Archive for the ‘Smart Car Price Tips’ Category

Buy a New Smart Car - Six Essential Tips

Wednesday, June 17th, 2009

If you are looking to buy a new car, you may be a little hesitant about taking the plunge. It is after all a big decision to make. You might therefore find the following 6 essential tips to buy a new car rather useful:

1. There is a “good time” to buy a new car. The end of December is one of those times. Everyone is out Christmas shopping, leaving new car dealerships short of customers and the dealers there anxious to meet their targets. Don’t shop for your car at the weekend either. This is when everyone goes. Go in the middle of the week when he car dealer will be more anxious to close a deal on your terms.

2. Be prepared to negotiate to get yourself a good deal on your new car. Car dealer are masters in the art of negotiation and you must learn that skill too. The secret to this initially is to be well prepared and to know what price your car you are interested in would normally sell at. This will mean that you are not oversold and you will not be sold “extras” you do not want.

3. Do your information gathering on the internet. There are excellent new car buying advice sites that give you new car prices, rebates and dealer incentives, tons of great negotiating tactics, and industry intelligence on the latest sales figures for your car. Print out your information from the best quotes and bring tit to the dealer that you are most willing to work with. Bringing in lower quotes form another company might be your best chance of getting a good deal.

4. Know your credit score. Get a copy of it and bring it with you. It can lower your interest rates on your car loan. Your dealer should not know more about you than you do. The dealer is not the only one that can finance your new car. There are of course online financing options and getting a car loan from a bank. Having your financing worked out before you walk through the dealer’s door will avoid being at the mercy of the dealer’s interest rates.

5. Be aware of the potential dealership scams so that you do not become a victim of them.

6. Never buy a new car when you are in desperate need of one because a dealer will see that and take advantage.

May these 6 essential tips to buy a new car make it easier for you to get the car that suits you best.

Negotiating Smart Car Price Tips

Wednesday, June 17th, 2009

So you want to buy a new car, but you might need a little help? These negotiating tips will start you on your way to the car of your dreams.

Choose the car you want to buy BEFORE you go to the car dealer. Be clear on the make, model, options and extras that you want. Don’t let the dealer talk you into something else.
Know how much you want to spend on that new car. You must be realistic. Do your research and know about what the dealer paid for the car you want. Then decide on a fair price to pay for the car.
Know your method of payment. If you are going to finance the new car be prepared. Contact your bank or credit union to get a quote. You can always finance through the dealer, but only if it is a better deal than outside financing.
If you plan to use your current car as a trade-in be sure to know what the car is worth. Most likely the dealer will offer much less than the current value of that trade-in car.
Do some comparison shopping of dealers in your area. Check out the local newspaper ads, any internet ads and you can also go down to the different dealers just to “window shop.” This should also give you a good idea of the dealer you want to work with.
Choose the dealer and go to the car lot with the confidence that you have done your research. The first thing to ask the salesperson is “What is your best price for this car?” Since you already know what a fair price for the car is, you know where to start the negotiations.
Remember if negotiations aren’t going well you can always walk away and go to another dealer. But, remember to leave on good terms. You may want to go back to this dealer to see if they can beat another price you may get elsewhere.
So as you can see doing your homework can give you the confidence to negotiate a new car price. But for the best deal let an ex-car salesman give you the inside scoop on “how car dealers work their customers”