Buying a new car is the second most expensive thing most
consumers buy. Next to houses of course. That is why it
is important to know all the tips on making car buying
easy and less stressful. Think about the car model and
features you will want. Also think about how much you are
willing to spend and STICK TO IT. Car salesmen are almost
always paid on commission which means all they want is
your purchase. Also, don't be hasty or feel rushed into
making a decision. If you are not sure about something,
come back later.
Check books and magazines at the library or surf the
internet for useful information on prices and features for
the car you want before showing up at the dealer. That
way you feel you know just as much about the kind of car
you want as the salesman does. Shop around - Never go
with an impulse buy.
Go to a few different dealers and
talk to a car-buying service and a broker-buying service
to make comparisons.
Plan on negotiating the price. Dealers may be willing to
bargain on their profit margin. This is the difference
between the MSRP (Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price)
and the invoice price. This also affects your monthly
payments. Negotiating the price can save you big money.
You may even want to consider ordering the car that you
want. This may cause delays, but if the car with the
features you want is not on the lot, this may be your best
option. Remember this is a big purchase and one that will
probably need to last you for a while. Inversely however
you may get a better deal from the dealership if you buy a
car from their inventory. Just because they want to get
rid of them.
If you are trading in your old car for a new one.
Negotiate the price of the new one before letting them
know about the old one. Once they know you want to
trade-in, they know you have that much more money to spend
and they will use that against you. Check the internet or
the library for information on the value of your old car.
Just to give you a ballpark idea. Remember that if you
can, you should try to sell your car yourself. You will
get much more money for it that way.