Buying New Cars : Teaching you the smart way to make your purchase

Buying new cars or a used car can be an exciting and rewarding experience, if done properly. If done incorrectly and without educating yourself first, the buying process can not only cost you extra money but it can also cause you headaches and grief and cost you too much of your time as well.

When learning the art of buying a car, although similar for both new and used, some of the tools you use and the research criteria that needs to be met can and many times are different.

Throughout this section we will discuss the ins and outs of the process of buying new cars. We will give some advice, warn of some of the most common and uncommon pitfalls and the dealer tricks to be aware of. On this site you will have all the tools you need at your finger tips and free to use to reserch, choose, test drive, negotiate and enjoy any Honda car you decide to buy.

Our recommendations and advice will also guide you for any vehicle make you are thinking of purchasing. We suggest that you start by researching. Pick some vehicles you like, check the MSRP (pricing) by looking at the manufacturers website and create a budget to make sure your various choices are affordable and also use a loan calculator to estimate monthly payments.

Researching your possible purchase is always a very smart idea when buying new cars. Checking on the different models track records, how well they have stood up over time, common problems and owner complaints will give you a strong indication of how satisfied you will be if you purchase that model.

Our friends at Repair Pal are a great source for this. Have there been any common problems throughout the different generations (model changes) and if so can you live with them? If the problems have been continuous its a good indication that they will probably not be changing with the current year model you are looking at.

Once you have researched the probable reliability of your various choices, reading reviews and articles will allow you to further your knowledge on the pros and cons of the current models you are contemplating buying.

Regrettably many reviewers or journalists only write glowing reviews. "It is a wonderful car to drive and we recommend it to everyone", meanwhile you know from your friends and associates that it really is a piece of .............., well you get my point.

Multiple sources for articles is definitely recommended. We are fans of edmunds.com and Yahoo! Autos for free information and we are all about free information.

Your next plan of action after narrowing down your choices of vehicles is to spend a day and feel the cars out. As a professional courtesy when buying new cars please do not go in on a Saturday and use a salespersons time for this part of the process. Mid-week and Friday's are famous for being less busy at most retailers and a salespersons time is a little less valuable when it isn't busy.

Let the salesperson know you are really interested in this car but you are also interested in your other choices, tell them you are test driving only today to narrow down your choices. Drive the car for at least 20 minutes, or longer if the salesperson will allow it.

Take a city route and a highway route, this will allow you to check ride comfort and acceleration. Try and park the car in different situations, parallel parking, backing into a space etc. You want to be sure of the visibility and comfort when twisting and turning to have different viewpoints.

Once you return or before you leave on your test drive spend some quality time checking legroom for all occupants, cargo room (bring something to try in the cargo area if you wish), seat comfort etc.

Even though sales people for the most part hate this, make sure you bring a note pad and pen on your review day (test drive day) to write down notes to yourself about your critique of the vehicle. You are going to need these notes once you have driven possibly five or six vehicles or more. Read through your notes and if needed discuss your choice criteria with a spouse, family member or friend and then list your choices in order of satisfaction, then knock all but the top three off.

On a side note, remember this vehicle is for you and possibly your spouse, so please do not allow too much weight for others opinions.

Once you have your top three, you are going to go test driving again. Call the salesperson who you went on the first test drives with, unless of course there is a reason you really didn't connect with them, and schedule a time for an extended test drive. To get a true indication of how well this vehicle will meet your needs and how comfortable it will be on longer drives, you really should spend some time with it.

Ask the sales person how long you can be allowed to drive, we are hoping for no less then 45 mins to an hour. Put the vehicle through your day to day routine to get a true feeling of what life will be like if this vehicle is your new addition. After the drive thank the salesperson again, if they are worth the possibility of giving your business to them they will have been happy to help.

Research is all about taking the time and learning. Learn if you will like this car before you take the next steps, not after.

Being honest and sharing the fact that you are researching allows you to truly see what kind of person you are possibly giving your business to. Do not be rude and do not waste the sales persons time. Remember, you may need that relationship in the future if you decide to purchase the car being sold at their dealership. Also, sales people are people (the good ones anyway), so respect can go a long way.

As your choice is made on the vehicle make and model you wish to possibly purchase, remember you are still researching. You are now looking to gather as much information regarding the MSRP and the fees that the dealer and of course government add on. Also, find the dealers invoice price and the incentives offered, by both the manufacturer and the dealer.

Let the negotiating begin! Again, a couple sites we recommend for pricing information when buying new cars that are non-Honda product are edmunds.com and Yahoo!Autos. They offer you free invoice prices and incentives currently in effect, like ourselves. Negotiating does not need to be a difficult process. Some of the best negotiaters are children. Why? Because they have no fear and ask for what they want. When you are buying new cars and searching for the best deal you can get, being prepared with as much information is essential.

Add up your total costs when buying new cars. Total cost of the vehicle = Invoice - incentives available + what you think is a fair profit margn + destination charges and extra fees + taxes.

Use this amount to do an e-mail or phone blitz. Contact all your local dealers and ask if they would accept that offer.

One way to achieve a true response is to say you already have that as a confirmed price at a dealer of some distance from where you live. You were hoping they would match that price or at least come close to it, to save yourself the drive.

Once you have it as a true confirmed price, for good business practice and etiquette, call the sales person who did all the previous work for you and allow them the opportunity to match or at least come close to your.....very important to remember.....Confirmed Out The Door Price. If you have a trade in research and negotiations are another separate step again. We can provide you with average trade values for your vehicle free of charge.

The negotiations and research do not end with the choice of vehicle and/or with your trade in when buying new cars.

Research your credit score, there are many companies that allow you to view your credit score for a small fee. Equifax .ca/.com is one of the most popular. Knowing your credit score may allow you to achieve and secure a better interest rate, which then will obviously lower the total cost of your vehicle purchase.

Knowing your credit score and alternatives for the products offered by financial service manangers will also allow you the knowledge and confidance to negotiate further discounts while sitting down to finalize your new car purchase.

Buying new cars is not only about the car itself, there are a vast array of other services and products all aimed at adding profits for the dealers. Extended warranties, life insurance, loan insurance, rust proofing etc. are only a small sampling of the most common products and services offered to you at an additional cost. We offer you all the pricing and service advice you will need to get a better deal then 95% of the people who buy Honda's. We can also assist you with buying new cars at the best prices available from Honda within your area. Before you venture out buying new cars click here to educate yourself about the credit or loan office process.

Buying new cars does not need to be a stressful situation. If you follow some of this advice and the tools offered, you can actually make it an exciting and rewarding experience. Take your time, educate yourself with as much useful information as you can, remember that buying new cars should not be a race.