| Buying a new car can be confusing. | | | | point is about 4 to 8 percent higher than the |
| All-too-often, a buyer drives off the lot to | | | | dealer's final invoice price. |
| discover that he paid too much, or wasn't | | | | |
| offered the same incentives as someone else. | | | | Another thing to watch out for when haggling |
| Avoid being taken advantage of when | | | | over the purchase of a new vehicle: negotiate |
| purchasing a new car by following these | | | | over one thing at a time. Salespeople like to |
| simple tips: | | | | mix financing, leasing, options and trade-ins |
| | | | into a single negotiation. Or they may ask |
| Get Your Financing In Place First: | | | | you to negotiate over a set monthly payment. |
| | | | Both of these tactics gives the dealer the |
| Compare, compare, compare. A dealer's rate | | | | benefit. Settle the price first, then |
| might seem great - until the buyer discovers | | | | negotiate trade-ins and financing. |
| that only a select few actually qualify for | | | | |
| that low-interest rate or cash-back bonus. | | | | Stay Away From Options You Don't Care About: |
| Check with local banks, credit unions and | | | | |
| other finance options before heading to the | | | | There sure are a lot of options available for |
| dealerships. Being finance-ready may | | | | new cars today. While they might seem "neat" |
| ultimately help negotiate a better deal. | | | | at the time, remember, you're paying for each |
| | | | and every one of those nifty gadgets. |
| Do Your Homework: | | | | Carefully consider what options you want and |
| | | | need on your new car before heading to the |
| Never enter a showroom unprepared. That gives | | | | dealer showroom. Unless the salesperson is |
| the salesperson way too much control. Know | | | | willing to add it for free, don't take |
| what type of vehicle you want, what the | | | | anything that you don't want to pay for! |
| models available offer, average prices, etc. | | | | |
| Basically, know what you want and about how | | | | Another thing to watch out for: unnecessary |
| much it's going to cost. Be prepared to leave | | | | add-ons by the dealer. Check the bill of sale |
| the dealer if you don't find what you want. | | | | for things like rust protection or stain |
| | | | guarding on upholstery. Most cars these days |
| Be Ready To Negotiate: | | | | already come with high-end rust protection, |
| | | | and stain guards can be done easily (and a |
| Don't start negotiations based on the sticker | | | | lot less expensively), after the sale. |
| price. Good negotiators go online to find out | | | | |
| what the dealer paid for the vehicle, which | | | | Buying a new car doesn't have to break the |
| may or may not include any additional sales | | | | bank. Smart buyers can get a good quality car |
| incentives or dealer bonuses, and begin their | | | | at a price they can afford, with a little |
| negotiations there. The average starting | | | | knowledge. |