{"id":9849,"date":"2023-08-07T17:45:29","date_gmt":"2023-08-07T17:45:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/personal-finance\/buying-a-car-these-tips-will-help-you-drive-off-the-lot-knowing-you-scored-a-good-deal\/"},"modified":"2023-08-07T17:45:29","modified_gmt":"2023-08-07T17:45:29","slug":"buying-a-car-these-tips-will-help-you-drive-off-the-lot-knowing-you-scored-a-good-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/?p=9849","title":{"rendered":"Buying a car? These tips will help you drive off the lot knowing you scored a good deal"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Americans increasingly prioritize one factor when buying or leasing a car: affordability.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to scour the market to make sure you\u2019re getting the best deal. Between higher prices and dozens of different models, makes and lenders, it\u2019s easy to get overwhelmed by everything you see.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Before you start signing contracts, consider these tips.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

COMMON CAR BUYING MISTAKES TO AVOID\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Do your homework<\/li>\n
  2. Know your numbers<\/li>\n
  3. Used cars may not be cheaper in the long run<\/li>\n
  4. Buy a new car right before the new model comes out<\/li>\n
  5. When you\u2019re ready to buy, negotiate<\/li>\n
  6. Know that the price is not always the price<\/li>\n
  7. Bring someone with you<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    1. Do your homework<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Before you set foot in a dealership, make sure you\u2019ve asked yourself the right questions. Do you want a used or new car? How much do you want to spend? Do you want a coupe, sedan, SUV, truck or convertible? What technological features are important to you?<\/p>\n

    After researching the type of car you want, you should look for the right financing options, research what a fair trade-in value is for your vehicle and use an auto loan calculator to decide whether purchasing or leasing is right for you. Only then should you start comparing dealers for the best price.<\/p>\n

    Some people like to visit dealers early on to test drive a car and learn more about options, but never buy without doing your research first. Purchasing a vehicle is far less stressful when you\u2019re informed and not under pressure to buy now.<\/p>\n

    \n
    \"A<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

    SAVE MONEY WHEN BUYING A CAR WITH THESE 3 TIPS, ACCORDING TO STUDY\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

    You can learn about features and pricing by looking at manufacturer websites, vehicle reliability reports and car comparison sites like Edmunds, Kelley Blue Book or TrueDelta. Also, always test drive a vehicle before buying or leasing.<\/p>\n

    To make things easier for you, don\u2019t head into the dealership until you have a pretty good idea of the car you want to buy. That doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t, or shouldn\u2019t test drive others, but things can get extremely overwhelming if you walk in with no idea what you\u2019re looking for.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    2. Know your numbers<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    With more than 100 million Americans with auto loans, choosing the right financing is an important part of the process. But before you find an auto lender, you should know what interest rate they are offering.<\/p>\n

    Don\u2019t just go with the first option you are given. Shop around first until you find the best rate for you. A slight difference may not seem like much at first, but a slightly lower rate can save you a ton of money long term.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    PROS AND CONS OF BUYING A CAR WITH A CREDIT CARD\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
    \"A<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

    Most manufacturer financing is pretty competitive, but consumers should also consider other options, like credit unions or hybrid balloon financing options that can offer lower monthly payments and more flexibility at the end of the term.<\/p>\n

    3. Used\u00a0cars may not be cheaper in the long run<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    The primary difference between purchasing a new versus a used car is cost. While purchasing a used vehicle can make a lot of sense in the short term, you have to keep in mind the potential long-term maintenance and repair costs that come with owning a used vehicle.<\/p>\n

    Always consider the mileage on a used car before buying. If this number is too high, you\u2019re likely going to be paying a lot of repair costs while you own the vehicle. In cases like this, it may have actually made more sense and saved more money to buy the more expensive new car.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    Also, keep in mind that some cars last longer than others. Again, this is why research is so important. Before purchasing a used car with higher mileage, take a look at how long that particular car usually runs for and be sure it’s going to last you.<\/p>\n

    3 SIGNS IT’S TIME TO BUY A NEW CAR\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
    \"People<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

    4. Buy a new\u00a0car\u00a0right before the new model comes out<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Car prices \u2014 especially for new cars \u2014 aren\u2019t stable throughout the year. If you time your purchase right, you might find that buying a new car makes the most financial sense. Buying the first 2024 model available will always cost you more than buying the last 2013 model on the lot.<\/p>\n

    You\u2019ll find better deals on this year\u2019s model when dealers are trying to clear them out to make room for next year\u2019s model. The best time to buy is in December, when dealers are trying to clear out their lots to make room for next year\u2019s models (and also at the end of every month, when dealers are trying to make quotas).<\/p>\n

    5. When you\u2019re ready to buy, negotiate<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Everything is negotiable, especially cars. Never commit to a payment on a vehicle before negotiating. Understand the value of vehicle protection products like MBP, GAP, prepaid maintenance and other optional coverages.<\/p>\n

    Always know your nonnegotiables \u2014 the things you aren\u2019t willing to compromise on. This could be anything from a maximum monthly payment, leather seats or car color. Always be willing to walk away if your nonnegotiables aren\u2019t being met.<\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
    \"A<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

    6. Know that the price is not always the price<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Once you negotiate the price of the car, then you negotiate financing. Financing includes add-ons like warranty, rust protection, tire protection and oil change services. You don\u2019t have to purchase any of these, but if you\u2019re financing, all of these will increase the negotiated price.<\/p>\n

    Before buying, make sure to look into all of these things and any other extra add-ons that may have been slipped in so that you don\u2019t end up paying for something you don\u2019t want.<\/p>\n

    7. Bring someone with you\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Walking into a car dealership on your own can be daunting, so bring a friendly face with you. It can be helpful to have someone to talk to while you are at the dealership who can help you make this huge decision.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    Also, bring someone who is good at negotiating and knows a lot about vehicles if you aren\u2019t an expert, so they can be sure you aren\u2019t getting scammed into a purchase.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    Ivan McBride is vice president of automotive lending products and sales at\u00a0PenFed Credit Union.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    Read the full article here<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Americans increasingly prioritize one factor when buying or leasing a car: affordability. It\u2019s important to scour the market to make sure you\u2019re getting the best deal. Between higher prices and dozens of different models, makes and lenders, it\u2019s easy to get overwhelmed by everything you see.\u00a0 Before you start signing contracts, consider these tips. COMMON<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9850,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[32],"class_list":{"0":"post-9849","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-personal-finance","8":"tag-featured"},"yoast_head":"\nBuying a car? These tips will help you drive off the lot knowing you scored a good deal | iSafeSpend<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Americans increasingly prioritize one factor when buying or leasing a car: affordability. It\u2019s important to scour the market to make sure you\u2019re getting\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/?p=9849\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Buying a car? These tips will help you drive off the lot knowing you scored a good deal | iSafeSpend\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Americans increasingly prioritize one factor when buying or leasing a car: affordability. It\u2019s important to scour the market to make sure you\u2019re getting\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/?p=9849\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"iSafeSpend\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-08-07T17:45:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/1691430329_car-shopping.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"News Room\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"News Room\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/?p=9849#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/?p=9849\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"News Room\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/#\/schema\/person\/5b8c1c75336efaf09b163cd1eab0c9bf\"},\"headline\":\"Buying a car? These tips will help you drive off the lot knowing you scored a good deal\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-08-07T17:45:29+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-08-07T17:45:29+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/?p=9849\"},\"wordCount\":1077,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"Featured\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Personal Finance\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/?p=9849#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/?p=9849\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/?p=9849\",\"name\":\"Buying a car? These tips will help you drive off the lot knowing you scored a good deal | iSafeSpend\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2023-08-07T17:45:29+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-08-07T17:45:29+00:00\",\"description\":\"Americans increasingly prioritize one factor when buying or leasing a car: affordability. It\u2019s important to scour the market to make sure you\u2019re getting\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/?p=9849#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/?p=9849\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/?p=9849#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Buying a car? These tips will help you drive off the lot knowing you scored a good deal\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/\",\"name\":\"Solutions For Real\",\"description\":\"Latest Finance News and Updates\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Solutions For Real\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/sf-logo-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/sf-logo-1.png\",\"width\":690,\"height\":64,\"caption\":\"Solutions For Real\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/#\/schema\/person\/5b8c1c75336efaf09b163cd1eab0c9bf\",\"name\":\"News Room\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/avatar_user_1_1691264579-96x96.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/avatar_user_1_1691264579-96x96.png\",\"caption\":\"News Room\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/isafespend.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Buying a car? These tips will help you drive off the lot knowing you scored a good deal | iSafeSpend","description":"Americans increasingly prioritize one factor when buying or leasing a car: affordability. It\u2019s important to scour the market to make sure you\u2019re getting","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/?p=9849","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Buying a car? These tips will help you drive off the lot knowing you scored a good deal | iSafeSpend","og_description":"Americans increasingly prioritize one factor when buying or leasing a car: affordability. It\u2019s important to scour the market to make sure you\u2019re getting","og_url":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/?p=9849","og_site_name":"iSafeSpend","article_published_time":"2023-08-07T17:45:29+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1280,"height":720,"url":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/1691430329_car-shopping.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"News Room","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"News Room","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/?p=9849#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/?p=9849"},"author":{"name":"News Room","@id":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/#\/schema\/person\/5b8c1c75336efaf09b163cd1eab0c9bf"},"headline":"Buying a car? These tips will help you drive off the lot knowing you scored a good deal","datePublished":"2023-08-07T17:45:29+00:00","dateModified":"2023-08-07T17:45:29+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/?p=9849"},"wordCount":1077,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/#organization"},"keywords":["Featured"],"articleSection":["Personal Finance"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/isafespend.com\/?p=9849#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/?p=9849","url":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/?p=9849","name":"Buying a car? These tips will help you drive off the lot knowing you scored a good deal | iSafeSpend","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/#website"},"datePublished":"2023-08-07T17:45:29+00:00","dateModified":"2023-08-07T17:45:29+00:00","description":"Americans increasingly prioritize one factor when buying or leasing a car: affordability. It\u2019s important to scour the market to make sure you\u2019re getting","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/?p=9849#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/isafespend.com\/?p=9849"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/?p=9849#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Buying a car? These tips will help you drive off the lot knowing you scored a good deal"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/","name":"Solutions For Real","description":"Latest Finance News and Updates","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/#organization","name":"Solutions For Real","url":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/sf-logo-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/sf-logo-1.png","width":690,"height":64,"caption":"Solutions For Real"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/#\/schema\/person\/5b8c1c75336efaf09b163cd1eab0c9bf","name":"News Room","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/avatar_user_1_1691264579-96x96.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/avatar_user_1_1691264579-96x96.png","caption":"News Room"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/isafespend.com"],"url":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9849","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9849"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9849\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9851,"href":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9849\/revisions\/9851"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9850"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9849"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9849"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9849"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}