| My father once gave me the greatest new car buying | | | | outdated. Outdated information can cost you money. |
| advice I have ever heard. He said, "Car buying is a | | | | Negotiation |
| common sense transaction. The problem is that both | | | | Once you have done your research. It is time to |
| people involved in the transaction have to have | | | | negotiate your deal. The strongest starting point for |
| common sense and the dealer will never have a lick of | | | | any negotiation is to know several things in advance. |
| sense." People in the market for a new car do not | | | | The first is to know your budget and stick to it. Do not |
| realize how vulnerable they are to advertising and | | | | be led into a conversation that will move you by $25 |
| sales tactics designed to get them to pay more than | | | | or $50 per month. Stay inside your budget. Second, |
| necessary for a new car. Whether or not you know | | | | know what options are important to you and which |
| exactly which vehicle you want or are still exploring | | | | ones you don't need. Third, be aware of special sales, |
| your options you must spend time researching all the | | | | financing and rebates offered by the manufacture of |
| particulars of a certain car and also spend some time | | | | the car you are buying. If at all possible get pre |
| researching the dealer where you intend to purchase | | | | approved for a loan first. A PAL (pre approved loan) |
| your car. | | | | loan from your bank or credit union will usually provide |
| Research | | | | you the best possible terms and rates and will also |
| Since the internet has made information so freely | | | | keep you inside your budget. If you go into the |
| available. It is a crime not to use the valuable resource | | | | dealership and then do your financing you are setting |
| in searching for information about cars. The large | | | | yourself up for higher interest rates, higher payments |
| number of car information sites tells you two things. | | | | and longer loan terms. |
| One there is much to learn and second, that the | | | | Tricks of the Trade |
| possibility of being scammed is very high. Finding a | | | | There are many sales tricks in the car business, so |
| good car buying guide that will explain the process of | | | | many in fact, that a single article can not even list them |
| car sales and how to avoid the traps of a car | | | | all. The big ones to look out for usually come during the |
| dealership will go far toward saving you thousands of | | | | advertising piece that gets you into a dealership. |
| dollars and hours of headaches. Many times | | | | Advertising is designed to get you into the dealership |
| consumers will go into a dealership armed with | | | | and into a car. Once you get inside the salesman's |
| information they believe to be helpful when really it is | | | | desire is drive home the "new car fever" into you. |
| disinformation that was put out to help the dealerships | | | | Sitting at the sales desk is designed to get you |
| sell more cars. | | | | confused, tired and vulnerable to signing papers without |
| Pricing | | | | being completely aware what you are signing. Just |
| Walking into a dealership without having done any | | | | being aware of these two ideas can save you |
| price research is like handing a blank check to a con | | | | thousands of dollars. |
| man. A good car buying guide can help you get the | | | | Being prepared for the car buying experience takes |
| lowest reasonable price, while not using a guide can | | | | homework and plenty of it. You would not trust a |
| cost you thousands. Buying a car is not a simple | | | | $30,000 dollar medical procedure to a cut rate |
| process anymore because of the cost involved. | | | | surgeon. So in the same vein do not trust a $30,000 |
| Spend some time and sometimes a little money to | | | | car that you may depend on for your income or to |
| make sure your research is helping and not hurting | | | | save your life to someone whose primary goal is to |
| your chances of getting the car you want. Edmunds, | | | | increase their own profit. Ask your neighbors and your |
| Kelly Blue Book, Autobytel, Consumer Reports and | | | | friends for referrals. Look for owners of the type car |
| many other car sites can help give a base price for | | | | you want and ask their opinions. Do your online and |
| starting your negotiations but they usually do not take | | | | offline research and go prepared. Then and only then |
| into account all the nuances of a particular market. | | | | can you make good decisions and save thousands of |
| Remember that information on the internet is not | | | | dollars in the process of buying a new car. |
| always as update as it could be and could be | | | | |