Your wants and needs must be defined before buying a car. How much can you afford? Will you need to tote a big family around? How important is gas mileage? Do you want a sportier car or a family vehicle? Make a list of everything you want, and take it with you so nothing is forgotten.

Do not let a salesperson sell you a vehicle you can’t honestly afford. Frequently, people are talked into purchasing a sports car when the salesperson tells them how good they look in it. Salesmen earn money on commission, and some salesmen put their own financial gain before your best interests.

Do your research online in order to find the best deals. You can save a lot of money by doing online research. Find what you like, and have your dealership order it for you. You can save money by just going to the dealership yourself, as long as it’s not that far away.

Prior to getting a used vehicle from a dealership, be sure to ask a third party mechanic to look at it. If a dealer will not let you bring your own mechanic, go somewhere else. A professional mechanic is going to be able to give you objective feedback about the state of the car, including signs of previous wrecks or exposure to flood waters.

Prior to buying a car, make sure you test drive it. You have to do it even if you drove that kind of car before, you might not like this particular one. You might find that there are some small things that are not the same or that there is something wrong.

When you look for a new car, take into consideration the fuel economy of the vehicle and the impact it will have on your budget. You may be yearning for a big V-8 you can use to tow things. You should keep in mind that you may not need the towing feature that frequently, and you may not need a vehicle that makes that much power.

If you aren’t confident you can resist high-pressure sale pitches, do not go car shopping alone. You are more likely to remember to ask all the right questions and negotiate the best price if you have back up. You should talk to your friends or family member about your budget and needs before you head out to the dealership.

Never discuss down payment amounts, trade-ins or incentive offers until a price point has been firmly determined. Smaller things like down payments, and incentives are items that should be subtracted from the bottom line. You will probably get a much better price if you start by negotiating and then mention these additional discounts.

Don’t feel that you necessarily have to buy from a car dealership. The vehicle you are interested in may be available from a smaller lot, or from a private seller. So before heading out to a lot, go pick up some classifieds, read up on Craigslist, and check other venues to see if you can find a good deal.

Test Drive

Don’t overlook a test drive. No matter how perfect the car looks, you must test drive it. Nothing can compare to hands-on experience. You may find yourself unpleasantly surprised by a rough ride or coarse handling.

It can take a lot of time and effort to buy a new car. Are you aware that you may save time by doing online comparison shopping online? Quite a few websites allow for this and it makes shopping for a car much easier as you can see comparisons for different vehicles right beside one another. Doing so reduces viable options, saving you money and time.

Ask your dealer to let you take the car to your mechanic. You should trust the mechanic. Avoid using the dealer’s mechanic. Your mechanic needs to let you know if the car is safe to drive and represents good value for the money.

Now that you’re more comfortable with car shopping, get to it. You’ll find stress is less once you know it all. Don’t give up and keep trying, and you’ll be driving a car you’ll enjoy in no time.