Buying a car can be one of the most frustrating things to do, but at some point we all have to do it. Cars are a major investment and if you're not careful you can pay thousands more than what it actually worth, or even worse get a clunker, so today I am going to give you some tips that may save you money and ensure you're happy with your purchase.
Do your research
When buying a car its always good to have a few different cars in mind, even if its the exact same car it may have different packages that can drive up the cost, so find the one that has the features you want and then look at different things. Cost to own is very important, it basically covers the amount of expenses you will pay to own the vehicle for the first 5 years. If buying used you also want to do a Carfax report, and look up the blue book value, so you know you're getting a fair price.
Tell the salesman what you want to pay total, not monthly.
This is a common mistake, in fact most salesmen will actually ask this, do not fall for this its a trap. Its easy to mark up cost of the vehicle and give a longer term for the loan, and it may sound like a great deal, til you get home and do the math. Its best to negotiate total cost, rather than the monthly payment.
Sale you old car, don't trade it in
Rather than trading in your car put a for sale sign on it. I know its convenient to just trade it in, but yo can loose hundred, maybe even thousands of dollars doing this. Just look at the value of your car on Kelley blue book, it will even show you the difference in value and trade in value. Car lots cannot give you what your car is worth because they have to resale it.
Nows the time to buy
If you're buying new, nows the time to do it. The 2017s are hitting the showroom, so you can save big on the 2016 and even more if there's still a 2015 on the lot.
Don't buy the wrong car
Have you ever wondered why so many car lots have cars that are only a few years old, some will even have used cars from the same model year. The reason is someone likely purchased a car that didn't suit their needs, so make sure it works for you and test drive it, don't buy a car you hate to drive, and don't be afraid to ask to take it home and try it out, most car lots have no problem doing this.
Check your credit score
This is very important. The last thing you want is to be blindsided by a poor credit score, and it could potentially ruin all the hard work you've done, because regardless of how well you negotiate price, high interest rates could push the cost back up.
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