Vehicle Buying Tips

How should you go about buying a car or a pickup, or an SUV, or just about any vehicle that you want?

Buying a car is really pretty simple, if you do your homework before hand and know what you want. Here are a few things you should consider before walking into the dealership, the den of the enemy. 1-3 are called 'the Three Whats' What do I want, what do I need, and what can I afford. These are the questions to answer before you answer any other ones, as these are what you decision should be based on.

1. What do you want?

You should consider the kind of car you want, be it SUV, or pickup, sedan or sport, hybrid or electric. Once you know this, then you can take the step of figuring out the rest.

2. What do you need?

This is different from what you want. As Mick said 'You can't always get what you want'. So, if you can't get what you want, what do you really need in your vehicle? What will get the job done?

3. What can you afford?

This is probably one of the most important, as what you want and what you need really don't matter is you can't afford it. Sit down and take a serious look at your finances and figure out, realistically, how much you can pay each month and still have enough to live on.

4. Look for deals.

Check around before you start hitting the dealership floor and find out who's offering what. There might be factory offers, dealership offers, rebates and last year incentives on the model you're looking for. Remember, factory rebates aren't something they hand you at the dealership, those you'll get later, usually a couple months later, in the mail. This is something you should keep in mind, as it can tie up a substantial amount of money.

5. Haggle. That's right, haggle.

The salesmen expect it. Always try to get the best deal you can, and that includes not only the overall price but also the interest and finance charges. Usually the longer the loan period, the smaller the monthly payments, but check it there are penalties for early repayment. If it's a new vehicle, see if the dealer will pick up the licensing and registration charges, as those can be a big expense.

So, know what you want, what you need, and what you can live with. Don't be afraid to walk if you can't get the deal you want. Don't be held prisoner to half finished paperwork, and don't take something you won't be happy with. If you follow these simple guides, you should come out the other side with something you can afford and be happy with in the years to come.