Here are some tips for buying a new car. The economy is on the skids but if you still have a little cash to spend, it could be good news for you. There has never been a better time to get a great deal on a car.

Whatever the saving, a car is still a major purchase and you want to make the right decision. It has to suit your needs and offer great value. Don’t rush into a decision that you might regret.

This is a time when dealers are feeling the pressure to sell cars, but also to squeeze the last ounce of profit out of a deal. You have an opportunity, but watch out for the pitfalls.

Top Car Buying Tips

1. You need to shop between August and November if you want the newly released models. There will probably be few buyers around this year and good deals available.

2. Be prepared for the agents sales tactics. If you feel pressurized, be prepared to walk away. There is always another car lot and they will be happy to see you.

3. Ask for a deal. The advertised price cuts may not be the best they have to offer. They could be keeping something in reserve as a final persuader.

4. Is there better value on the internet? Online retailers have the advantage of lower overheads. That is still true and it costs nothing to check it out.

5. Everything is negotiable. If there’s no more slack on the price, what about some free add ons. Is there an upgrade you’d really like?

6. The few buyers will be out at the weekend. If you can go in the week, the agent will be more eager to close a deal. It’s hard for them to act the tough negotiator when you are the only customer on the lot.

7. Near to the end of the month, car dealers are trying to hit their sales quotas. They need you to buy now, not next week, so ask them to make it worth your while.

8. If you are not too knowledgeable about cars, can you take someone with you. A mechanic is good if you are buying a used car. And at least someone who is used to car dealer tactics.

9. Time is on your side. It’s your money you are spending. If you are not sure, leave it. The great deals won’t disappear, despite what the salesman will tell you.

10. Have fun with it. Buying a new car is exciting. Get behind the wheel and enjoy the feeling. That newness soon wears off. Take some test drives and make the most of the experience.

Use these new car buying tips to grab yourself some real value.

Tips for new car buying without letting emotion cloud your judgement. Getting behind the wheel of the latest model is exciting. But don’t let the salesman be in the drivers seat when you negotiate the deal. You have to keep a cool head.

After some careful research, you will have decided what you can afford and what kind of car you really need. You set out with that in mind but then you see the sparkling paintwork and chrome and …!

The salesman is seeing dollar signs. He knows what you really want and guess what. He can come up with an amazing, today only deal, that means that you can afford the car of your dreams.

He’ll have you sitting in a car that you hadn’t planned on or at least make some of the accessories and extras seem essential. With his great finance rate and the deal he can offer on servicing, it all seems amazingly affordable.

As you leave the lot, you are feeling pretty good. That’s because you don’t realise how you have followed the dealers carefully constructed plan. Each step gives him the chance to take more money out of your pocket.

The dealers playbook is full of psychological techniques and pressure tactics to get you to sign up today. They don’t want you comparing deals, although they make it difficult to compare like with like if you try.

A good tip for buying your new car is, don’t. You have to prepare your own strategy before you go to the dealer. Know what models would suit your needs and budget. Set limits that you won’t go beyond. It’s a major purchase and worth some effort to get right.

You have to develop the mindset that you won’t be influenced by emotion. You are spending a lot of money and it’s up to you when and where you do. There are lots of dealers and many offers. There is no pressure on you to buy. Knowing in advance that you might have to walk away makes it easier.

If you feel pressurised, remember that you are in control. Let the salesman know that you are going to buy a car, but maybe not now and maybe not here. And then ask for a better deal! They may have unadvertised offers. I have saved myself $700 just by doing that.

Since most of us, myself included, don’t have a safe with a big stack of cash in it we need to finance our auto purchases. Most people go with dealership financing but there is another option. Private party auto loans are often a more practical solution depending on your situation. In General here are some of the major differences between the two types of loans.

The Loan Term

Private party lenders tend to offer shorter loan terms compared to dealership loans. Dealership loans are often as long as 72 months or 6 years. On the other hand private party loans are typically 36-48 months or 3-4 years.

The end result is for the same principal you will have higher payments on a private party loan but generally pay only a fraction of the overall interest.

Higher Interest Rates

On average interest rates are higher on private party loans compared to dealership loans. This may be misleading because private party loans accept people with lower credit scores but charge higher interest rates. If you have good credit you can usually find a rate that is comparable to what you could get through a dealer.

Pre-Approval

In general you go through the loan approval process before you start seriously shopping for a car. Instead of picking out a car and then applying for financing which is the common practice with dealership loans. The result is more flexibility and negotiating power when you are actually shopping.

Furthermore since all of the loan processing is done before committing to buy a car, buyers with less than perfect credit do not have to worry about finding the perfect car only to be told after the fact that they cannot actually afford it.

Private Sellers

The difference between buying the same car at a dealership or from a private seller is typically thousands of dollars. Many people think they can’t go the private party route because they cannot finance their purchase, but private party auto loans do just that.

What is your car buying strategy? Why do I ask? Because if you go out to buy a car without a plan, it could cost you a lot of money. From the moment you enter his lot, the car dealer will be employing his strategy on you.

You need your own end goal in mind. The dealers focus is reaching his monthly sales quota. He wants the maximum profit from each customer. He’ll want you to take the options and extras.

The dealers offers on finance and servicing may sound attractive but they could work out better for him than for you. That is why you need to know what alternatives are available before you go to buy.

Once you know what you want, the next part of your strategy is knowing when to go shopping. New models are out from August to November. If want the latest model, that is the time to go. Just before then, the dealer may be trying to offload old stock. That could be an opportunity for you if you dont mind an earlier model.

The end of the month is the deadline for sales targets. The pressure is on them to sell, not on you to buy. Look like you’re going to leave and they just might be able to save you an extra fe dollars to get the deal.

On weekdays, there are fewer shoppers around. The dealer will be more anxious to make the sale. If you are the only potential customer, he doesn’t want you to walk out. You can always do that if you don’t like the offer.

Buying a car is a major financial commitment. You dont have to do it today. It is easy to be seduced by the shiny paint job and that new car smell. And the dealer will have used every trick in his playbook to take advantage of that. He will want you to believe that if you want this car, its got to be now. Thats not true.

If you are not sure about the car or any aspect of the deal, or you are feeling under pressure, walk away. It is much easier to do that if you have prepared in advance. You will be able to get the same model, at an equal or better price, next week or the week after.

Having your own car buying strategy can put you on an even footing with the salesman. In tough economic times, you need to make sure you are getting the best possible value on a car that suits your requirements.

What is your car buying strategy? Why do I ask? Because if you go out to buy a car without a plan, it could cost you a lot of money. From the moment you enter his lot, the car dealer will be employing his strategy on you.

You had better have your own strategy in place. The agent’s job is to meet his sales quota. He can make it easier for himself by maximizing his profit on every deal. Perhaps by guiding you towards a more expensive car than you had in mind. Adding on a few extras.

Insurance, service plans, dealer finance etc may not be the most cost effective options for you. It pays to know in advance what the alternatives are and which model and features you really need.

The first step is to know what you want and the next one is knowing when to go and get it. If you really want the latest model, August to November is the time to go. If that’s not important, just before this time, the dealer may have old stock on hand that he needs to get rid of. That could work in your favour.

The end of the month is good because they will be trying to hit that quota. The pressure is on them to get you to buy now rather than later. Use that to your advantage. If they see that you are ready to leave, it might encourage them to improve the deal.

Weekdays are better for getting a good deal. With fewer buyers around, the agent needs to pull out the stops to make the deal attractive. If you are the only one in the showroom, he doesn’t want to see you walk away.

It’s a big commitment to buy a car. You don’t have to rush into it. But it’s exciting too and it’s easy to be swept along by emotion. The salesman knows that and will try every trick in the book to play on it. He try to convince you that this deal is only available today. It’s not true.

If you are not sure about the car or any aspect of the deal, or you are feeling under pressure, walk away. It is much easier to do that if you have prepared in advance. You will be able to get the same model, at an equal or better price, next week or the week after.

Have your car buying strategy prepared and you can take away the salesmans home field advantage. Every penny counts these days. Get the car that is right for and for the best possible value.

What is your car buying strategy? Why do I ask? Because if you go out to buy a car without a plan, it could cost you a lot of money. From the moment you enter his lot, the car dealer will be employing his strategy on you.

You had better have your own strategy in place. The agent’s job is to meet his sales quota. He can make it easier for himself by maximizing his profit on every deal. Perhaps by guiding you towards a more expensive car than you had in mind. Adding on a few extras.

Insurance, service plans, dealer finance etc may not be the most cost effective options for you. It pays to know in advance what the alternatives are and which model and features you really need.

The next part of your car buying strategy is to know when to look. New models are released between August and November. Just before then is your chance to get the current model at a discount. The dealer needs to get old stock off his hands.

The end of the month is the deadline for sales targets. The pressure is on them to sell, not on you to buy. Look like you’re going to leave and they just might be able to save you an extra fe dollars to get the deal.

On weekdays, there are fewer shoppers around. The dealer will be more anxious to make the sale. If you are the only potential customer, he doesn’t want you to walk out. You can always do that if you don’t like the offer.

It’s a big commitment to buy a car. You don’t have to rush into it. But it’s exciting too and it’s easy to be swept along by emotion. The salesman knows that and will try every trick in the book to play on it. He try to convince you that this deal is only available today. It’s not true.

If you are feeling pressurized or there are aspects of the deal you aren’t sure of, you can always leave. It is easier if you go in with the mindset that you can do that. There will be other times and other places to get the same or a better deal.

Have your car buying strategy prepared and you can take away the salesmans home field advantage. Every penny counts these days. Get the car that is right for and for the best possible value.

The horse trader was always regarded with deep suspicion in the past. And just why was this?

Well, this is the guy who would buy a lame horse and know how to fix it …. temporarily. Then, he would sell it as a sound animal and take the money and disappear. The horse, poor thing, would soon become lame again and the buyer would be stuck with an unusable animal.

The Car Dealer is the generic inheritor of the horse trader reputation, of course.

These dealers know how to trick you in so many ways that it will make your head swim and your eyes water. You may even, if you are so inclined, swear at being taken. But, that will undoubtedly be much too late. You will already have purchased the car. And, for way to high a price.

Now, not every dealer is this slippery and willing to do anything (almost) for a buck. But, those kind are out there in great numbers. How can you protect yourself from these wily, unscrupulous, into-your-wallet Car Dealers?

How to protect yourself? It is easy. Know the Tricks Yourself.

So, what are these underhanded, unknown tricks? Well, there are some 14 of them which might be said to be majors. They are listed here in plain words to help you with your automobile purchasing efforts.

1. Why “hiding your trade” until negotiating your new car is completely wrong – How the dealer can still pump profits right back into your deal (and with a vengeance). He will be happy to get back at you, secretly.

2. How to get the best financing rate that you qualify for – Dealerships usually bump your true financing rate by 2-3 points. Find out how to get them working for you not against you.

3. The easiest way to get the most for your trade from a dealership – This alone can save $2000 or more when you’re dealing with a trade-in.

4. How the “no hassle pricing” system works, and how it sets you up to pay even more money – The price of the new car is only a tiny piece of the puzzle. See the other angles the dealer works in to re-coup the lost profits . . . and then some.

5. Save up to 56% on your new car accessories – This simple method can add up to fast savings, while still getting manufacturer-quality accessories.

6. The truth about leases – Learn exactly how leases are calculated, and how their exotic terminology allows for even more profits to be put in right under your nose.

7. Like those pre-paid service coupons? You will think again after reading this . . . What’s really going on with pre-paid maintenance plans.

8. The persuasion tactics they’ll use to push you onto colors, features, etc. And, often even a whole different car that you normally would not want. Know how to spot and overcome these tactics to push you to things you aren’t interested in.

9. How they stack the numbers to hide the true deal, leaving you comparing apples to oranges as you comparison shop prices. Discover how to see which dealer is actually making you the best offer.

10. The absolute best day of the month to buy a car – Learning this can save you thousands… even taking you well below invoice price, perhaps.

11. How the “end of model year sale” is fooling you for your new purchase – buyer beware!

12. “Tires For Life,” dealer-only “Lifetime Warranties,” and other common ploys. What’s really in it for them? Find out here.

13. What a “documentation fee” (doc fee) really is, and what you can do about it. Don’t take them at their word – check this out, first.

14. What they mean when they say they’ll “pay off your trade” . . . Watch out for this tactic. It can create a cycle of becoming “upside down” in your car purchases for years to come.

You can be in Control of your Car Purchase. When you know what the dealer is about to do, you can anticipate it. Make your counter move or maybe just say NO.

For Instance “Just knowing how to get the best deal on accessories may save you a bundle ( #5 above). Plus all the 13 others