11/17/2006

BUYING A CAR

by Karren Willis

Are you thinking about purchasing a car? New or used, there are several steps one needs to take to find the best deal on a quality vehicle. You can learn these steps however, without leaving your home. The trick is knowing what you want, where it is, and how to get it. We'll teach you three vital elements everyone encounters when buying a car.

Finding the Right Car

The next time you're on the road, take a look at how many types of vehicles are out there with you. Sports cars, SUVs, motorcycles, minvans, sedans, trucks, even hybrids! Consider alone Toyota has over fifteen vehicle models in their current inventory. If you're in the market to buy a car, how you do make your decision with so many options?

First things first, it's imperative to understand both your lifestyle and financial situation. Where do you drive on a typical day? Are you hauling kids around to soccer practice or hauling two by fours to construction sites? Gauge where you drive as well whether it involves city streets, major highways, or dirt roads. Most likely there will be several types of cars that fit your particular needs. So how do you narrow it down even more?

Of course personal preference plays an important role in the car you chose. Most people spend enough time in their cars to justify purchasing something that is an extension of who they are or how they want to be perceived. And there's nothing wrong with that considering the dollar amount invested.

Where to Buy?

Cars are sold everywhere. People are bombarded with ads from both manufacturer and dealer in multi-leveled media blitzes. Then there's used car lots, classifieds, and your sister's teacher's uncle's own car ad at the community church. Turn on your computer and enter the words ‘car for sales' in any major search engine and thousands of hits appear. The major online sites that advertise cars for sale include autotrader.com, cars.com, and Edmunds.com. With so many choices it's often hard to feel like you're making the right decision.

Five Quick Tips For Buying a New Car:

1.Know when new inventory comes in 2.Come ready...research the car you want to buy and bring your factory price competitor quotes.
3.Be prepared to walk away...without buying anything. 4.Know the value of your trade in if applicable 5.Don\'t wait until your clunker is ready to die before going to buy a car
(from carbuyingtips.com)

Information is the key to finding the right place to buy a car. If you feel comfortable doing so online in an eBay auction, then by all means go for it. If you're looking for a used car and found what look's like the best deal in your local classifieds, take advantage of the fact you can talk to the most recent owner and learn more about the car's history like where it was driven, how often, and by who?

Parting thought: Think of yourself as the starting pitcher in a big baseball game. You wouldn't step onto the mound without knowing the opposing team's batting line up inside and out.

You Found it - Now How Are You Going to Pay For It?

You've done your research, found your car, negotiated the price down - now how do you pay for it? Actually, this should be done ahead of time, but is not always possible. There are several ways to pay for a car. Cash is the easy one - if you have it. The most common type of payment is through an auto loan whether you obtain one through a dealership, bank, or other institution.

First know your financial situation. While a new Escalade is enticing, not everyone can fork out hefty monthly payments to cover the cost of monthly payments and interest rates. Or maybe you do have the money to spend, but perhaps want to put that extra cash towards a down payment. Only you know and as boring as it is, it's better to be practical and live within your means than run the risk of having your newly purchased car repossessed.

Taking out a loan requires homework. Only this type of homework saves you money. Shop around banks, credit companies, credit unions, to determine who can get you the lowest interest rate, which will reduce your monthly payments. If you're buying from a dealer, be sure to know the dealer incentive rate before buying. Automotive.com offers a low-rate financing search to help you get started.

There they are...three quick steps to help you get started on your car-buying endeavor. Taking the time to research what type of car it is you want, where to find it, and how to pay for it will get you in the driver's seat in no time - and a driver's seat you want to be in!





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