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The 10 steps to buying a car.

This is by far the most complete article on the
web for buying a new car!!!

1. Deciding what vehicle you need and
want
The first step is deciding what vehicle you need
and want. Not just between car, truck or SUV.
More basic than that is how many passengers
do you carry, what amount of cargo do you need
to carry and do you need to tow a trailer.

BMW

If you plan to carry only 7 passengers once or twice a year, or only haul large cargo very
rarely it may make sense to plan on renting a van or truck for that rarity. Once you decided
on basic size, then choosing between a car, truck or SUV makes more sense, in most cases
a car or minivan is the most responsible way to go but if true off-road ability and towing is
needed, then only a true SUV or truck is the best choice.

Then deciding on power trains, safety features and cost (online Calculator) should reduce
your choices to a reasonable number, throwing out brands that are undependable and
models that don't appeal to you usually will reduce your choices to less than a handful.
Maybe only one or two.

2. Research
Second step is to do in-depth research on the cars or trucks that you'd consider. There are
a lot of references you could check-out. The most extensive, and a very popular research
tool is Edmunds auto guide. The bar to the side has each manufacture listed making it easy
to check out each vehicle. The two other resources I'd check with is Consumer Reports, and
Institute for Highway Safety. Edmunds is great for general review, cost to own and Invoice
pricing but Consumer Reports gives in-depth reports on usability of cars and of course the
Institute for Highway Safety can attest to a car's ability to take an accident. Check into each
car on your list, make notes as needed on both good and bad points, don't make any
decisions (unless some issue is completely unacceptable) until you've had a chance to drive
them.

GMC

Kia

3. Test Drive
Many consider the test drive the most important
part of the buying experience and I whole heartily
agree. Why??? Imagine getting the absolute
best deal on a car you can't stand, or is
completely wrong for you and your family. So how
to avoid this. Some people take a very scientific
approach... There is a phrase in the car business
if a customer likes a car..."the feel of the wheel
seals the deal." Emotions do run high during a
test drive. My recommendations is to make a
quick list of what you'd like each car to be like and
any concerns you have about each car. You
should have a separate list for each car or truck
you are looking at driving.

You may want to call each dealer you plan to visit and set up an appointment, if you can with
the fleet manager. Let the salesman know you are planning to test drive a few cars over a
few days and will be purchasing one of the cars very soon.   Fleet managers and
experienced salesmen understand. (That does not mean that they stop selling...it is their
job. But a professional salesman will work with you.)

At the dealer, find out how the cars are coming equipped and make sure you options you
want on each car is available and if the options are available independently or part of a
package. Although, Internet resources try to be accurate, each manufacture handles options
and packaging of options differently. Even though, an option is available from the
manufacture, the manufacture may not be shipping cars with that option. For example it may
be difficult to get a convertible in the winter or a winter package may not be available in
Southern California.

Also at the dealer, is a chance to ask lots of questions and express your concerns about a
vehicle.

Before the test drive check things like trunk space, rear seat leg room, how the controls work
and ask about basic maintenance issues. On the actual test drive...relax...make sure you
understand the controls. Operate all controls, even if not needed, like wipers and lights.
Make sure the route you drive on has both city type driving and at least 5 miles of highway
driving. Get the car up to the speed you'd normally drive on the highway, to check for road
and wind noise.   Also drive the car for a short period, at moderate speeds with the windows
down, checking for engine sound and wind buffing. Two maneuvers I'd try in each vehicle is
parallel parking and a sharp U-turn.

After the test drive, thank the salesman and let him know when you'll be ready to buy or if
you might remove the car from your list. Ask any final questions and make any closing notes
about the car.

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