How can you buy a used car and avoid getting ripped off as you do? This is a question that a lot of people ask themselves since more people buy used cars than new cars every single day. Car dealers make a lot of money from people making mistakes that cost them money in the buying process too. So being prepared is essential to buying smart.
Of course, it's only fair that a car dealer make some profit, as they have to in order to stay in business. But for many years the advantage has been mainly in the dealer's hands as car buyers simply didn't have most of the information necessary to stay in control of the buying process. And staying in control as you buy is absolutely vital to getting the best deal possible as you shop.
By going to kbb.com and nadaguides.com you can easily get car pricing information in just a few minutes. This is extremely useful for both cars that you intend to buy and for knowing the value of the car you presently own if you plan on trading it in to the dealer.
Once you know what your car is worth, and what vehicle you want to buy and what it is worth as well, you can start shopping. Using the internet to find all available models that you want to buy within easy driving distance of where you live is a great way to shop. This expands the number of cars to choose from and therefore improves your chances of getting a great deal. Yahoo Auto and Edmunds.com are great places to search for your next car. Of course, if you plan on paying cash this is an unnecessary step, but the vast majority of folks will be using a car loan to pay for their next car, so do yourself a favor and save plenty of money over the life of the loan by arranging your own financing in advance with one of the online loan vendors that specialize in making auto loans directly to consumers.
This one simple step can often save you more money than anything else that you do in the buying process, as the success of your car buying deal often hinges on how simple you can keep the buying process. When dealers can introduce financing and monthly payments into the equation, true sales and trade-in figures get much harder to pin down, so having advance financing can keep the deal simple and save you money.
The previous article discussed how to find out the worth of your own car as well as any vehicle that you want to buy, how to find all available vehicles in your area that you want to see, and how to arrange your financing in advance to save you money in the car buying process. Now it is time to actually visit those dealers or private parties that have the cars you want to see. If you are visiting a dealer you will most likely be greeted by a friendly car salesperson who will start asking very soon if you have a vehicle to trade in. It's vital that you keep the car buying and car trading segments of the process completely separate if you want to get your best deal and know what you are spending, so just tell the salesperson that you are only interested in a straight sale at this point. Be sure to make a thorough visual inspection of each vehicle that meets your criteria and make notes as you do so you can remember what your impressions were about each car that you looked at. Once you have settled on one vehicle that interests you, start the price negotiations as if it were a straight cash sale, since you have your financing already arranged that will give you the cash needed for the purchase. Get as close as possible to the real worth of the vehicle that you have established by doing your advance research online.
Now is when you can ask them to also appraise your vehicle afterward and give you a trade-in figure. Because you kept the sale of the used car and the trade-in of your car totally separate you can now see clearly how good each price is and can negotiate each price to your benefit.
Keep shopping until you have 2-3 cars that are good candidates for purchase, and also can be bought in a fair price range. Now begin the final negotiation process on those three cars letting the dealers know that they must compete with other cars that you could be buying soon. Once you have your best deal, test drive that car thoroughly to make sure that it will indeed meet your needs and then have an independent mechanic inspect it to be sure of it's mechanical condition. Then go to the next best deal on your list and repeat the final inspection process if necessary. Ultimately you will be able to get the car you want at the best price possible, and know that it is a quality vehicle when you buy it.
If you follow these simple suggestions you can usually negotiate the best price for the best cars, and stay in complete control of the whole buying process as you do.
Of course, it's only fair that a car dealer make some profit, as they have to in order to stay in business. But for many years the advantage has been mainly in the dealer's hands as car buyers simply didn't have most of the information necessary to stay in control of the buying process. And staying in control as you buy is absolutely vital to getting the best deal possible as you shop.
By going to kbb.com and nadaguides.com you can easily get car pricing information in just a few minutes. This is extremely useful for both cars that you intend to buy and for knowing the value of the car you presently own if you plan on trading it in to the dealer.
Once you know what your car is worth, and what vehicle you want to buy and what it is worth as well, you can start shopping. Using the internet to find all available models that you want to buy within easy driving distance of where you live is a great way to shop. This expands the number of cars to choose from and therefore improves your chances of getting a great deal. Yahoo Auto and Edmunds.com are great places to search for your next car. Of course, if you plan on paying cash this is an unnecessary step, but the vast majority of folks will be using a car loan to pay for their next car, so do yourself a favor and save plenty of money over the life of the loan by arranging your own financing in advance with one of the online loan vendors that specialize in making auto loans directly to consumers.
This one simple step can often save you more money than anything else that you do in the buying process, as the success of your car buying deal often hinges on how simple you can keep the buying process. When dealers can introduce financing and monthly payments into the equation, true sales and trade-in figures get much harder to pin down, so having advance financing can keep the deal simple and save you money.
The previous article discussed how to find out the worth of your own car as well as any vehicle that you want to buy, how to find all available vehicles in your area that you want to see, and how to arrange your financing in advance to save you money in the car buying process. Now it is time to actually visit those dealers or private parties that have the cars you want to see. If you are visiting a dealer you will most likely be greeted by a friendly car salesperson who will start asking very soon if you have a vehicle to trade in. It's vital that you keep the car buying and car trading segments of the process completely separate if you want to get your best deal and know what you are spending, so just tell the salesperson that you are only interested in a straight sale at this point. Be sure to make a thorough visual inspection of each vehicle that meets your criteria and make notes as you do so you can remember what your impressions were about each car that you looked at. Once you have settled on one vehicle that interests you, start the price negotiations as if it were a straight cash sale, since you have your financing already arranged that will give you the cash needed for the purchase. Get as close as possible to the real worth of the vehicle that you have established by doing your advance research online.
Now is when you can ask them to also appraise your vehicle afterward and give you a trade-in figure. Because you kept the sale of the used car and the trade-in of your car totally separate you can now see clearly how good each price is and can negotiate each price to your benefit.
Keep shopping until you have 2-3 cars that are good candidates for purchase, and also can be bought in a fair price range. Now begin the final negotiation process on those three cars letting the dealers know that they must compete with other cars that you could be buying soon. Once you have your best deal, test drive that car thoroughly to make sure that it will indeed meet your needs and then have an independent mechanic inspect it to be sure of it's mechanical condition. Then go to the next best deal on your list and repeat the final inspection process if necessary. Ultimately you will be able to get the car you want at the best price possible, and know that it is a quality vehicle when you buy it.
If you follow these simple suggestions you can usually negotiate the best price for the best cars, and stay in complete control of the whole buying process as you do.
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