Buying a New Car? Read These 6 Tips First

By DivineCaroline

If you’re in the market for a new car, don’t start having nightmares about multiple trips to dealerships and having to deal with in-your-face dealers just yet. Technology, coupled with the fact that many dealerships are now actively marketing to women, can make your search and purchase easier than you ever thought possible. In fact, everything but the final step of picking up your new car can be done online.

The trick to this type of virtual shopping is in knowing what questions to ask yourself, and what information to look for, to ensure you make the best buying decision. Following are several tips to take you through the entire shopping process.

Determine The Best Vehicle For You

With so many different vehicle makes and models out there, including many new hybrid options, narrowing down the perfect car for you can be a big job. Make it easier by asking yourself a series of questions about your lifestyle.

For example, do you have three kids and a dog? If so, you’ll probably want to consider storage and safety features. Take a look at some of the new hatchbacks or family-friendly crossovers.

Are you a single girl with a long commute to work? Consider a hybrid model for stellar gas mileage in a sporty package. You get the idea: your lifestyle should determine the car you pick, so take the time to figure out your needs.

Ask For Feedback

One of the most exciting new developments in the world of car shopping is the creation of new “social network” type shopping websites that allow you to easily solicit feedback from friends and family about your vehicle choices.

Shopping alone is hard; we all want a second opinion, whether that comes from our best friend or the MAC makeup sales associate. This lack of an immediate second opinion has traditionally been one of the downfalls of shopping online.

Now you can create your own personal page, like a MySpace page, post photos and information about your top vehicle choices, and ask friends and family to post their opinions. They know you well, so may be able to point out why one vehicle is more suitable than another.

In addition, these shopping websites allow car owners to post vehicle reviews, which can be another valuable source of information.

Research Pricing and Get Multiple Quotes

The ability to get clear pricing is one of the greatest benefits of the Internet. We’ve all seen the low-budget dealership TV commercials where a frantic spokesman yells at the camera about “Ten percent off MSRP!”

Now you can research pricing for yourself online and decide if the asking price is fair, or inflated, and make sound decisions. Many auto shopping websites are also offering new ways to communicate directly with dealers, including message boards and chat features, so you no longer have to fill out a generic form to get a quote and then wait and hope the dealer gets back to you.

And if you’re wondering, MSRP stands for Manufacturer’s Recommended Price. Decoding acronyms and esoteric vehicle descriptions is a snap with search engines like Google and Yahoo!

Get Pre-approved For a Loan

Many shopping and dealership websites now allow you to get pre-approved for a loan online. It’s fast and easy, and just as secure as entering your credit card number into big shopping sites like eBay.

In addition, consider visiting your bank or local credit union to compare rates. If you can secure a competitive rate before going to the dealership, the dealer can always offer to match it, but you won’t feel obligated to accept.

Having options, and knowing the dollar amount you can borrow before meeting with the dealer, gives you the upper hand in negotiations.

Check The Vehicle History Report

If you’ve decided that a used vehicle is the way to go, don’t buy without checking the vehicle history report. This is the best way to protect yourself against buying a vehicle with costly hidden problems.

Vehicle history reports check vehicle records in important areas including title check (to see if the vehicle has been salvaged or rebuilt) and problem check (to ensure the vehicle has not been in a major accident).

Research Trade in Values

You can sell your current car yourself, but it is often easier and faster to trade in your car when you buy a new one. Before doing this, remember that you are effectively selling your car to the dealership. It is imperative that you know how much your car is worth to ensure you get the best price.

There are many websites you can visit to determine used values, but keep in mind that these are ballpark figures. Your car’s condition, as well as local market conditions, will determine the final value.

Armed with these tips and an Internet connection, buying your next vehicle can be fast, easy, and even fun. Seek out vehicle websites that cater to women and offer unique tools—like lifestyle quizzes to help you find the perfect vehicle, a social network platform, and the ability to communicate with dealers via live chat and message boards about the vehicles they have for sale—and your next car buying experience can be just as fun as shopping with the girls.

Thanks to our DivineCaroline friends at More.com!

Photo Credit: nile