Read Expert Car Buying Tips Before Your Next Purchase

Besides a house, new and used cars represent the largest purchases most people ever make. Think about it: a new vehicle costs $20,000 or $30,000, and you're likely to change cars every 5 to 10 years or so. That's a lot of cash doled out over a lifetime, which is why I'm completely baffled by how little research some prospective buyers put into the process. I can't even begin to tell you how many of my friends and coworkers simply buy a vehicle because it looks good or because it was on sale. No wonder they're ready for a new one after just a few years! Smart shoppers read expert car buying tips before ever setting foot in a dealership, and they usually come out with a better purchase.

There are plenty of books, magazines, and websites devoted to new and used cars, so there shouldn't be a problem finding pertinent information. The tough part is putting these car buying tips into practice and sticking to your guns instead of caving in to the salesman who tries to pressure you into a bunch of extras or an entirely different vehicle. Fortunately, it's been my experience that when the salesperson realizes you know your stuff, they back off a bit and mostly give you what you need. That's another benefit to reading car buying tips first!

Most of the guides I've read about purchasing a new vehicle cover the same ground, so you're not going to have to go to a bunch of different sources for car buying tips. For instance, almost every guide says that you have to narrow down your choices at home rather than at the lot. This means deciding on a handful of makes and models prior to digging deeper and looking at price and performance. Sounds pretty basic, right? But again, you'd be surprised at how many people fail to do even this.

Once you have a few particular automobile, truck, van, SUV, or hybrid models in mind, then you can move on to the next level of comparison shopping. Now the many experts who have published car buying tips say you should look at how many miles per gallon a vehicle gets, how likely it is to retain its resale value, how safe it is in the event of a crash, and of course how the sticker price stacks up against similar models. The final step is then to go and test drive the finalists so you can get a feel for how well it handles and to see if there are any quirks such as badly placed controls or uncomfortable seats.

Since purchasing an automobile requires a major outlay of cash, it would be wise to spend some time reading car buying tips well in advance of sitting down with a salesman. The more knowledgeable you are about the vehicle you intend to buy, the better your chances of getting what you want at a price you can afford.