A Guide: Buying or Leasing A Car

Buying A New Car

Shopping for a new car can be a lot of fun. But it can also be a frightening and frustrating experience. Use the tips below to help ease your way through the car shopping process.

Tips:

• Decide what you intend to use the car for - daily commuting, recreation, weekends and evenings out, carrying things, carrying two or more people, city driving or suburban and rural driving.
  
  
• Decide your price range. Be realistic.
  
  
• Decide whether or not you will finance the car. Consider your financing budget.
  
  
• Consider your preferred level of fuel efficiency. Many modern cars and trucks get surprisingly poor mileage.
  
  
• If considering a trade-in, check the NADA Official Used Car Guide for the value of your current vehicle and add this figure to your budget.
  
  
• Add up your total budget. Adjust the total as necessary or desired.
  
  
• Locate dealerships in your area via newspaper advertisements (many Sunday papers have automotive sections), word of mouth, phone books, or the Internet. Set out early, preferably on a weekday, and remember to bring your driver's license. You’ll need it to take a test drive.
  
  
• Go to the sales lot, not the showroom. Tell any sales representative lingering there that you are just looking around.
  
  
• Browse independently until you identify a car that looks interesting to you.
  
  
• Check the sticker on the window. The sticker will list the car's features, fuel-efficiency rating (miles per gallon expected for city and highway driving) and asking price.
  
  
• If the door is unlocked, open it and sit down to check the car's interior. The sales representative will likely come to investigate - if that hasn't happened already. If the car is locked, tell the representative you'd like to have a look inside.
  
  
• Target representatives who appear eager - ideally too eager - to help. They are the ones who will be most likely to cut you a deal on the price.