Best Car Price - new car buying tips

When it comes to eventually getting the best car prices for themselves, potential car buyers today have a vast number of resources available to assist them.

Now days buyers like to address the question of the price of the car before they even venture out to a dealership.

Like so many other aspects of shopping for us consumers today, the internet has become a vital tool. If for no other reason, the use of the internet to do our research will save hours of our personal time and frustration when it comes to the car buying experience.

Many dealerships today have equipped themselves with an internet sales department in which the sole purpose of the sales people are to discuss car prices via the net or over the phone once initial contact is established with a potential car buyer.

Often times internet sales people will offer up the selling price of the car. This is a big departure from not too many years ago when you would inquire about the price of the vehicle and you would get all kinds of offers (sales ploys) to come into the dealership to test drive the car and then discuss the price.

The golden rule then (and still a big part today) was you can’t close the deal over phone so don’t give away price information. Again, with today’s internet shopper, the internet sales departments have to be more up front and accommodating with their information because it’s out there anyway, and for many buyer’s it’s the price quote that drives the car deal process.

Once you get a price quote you’ll want to get back online and compare that quote. Sites such as Edmunds.com and Automotive.com are excellent sources in which to do this. If you find the price they have quoted you is at or below Edmond.com’s TMV, then you are in a good price range for your car.

Now having done this now is not the time to let your guard down. Remember, as we have talked about throughout the website, car dealers have much more than a single pronged attack when it comes to making profit on a car deal.

Don’t get too caught up in your apparent success of minimizing the dealer profit on the car price, only to have a brief lapse and allow the dealer to reclaim profit in another area of the deal such as in the finance office or on your trade value. Remember you can’t honestly determine if you’ve gotten your best deal on a car until you are actually out the door of the dealership.

So, stay focused.

Also, be warned that if you ask the dealer to cut his profit, he might try to take it back somewhere else.

Remember, a good deal isn't just the lowest selling price. It's the lowest total out-the-door cost on a car that meets your needs. This means that to ensure you get a fair deal and your best car price you have to be vigilant throughout the entire purchase process, even after you and the salesman agree on a price.

The test drive should include more than just the car... next...