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Before
you buy a new or used car, check its gas mileage ratings.
A small foreign car rated to average 35 miles per gallon on the
highway will save you big bucks compared to a sport utility vehicle
rated at eight to12 miles per gallon.
You will also save more on insurance, tires, and probably
maintenance with the smaller, more efficient model.
Of course, you must weigh these savings against other important
factors such as number of doors, number of seats, hauling capacity, and
cost to buy to determine what the best deal is for you.
For example, one of the new hybrid electric cars rated at 45 to
50 miles per gallon may or may not be worth spending $5,000 more to buy
than a 30 mile-per-gallon compact model. You can check gas mileage
ratings for any car you're considering online at http://www.FuelEconomy.gov
.
You should also be able to pick up a booklet written by the
Government comparing gas mileage for all models of cars and trucks sold
in the
United States
at any car dealer and probably at your local library as well.
Check
out other lifecycle costs such as maintenance and insurance online at http://www.IntelliChoice.com
and http://www.AutoSafety.com
to
help decide which model best fits your needs.
You can also go to http://www.AllData.com
and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at http://www.NHTSA.gov
(or 800-424-9393; 800-424-9153 for the hearing impaired) to determine if
the car your considering has any recall notices or service bulletins for
your car's model. http://www.AutoSafety.com
will
reveal what other owners have stated are consistent problems with their
car model. You may also want to consider the likelihood of various
models being stolen; check it online at http://www.NICB.com
.
If you tend to hold your cars
for a few years and then replace them you can minimize depreciation on
your car or truck, by picking one that holds its value best.
Pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles depreciate the slowest
except possibly when gas prices rise significantly.
Luxury sedans depreciate fastest.
The Toyota Camry and Honda Accord also hold their value very
well.
PRELIMINARY PRICING AND CAR SEARCHES
Get on the Internet and visit
each of these sites to find the best prices for the car(s) you are
interested in buying: http://www.kbb.com
, http://www.nada.com/ , http://www.edmunds.com/
or http://www.AutoAdvisor.com
. Find out the dealer's true cost by subtracting the holdback and dealer
incentives from the "Dealer Invoice" price; repeat this for
all the options you want as well. Armed
with this information, you can negotiate a better deal.
If you don’t have access to the Internet, go to your local
library and either get on the Internet there or check out the Edmunds,
Kelly Blue Book, and NADA guides available in the reference section.
You can also contact the car data organizations directly:
Edmund's New Car Prices, 516-292-0044;
Dealers Costs Inc., 817-757-2277;
Kelly Blue Book New Car Price Manual, 714-770-7704;
AutoVantage, 800-999-4227; Consumer
Guide Cars, 708-676-3470.
In general, you can figure
the typical amount of markup on new cars or trucks by car class:
- Sub-Compact
cars - 8-10%
- Compact
cars - 8-11%
- Mid-Size
cars - 11-15%
- Large
cars - 14-15%
- Mini-vans
- 11%
- Sport
cars - 10-16%.
A general rule of thumb for the markup on car options
is 15% of the total sticker price of the option or option package.
Before you use the procedure
in chapter three, check out the Auto Outlet online at http://www.AutoOutlet.com
to get an idea of deals available for the model(s) you have selected.
You can also buy your car or truck on the web; determine the best
price using the URL's shown above, then go to
http://www.AutoBytel.com
, http://www.CarsDirect.com/home
, http://www.AutoOutlet.com ,
and http://carpoint.msn.com/homepage/default.asp
to find the best deal.
If you are looking to buy a specific category of car,
consider buying in a different state.
For example, you may be able to get a 4-wheel drive truck for
less in warm, flat states or get a convertible in cold, northern states.
Don't
Miss The Money-Saving and Life-Saving Inspection Tips Before Your
Buy
Why risk it? Get your copy of THE CAR BOOK now ... or Click
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