Not everyone enjoys shopping for a new car, though most love driving them. Research is the key to understanding the entire car purchasing process. The advice shared here can get you started on the right track.

Get a loan for a car online prior to going to a dealership. The process of buying a car can take a long time due to the fact that they must look over your credit score in order to obtain a lender. By having a loan in hand in advance, the whole process is sure to move fast.

Make sure you do some research on a dealer prior to making an offer. This helps you prepare yourself for the negotiation phase. Also, learning about their customer reviews can help you avoid getting ripped off.

Know what type of vehicle you are looking for before stepping foot into a dealership. Check online to find out more about the vehicles available. You will also find out what the fair price range is of the car you want, so you will not fall for any smooth-talk from a dealer.

Monthly Payments

When negotiating cost, think about the entire price, rather than the monthly payment. Though the dealer can negotiate a monthly price for you, keep in mind that these monthly payments add up, and in the end, the cost of your car could be through the roof. Get the best overall price and then deal with financing. Then you can adjust the monthly payments.

You should never pay a car’s sticker price. The dealer isn’t expecting to get the asking price. If you don’t think you can properly negotiate, bring along someone who can. Before you set foot on the lot, research the vehicle to determine what constitutes a fair price.

You may be at the car lot for a good amount of time when trying to buy a car. It is a bad idea to be in a rush, because it might cause you to make a poor deal. Therefore, you should set aside a full afternoon to do your car shopping. If you have other obligations, plan on coming back the next day.

You should not make a deal you are not sure about. You might be surprised to find that the vehicle you want is readily available from a private owner or small lot. You should use your newspaper or sales pad to find a car from a private owner.

Ask if you can have an independent mechanic do an inspection. This should be someone you trust. Do not agree to use the mechanic provided by the dealership. Having a mechanic there isn’t to drive the price down or to intimidate the dealer. It’s only to ensure that the car is worth buying.

Never sign an As-is warranty when buying a used car. You’ll regret it afterwards if you do. You should have at least a 60 day warranty in place upon purchase. When you don’t have such a warranty, any repairs after the car drives away will be your responsibility.

Mileage and fuel economy should be important factors when shopping for a new car. Though economical cars may more initially, the amount you save on gas is worth it. Take this into consideration before deciding on the vehicle you want to really help your long term budget.

Don’t buy this next year’s car as soon as it is released for sale. Otherwise, you’re going to pay much more than you have to for the car. Once the hype dies down after a few months, then make your move.

At the end of the month, it’s sometimes easier to shop for cars. Salesmen are all about the monthly quota, and your sale might just get them there. Negotiate with them for several days prior to the close of each month, and it is likely that you can obtain a better deal.

Incentives need to be studied before negotiations start. Research and understand what incentives may be offered. These may include rebates, trade-in values, warranties and many other offers. You can also haggle better if you’ve learned a lot more going into the dealership than you’d know if you just walked in without knowing anything.

Service Department

Understand the type of service department that you will be dealing with. You should ask other people who have shopped there. Another step you should take is asking someone in the service department for advice on a issue that you have already found the answer to. You want to select a dealer with great reviews, good customer service, and an impeccable track record.

Before you shop, find out if any rebates are available. Rebates are popular at dealership sites, as they make sales more likely. Unethical dealerships may fail to mention a rebate if you do not bring it up, and you will never know that you could have saved money on the deal.

You can benefit by waiting to buy your car during the last week of the month. There are monthly quotas that all dealerships are trying to meet. Buying a car at month’s end helps them ring up the last-minute deals so that they can beat the quota. Sometimes, this can be used to get a car at a better price since they really need to make sales.

Find out how much your trade-in is worth before you go car shopping. You can decide what is a fair buying price when you factor in how much you can reasonably expect to receive for your trade in.

Many people feel that it’s intimidating to purchase a vehicle. Car shopping can be a fun experience if you take the time beforehand to learn about the process. The article above is a great place to have started the process.