In the market for a new car? Buying a car is an involved process, and the more you know about auto-shopping, the better value you will get you make a purchase. A few weeks ago, one of our old cars finally broke down for good. After a lot of research and dealing with annoying salesmen, we finally made a great purchase. Through that ordeal, I have learned some tips to getting the best deals when buying a car. Read on….
Do your research.
No matter what type of car you are buying, remember to find out as much as you can about it. After all, a car is a significant investment. Find out the safety ratings on the vehicle make and model you are looking at. Compare these to other vehicles in the same class. Two great sources of this type of information are Kelley Blue Book and Auto Trader.
In addition, if you are looking at used cars you should always check out the history of the vehicle. Get the VIN for the specific car and go to Carfax.com. For $24.99 you can view an unlimited number of vehicle reports. The Carfax reports will show you how many owners the vehicle has had, if there is any warranty left on it, if the vehicle was in any accidents, and will alert you to other problems such as if the car has been salvaged. $25 dollars can save you a lot of money if it keeps you from buying a lemon.
Make sure to know what things cost.
As you look around at different ads, dealerships, and websites, you will begin to get an idea for how much the vehicle you are looking for should cost you. Write down some of the prices you see on vehicles you are interested in. Remember that you can always use the price of one car as a bargaining tool when negotiating a deal on another vehicle. If you are looking at used cars, make sure to know how much a new car of the same make and model will cost you. It may surprise you that sometimes a car that is a year or two old will cost about the same amount as one that is brand new.
Check back to the Frugal Living Blog soon for more car-buying tips!