follow what it calls a "layered approach" to auto theft protection by employing simple, low-cost suggestions to make vehicles less attractive to thieves. The four layers include common sense, a warning device, an immobilizing device, and a tracking device.

The least expensive form of defense, common sense simply means using the standard anti-theft features of a vehicle by locking the car and taking the keys. The second layer is a warning device or alarm on the vehicle.

The third layer suggests some sort of immobilizing device, such as a fuel cutoff or smart key that prevents the vehicle from being driven. The fourth layer consists of a tracking device allowing law enforcement officers to track and recover a vehicle if stolen.

The NICB study is based on information reported to the National Crime Information Center.

Here are the 10 most stolen vehicles as reported by the NICB -- the number in parentheses is the model year most stolen:
1. Honda Civic (1995)
2. Honda Accord (1991)
3. Toyota Camry (1989)
4. Ford F-150 (1997)
5. Chevrolet C/K 1500 (1994)
6. Acura Integra (1994)
7. Dodge Ram Pickup (2004)
8. Nissan Sentra (1994)
9. Toyota Pickup (1988)
10. Toyota Corolla (2007)

More on MSN Autos

• Research new and used cars before you buy
• Learn how to reduce your car’s impact on the environment
• Cool gadgets and upgrades for older cars

Provided by MSN Autos