Car Buying Tips

Buying a Car and Getting a Great Deal

Here's a car buying tip. Car dealers are liars, cheats and thieves! That's what everyone wants you to believe so they can capitalize on your fear to line their own pockets. The fact is most car dealerships are not your enemy. Buying a new or used car does not need to be a difficult or stressful ordeal. With some car buying tips you can make buying a car a simple and maybe an enjoyable process.

Here is a car buying tip for you. Dealerships are just like any other business that you patronize, and they are also in business to make a profit. That's a very general yet very understandable statement about the operations of a car dealership or any other business.

Yes they are in business to make money. Just like any other business out there. Do you think they sell cars just to see you agonize over whether you got the best deal? Of course not, they are in business to make a profit and to help you buy a car. The salesperson is not your enemy. The sooner you accept that the easier and more enjoyable your car buying experience will be.

Car Buying Tip 1.

Do your research before setting foot in the dealership. Visit sites like Cars.com and gather some information. Are you looking for a car, truck, mini-van, or SUV? How much room do you need? How much can you afford to spend? How much cash can you put down? These are basic things, but if you consider these in advance your car buying experience will be much easier and you will be more likely to get a vehicle that meets your needs and the deal you want.

Car Buying Tip 2.

The salespersons job is to help you buy a car and make a profit for the dealership. Contrary to what most car buying guides want you to believe, car buying is not a battle or a game to be won or lost. The salesperson can be your greatest asset. They know or should know which vehicles have the best incentives. They know how to structure the deal so that you can get the best terms.

Car Buying Tip 3.

Don't agonize over buying a car. Your time is money and you have to decide whether it's worth it to drag the family around from dealer to dealer looking for the "best deal". It's probably not. The retail automobile business is so competitive that after visiting two or three dealers the prices you've got are likely to be the high to low range that you're going to see. Is it worth it to keep running around wasting your time trying to save another fifty dollars. You have to decide.

Car Buying Tip 4.

Your trade isn't worth what you think it is. It's probably not worth what you owe on it. What you owe on your trade has nothing to do with what it's worth. It's not worth what you see others like it advertised for in the newspaper or local shopping guide. Your trade is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Dealers buy and sell more cars than you or I ever will. They know how to value a trade. Anything over the true value is only a discount off the selling price of the car you're buying. The difference figure is the one that matters. You can get a discount on the car you're buying or an over allowance on your trade but not both. A good guide to help you value your trade is Kelly Blue Book. Be realistic about your trade value. It's not in excellent condition even though we might like to think so. When trying to get an idea of what your trade is worth, look at trade in value. Not retail, not private party value. The dealer cannot pay you retail for your trade and hope to stay in business very long. Just like any other business, dealers buy at wholesale and sell at retail.

Car Buying Tip 5.

Car buying is getting more and more complicated and for most people it's not something they enjoy doing. Buying a car is not and investment, your new car will be worth less tomorrow than it is today. That's just the way it is. You're not trying to buy low and sell high like in the stock market. Don't let buying a car stress you out. It's not worth it. Do your homework and a little research, then go buy your car and enjoy it.