Buying A New Car - Getting It Right

A new car is a major expense in anyone's language. You only have to consider that what we now spend on an average priced new car is roughly what our parents spent to buy a new house a generation ago. A five or ten percent difference in the price on a purchase of this size can prove very costly.!

So, it's clear that a new car purchase needs to be properly thought through. It's imperative to do your research to ensure you get a great deal. Here are a few tips to help you get that great deal!

Tip #1 ... Take your time. Car dealers thrive on making you think "todays special" will be gone tomorrow. Not true. Make it obvious that you have "all the time in the world" to buy a car. That gives you the upper hand in negotiations right from the start.

Tip #2 ... Do your own research. You have to know a cars real value "before" you go shopping. The internet is a wonderful resource for finding out true car values. You can find out the average retail and wholesale costs of a specific make and model. These two pieces of information are vital to assess a good deal from a dud.

Tip #3 ... Leave some profit for the dealer. They need to make some money on the deal, and you want to pay a fair price. This is where knowing your values are vital. You can often negotiate a price that's maybe only $500 above dealer cost. Any dealer would sooner sell 3 cars a day and make $500 on each than sell one per day and make $1000 on each. You have to know how far you can squeeze them.!

Tip #4 ... Only pay for the options you want. You may have to wait a few weeks for delivery to get exactly what you want, at the price you want. This is much better than "getting $5000 worth of extras for only $2000" if those accessories that are of no use to you.

Tip #5 ... Go car shopping near the end of the month. Most dealerships, and their salespeople, have sales budgets to meet. They'll be much more likely to sweeten the deals near the end of the month to make the months figures look a little better.

Tip #6 ... Negotiate your trade in value seperately. Dealers will always try to cloud the figures by offering you a "cash difference" figure. This just confuses the value being given to each vehicle. Keep it simple, and settle on the new car purchase price first, then negotiate the trade-in value. That way there are no tricks, and each car has a direct value you can assess for yourself.

Tip #7 ... Stick to you assessment of car values. Salespeople undergo a lot of training to enable them to convince you that they are experts and you aren't. Research doesn't lie, but salepeople often do. Back yourself, and walk away from any salesperson that thinks they are smarter than you, or tries to "pull the wool over your eyes".

Tip #8 ... Make sure the car has a great warranty. New cars these days are backed by some outstanding factory warranties. An extra year or two of warranty can be worth both, a lot of money and a lot of peace of mind. You never get a second chance to get a new car warranty, so go for the best you can get. Dealers with top quality cars aren't afraid to warranty them.

Tip #9 ... Ask all your questions up front - even the silly ones. Whatever you do, always read the fine print of the sales contract before signing it. If anything is unclear, ask. Contracts usually contain legal jargon, if you are in any doubt at all about what something means, ask to have it explained before you sign.

Tip #10 ... Take the car for a good, long test drive. Get the feel of the car before you take it home. If you aren't a particularly "mechanical person", get someone who is, to come for a ride with you. Most new cars a in near perfect condition, but if yours isn't, you want to know now, not later. The dealer wants to clinch the deal now, so they'll fix any minor defects immediately. Make sure they do.

I'm sure if you follow these 10 simple tips, you'll have a very pleasant new car buying experience. In short, do your research, know your stuff, and you'll walk away with the car you want, and the deal you want.!

AutoWeek - Car Reviews

2010 Audi S4, an AW Drivers Log:

ASSOCIATE EDITOR JONATHAN WONG: The S4's transformation from small sedan packing a V8 to a supercharged V6 can be looked at as a mostly positive thing.

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ASSOCIATE EDITOR JONATHAN WONG: I had a love/hate relationship with the Evolution MR during the year with our long termer.

The 2010 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited, an AW Drivers Log:

COPY EDITOR CYNTHIA L. OROSCO: This Outback served us well for transporting family over the weekend. Everyone was comfortable and warm and we didnand#8217;t have to drive separately.

2010 Dodge Journey R/T, an AW Drivers Log:

EXECUTIVE EDITOR ROGER HART: I haven't seen an option list this long in quite some time. Wow! With all of the electronic goodies, I'm somewhat amazed that the sticker was less than $34,000.

The 2010 Mazda 3 i Four-Door Touring, an AW Drivers Log:

SENIOR WEB REPORTER GREG MIGLIORE: Dollar for dollar, pound for pound, I think this is one of the best cars on the market. If you like to drive, you will like this car.

2010 Ford Taurus SHO, an AW Drivers Log:

EDITOR WES RAYNAL: I think Ford might be just a little high on the sticker price, but this is a good driver. It looks good, too. It's sophisticated, subtle, a big car, but subtle still.