When you or any of your friends are planning to purchase a new car, it will be good for you to come upon this article which is about new car buying advice. One of the most effective pieces of car buying advice which anyone can offer you is to time your visit to the car dealer. The objective is to catch these dealers at a time when they will be more open to negotiations when it comes to offering you a great deal on a vehicle. Weekdays are the best times to visit a car dealer. Weekends are times when most people shop for cars and it is when you will not obtain the best attention from the dealer.

Another piece of new car buying advice is to consider is that if you buy from a car dealer, you will end up having to pay the complete dealer price while still having to make do with fewer additional which are usually added to the deal to attract you to buy the car from the dealer. It is also important to consider how much value will remain after having used your car for two years. For the most part, a two year old car will depreciate at approximately 40% of the value of a new model and when your car is around five years old, it will depreciate by about 60%.

To obtain the best possible catch, you can also visit car auctions, local and online. They work simpler than having to go to a car dealer and agent. New car buying advice will make sure that you are getting what you want when it comes to your prospective car choice.

Would you buy a car online or just use the massive power of the world wide web to get your best car deal?

If you are thinking that you may step up and buy a car online, you maybe thinking of such great advantages like all the time you’ll save… and the money too!

But let’s take a look at how buying a car online really works.

When you find yourself on an internet car buying portal somewhere along the line you’ll be asked to fill in the information about the car, make, model, etc that you would like to get an online car quote for.

Along with the information you provide for the type of car you’re are looking at online, you’ll need to fill in some basic personal information as well. Once you’ve got this all done, you’ll soon receive all those rock bottom car prices emails from some local or area car dealers.

What you will want to do next is compare the various price sheets that you get from the car dealers and choose the lowest one. If you think that you like this particular dealer price, you can essentially avoid contact with all those wonderful car salesman, by a car — and drive it home — without all the haggling, negotiating, and time spent. If after you spend some time at the dealership and you alternately aren’t comfortable with the price or the way the process is going, you are under no obligation to buy a car there.

Pretty easy. Pretty straightforward.

All in all not a bad way to buy a car online.

So let’s take a minute to examine exactly what goes on for people who want to buy a car online.

The dealerships that e-mail you the various price quotes pay money to a particular website in order to build their contact list. In other words, these car dealers have paid a fee for the privilege of being able to contact you and attempt to earn your business.

Even though you’ll get price quotes from various dealers the lowest price you get may not be the lowest price that you can actually buy that new car for. There may actually be another dealer in your area that would be willing to sell the same car at even a lower price. And this doesn’t even take into consideration the possibility of your trade value — if indeed you are going to be trading your old car in.

Also, let’s not forget that you can rest assured that the salesperson and/or the sales manager at the dealership is going to do their very best to sell you other high profit-making items such as paint protection, floor mats, extended warranties, and even how you finance your purchase of your new car.

The key is (and I stress this throughout my website) when it comes to buying a car; even if you intend to buy a car online, you have got to do your due diligence and your research. Make sure that you simply take things in an organized one step at a time approach and don’t get in a rush to complete the deal. Remember, it’s the dealer or salesperson that has to sell you the car. Don’t let them work you into a frenzy or hurry you through the deal. This is a formula for getting ripped off.

The best place on the net to get reliable car buying information is Edmunds.com.  The information and price quotes you receive are absolutely free and you are under no obligation.

Remember however, once you get to the dealership with your lowest quoted price for buying a car online, doesn’t mean you don’t have the opportunity to further negotiate the price… in fact, you absolutely should continue to negotiate the price.

So, regardless of whether you’re in the market to buy a car now or not, it is most definitely worth your time to begin doing some preliminary car buying research and note taking on the possibilities out there. So when it comes time to get down to the nitty-gritty and you think you want to buy a car online, you will have a lot of the necessary pre-work taken care of.

Quite a lot of information for you to take in and remember.

With that in mind I thought I would give you a crib sheet or review.

For next few articles let’s take a look at some of the must know, must do important highlights.

1. Know your credit score.

Especially if you may have had some problems in the past. Some car dealers and salespeople may tell you that you won’t qualify for competitive rates. Many do this to desensitize you to the higher interest rates that you may have to pay. Although, this may be true if your credit is dinged up; but remember car dealers make nice profits off of people in their finance department by bumping the rate even higher. Don’t be misled. Know your credit score. Here is a good place to start. Equifax

2. Buying a car is NOT a single transaction.

I can assure that the car dealer doesn’t view it this way and nor should you. Financing is one (as mentioned above). The new car and its price is another and your trade-in is yet another.

In essence, you have three deals to negotiate when you hit the dealer’s lot not just one. It does you no good to craft a good deal on the new car then get less for your trade than it’s worth, then top it off by going into the finance office and paying too high of an interest rate. If this happens, you lose and the car dealer wins. You need to be in control of all three areas. Do your research.

3. Never, never, never negotiate based on a monthly payment.

And never tell the sales person at what monthly payment you’ll be comfortable. NEVER! Focus on the selling price of the car! You are working on getting a good price on the car. If you have done some easy homework and know your what your monthly payments will be based on the amount you finance, you won’t have a problem.

Car Buying Review- Sticker Price next…

I will couch these next couple of sections on car buying tips and advice from the perspective that you have a trade-in to deal with, and you are looking at having the dealership arrange the financing.

Take each part of the three basic areas as it may apply to your situation.

As you head into the deal, if you remember nothing else, remember the three basic pieces of the deal that must be kept separately that you must work to negotiate a good car deal.

Although it can be difficult to do… take your time and don’t get into a rush. Pause and take a break if you need to… get up and walk around… just keep your head clear and a positive attitude.

• Negotiate and settle on the selling price of the new car.
• Discuss and negotiate the trade-in allowance on your car.
• Then discuss and if necessary negotiate the finance terms.

Presenting your figures:
Remember when you first present your off for the new, don’t discuss the trade-in price of the car you are trading.

Keep that discussion at bay until you have arrived at a firm selling price for the new car. The amount that the used car department is willing to allow for your trade has nothing to do with the selling price of the new car.

If the salesperson keeps directing the discussion toward your trade, then take this piece out of the discussion and let them know that you are going to sell the car yourself. Or, better yet leave the potential trade-in at home while you work on the selling price of the new car.

This is probably the toughest piece to accomplish.

Sales managers and sales people won’t get too excited about laying down firm offers unless they are relatively certain you are indeed a buyer and not just noodling for a price quote to take to another dealer.

So, be patient and be fair, but be serious about getting to a selling price. And be serious about buying the car if the dealer negotiates in good faith. Don’t be in a hurry this part of the process can take some time to get rolling. Again, you haven’t offered up much information for the sales manager to get excited about so it may take a while for them to warm up to you.
compare car pricing

If you have to introduce your trade into the deal to move things forward, all is not lost. You must still remember that from a dealer perspective there are still two very distinct parts going on now. The price of the new car. And the value they put on your trade. And the bottom line that you are looking for is the trade difference which is ultimately the amount you’ll finance.

In other words, you’ve done your homework. You know what the dealer cost is. You know what rebates and incentives are out there, and you know know the market value of your car. So before you’ve even gotten this far, by virtue of the math you used with the aforementioned, you then also know the target trade difference you want to negotiate to. And here is a key point. Always, always, always, negotiate from your number up… not the sticker price down. Don’t let the waters get muddy on you.

Very quick ‘car buying tip ‘ scenario to illustrate the point.

You’ve gone back and forth negotiating your car car deal with the salesperson and the sales manager. And let’s say you want $1000 more off that trade difference. Keep serving back to them. It’s a $1000 dollars to you, but it may only be $500 from the new car side and $500 from the used car side.

See… remember new and used car departments are separate. If you stall out on this $1000, remember you can tell the salesperson… “go get $500 more for my trade and take $500 off the selling price, or get $200 more for my trade and take $800 off the MSRP. It doesn’t matter to me. But, do that and we’ll have a deal.

Let the new car department negotiate with the used car department it happens on almost every trade-in. Many was the time, I had to ask used cars to ante up to help make the deal. And many times as a used car manager I was asked to put more on the trade.

Psssssst…. remember the dealer is still going to get the holdback. Don’t let them tell you they won’t make any money on the deal. If they truly (bottom line) aren’t going to make any money on your deal…. they wouldn’t have you still sitting there about to sign the paperwork.

Up next… let’s get you preped for the car sales spiel

if you take nothing else with you into your next car shopping and buying trip, take knowledge.

Today, with all the information that is available to you (particularly online) you should have no excuse to be uninformed.

To not know what to expect, the basic terminology, and generally what is going on around you, will cost you big money.

If you feel as though you are being mistreated, or just don’t like the way you are being treated, then go somewhere else.

Know that developing a comfortable yet businesslike relationship with your salesperson is beneficial in the long run. Any salesperson worth their salt knows the same. And that developing a strong solid customer base is the key to success in the business for the salesperson.

No salesperson can survive in the business relying on fresh sales everyday. Getting fresh sales everyday if far too inconsistent and they are much more difficult to close. Good sales people will follow up and work to nurture and earn your business.

Ultimately is is your money and your buying decision. No deal goes through without you. It is the car dealers that have to compete for your business not vise versa. Use this as a position of strength as you work on buying your next car. Be pleasant and businesslike.

Don’t be ridiculous with your numbers. This will get you no where. Negotiate a good deal. The dealer will make a profit even on a good deal. Any business does. Be patient and have some fun shopping. Here’s a quick list of essential car buying tips:

• Do your research and narrow your choices
• Pick out a car you know you can afford
• Check on your impending insurance rates
• Take your time – don’t try to do it all in one day
• Shop around – even the no haggle dealers
• Don’t let the salesperson pick your car
• Do a thorough test drive
• Stay objective – keep emotions out of it
• Check for rebates
• Know the dealer’s cost
• Know the best time to buy
• Know the automobile economic conditions
• Negotiate from you offer up – not the sticker price down
• Keep the 3 areas of the deal separate (new car price – trade in – financing)
• Be prepared to negotiate all 3 separately
• Stay on the selling price of the new car first
• Never negotiate from a monthly payment standpoint
• Know what your monthly payments will be ahead of time
• Don’t pay for dealer add-ons or administrative fees
• Know the interest rate you qualify for
• Know what’s on your credit report
• Know what interest rate a lease money factor equates to
• Read everything before you sign

Up next… gettting your best new car deal

Each car buying tip could certainly be expanded upon (and you should before you head out to buy your next car) but for our purposes here, I just want to give you a bit of mind jog to get you started on what you need to consider when car buying.

First… forget the car and take a look at your finances and your budget. You need to crunch the budget numbers with brutal honesty to determine what you can truly afford (not necessarily the same as what you want).

While we’re on the topic of finances, be sure to know what your credit score is… and not only that… check your credit report for mistakes and inaccuracies. If you discover them, get them fixed before you starting looking for a new car loan.

After you’ve completed the financial leg of the upfront research, spend some time doing some online car research on what’s available that fits well within your budget… this is valuable time well spent before you go to the car dealer… this alone could save you thousands.

Narrow your online car price research down to a short list and don’t waste your time looking over vehicles that don’t fit your needs or your pocket book. Plus, by doing this you’ll ultimately work more efficiently once you’re on the car lot and this will save you time and frustration during a lengthy process.

Once you’re working off your short list, you can really start crunching the car buying numbers and prices and ultimately begin to look at some new car financing options… now days there are some very good new car financing options online where you can get a good feel for what type of interest rate you’re going to be looking at.

Once you’ve got all these numbers together, now it’s time to take a hard look at the overall cost of ownership of the cars that have made your list of possibilities. Along with getting the pricing of a new car, you’ll want to make sure you find out about what the cost of your car insurance is going to be… so go ahead and get a car insurance quote from a local provider. Also, estimate what your annual cost of gas is going to be, as well as, look up the general repair and maintenance of the that particular model.

Now and only now do you want to venture off the car dealer.

Once there the key is to take your time and don’t be rushed. In fact, you should put all of your car quote research into a nicely organized folder and take that to the car dealer with you when car buying. Don’t rely on memory.

Preparation is the key to success when it comes to having a favorable experience when car buying… so be prepared and enjoy your new ride.