- Check out different vehicles. Do your research first and compare vehicles. Four key resources that offer information in print and online concerning vehicle performance, service and safety are:
Consumer Reports,
Motor Trend,
Car and Driver, and
Edmunds.
- Research the dealer’s price for the car and options. It’s easier to get the best price when you know what the dealer paid for a vehicle. The dealer invoice price is available at a number of websites and in printed pricing guides. Consumer Reports provides the wholesale price; this figure factors in dealer incentives from a manufacturer and is a more accurate estimate of what a dealer is paying for a vehicle.
- Find out if the manufacturer is offering rebates that will lower the cost. Two websites that offer this information are Carsdirect.com and Autopedia.com.
- Get price quotes from several dealers. Find out if the amounts quoted are the prices before or after rebates are deducted.
- Avoid low-value extras such as credit insurance, auto club memberships, extended warranties, rust proofing and upholstery finishes. You do not have to purchase credit insurance in order to get a loan.
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