Below are some common mistakes to avoid when purchasing a car. Being smart will allow you to get the best price possible for your new car purchase.

Buying based on your wants, not your needs.
What better suits you and your family? A two seat sports car? Or a mini-van? This is just one example of 'needs' and 'want'. Carefully analyze your personal/family situation to determine what what your needs are and what your wants are.

If you are a senior, we have researched the top cars for the needs of seniors. Showing your emotions. It will be obvious that you really want the car you are looking at. Exemplifying excitement to the dealer or private seller will take your negotiating edge away. Not doing your homework! Or getting your information from the wrong sources.

When you are in the market for a car, try to educate yourself with everything there is to know about the automobiles. A good source of information is the Kelley Blue Book. Kelley Blue Book will provide you with incentives, options, pricing, rebates, holdback packages, interest rates, negotiating techniques, forums, reviews, and more! It is very important that you are as prepared as you can be once you enter the dealership.

Not shopping for the best deal.
Don't buy from a dealership just because it is located close to your house. Locality does not make a dealership good. Customer satisfaction and the ability to provide good prices and service does. A good idea is to ask around when trying to find the best dealership. If you see someone with the same car you are interested in, find out where they got it and what kind of experience they have had. You can also check the Better Business Bureau to find out what the 'CSI' of a dealership is. The 'CSI' is the Customer Service Index and is a reflection of how good a particular dealer pleases its customers both in terms of sales and service. Going by monthly payment instead of total price of car. Don't be fooled by lower payments presented to you by a dealer. Lower monthly payments mean a longer term loan, which means more money in interest costs, which means more money paid by you for your new automobile over the duration of the loan.

Discussing a trade in before a final price is agreed upon.
The dealer will absolutely look to hustle you by not giving you the best deal for either your new car purchase or trade-in.

Not getting a CARFAX report.
You need to get a CARFAX report of any car you are interested in. A CARFAX report will let you know the entire history of a car; including any accidents and/or thefts that have occurred.

Not reading the fine print.
Before you sign any paperwork that would ultimately finalize your car purchase, make sure you read everything! Dealers may try and 'slip' some unneeded extras by you. These 'extras' can include dealer add-ons, extra fees and interest charges. You can learn more about dealing with dealers and the 'strong arm' tactics. When purchasing a new car, we suggest you read the negotiating tactics section.