Do Your Auto Homework
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1)Set a budget before stepping on to a dealership lot. Know what the cost of the car equates to in a monthly payment by using a auto loan calculator. Knowing the price you are willing to pay will help avoid the trap of a sales rep getting you pinned to a monthly number. You may end up paying more the vehicle because the car dealer got to you monthly number. But maybe it would have been less if the price of the vehicle was the number negotiated and not the monthly payment.
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2)Pick the make and model of the vehicle with the trim level you want, this will help avoid getting more or less of auto than you initially intended.
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3)Trading in a car? Go on to Edmonds or KBB to check the general dealer trade in value on the auto you are potentially trading to help ensure you are getting fare trade.
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4)If buying used, insist on a CarFax report. This is a report that tells the history of the vehicle, from wrecks to salvaged, etc. All dealerships have access to this and often present it with out asking.
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5)Know the price MSRP, Invoice, and average sale price. Remember you are the customer, the advantage is on consumer side. Often we feel we are at the mercy of the sales lot, in reality it is the other way around.
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6)Do not fall in love with a particular vehicle, guess what auto manufacturer made more than one. Get a quote and walk away (hard to do), but this gives you time to think it over outside of the sales environment and to get a competitive quote. Odds are there will be savings by doing this. Just walk away, they will still be there if you decide to come back.
