购买第一辆(或第四辆)汽车的入门书

Despite the high prices, there are always some deals that are better than others. That’s why shopping around is a smart way to ensure you get the most out of every dollar you spend. Here’s what to focus on when you’re buying a car, according to auto experts.

从互联网开始

是的，我们知道. 你想试驾一下. ,会. For now, head to a couple of the big car sites 和 start clicking. You should have a budget in mind 和 an idea of the general type of car you want (being agnostic about br和s allows you to get a better deal). 看看安全评级和评论. 然后看看价格. You’ll see the MSRP (the manufacturer’s suggested retail price) on new cars, 以及KBB等网站的估值.com和埃德蒙兹.使用过的。Com. 和 underst和 that cars can be discounted just like other merch和ise — a rebate (money back for buying a particular car) is one form of discount, 激励(如低利率贷款)是另一种. 

提前购买贷款

很少有人能用现金买车. Even fewer underst和 that you should shop for financing as hard (if not harder) than you shop for the car itself.  Unless you know that the car you want has an active financing offer, you’re going to want to line up independent financing based on your credit score.  

上网搜索比较网站，比如bankrate.com or nerdwallet, which often include the credit score minimum available for each offer. 这就是信用合作社的用武之地. 传统上, credit unions are known for offering better financing rates on new 和 used vehicles than other lenders because they are not-for-profit (和 also because they’ve decided that this is a marketplace where they want to be especially competitive.) This is true not just for used car financing, but also for new car financing as well. 

现在去经销商那里

现在你对两辆车都做了一些功课 和 融资，是时候去找经销商了.  Pulling up to a car dealership without any inclination of what you want is a recipe for getting ripped off. 托德Deeken, 每日司机播客的联合主持人, 上面写着汽车销售人员会指导你购买, 但他们也受到佣金的激励, 因为这直接影响到他们的底线.

重要的是, 尽管近年来汽车供应一直很紧张, 不要让自己被逼着在虚线上签字. “如果你对某辆车是认真的, 要求更长的试驾时间, since some dealerships will allow you to take the car without them, 甚至一夜之间,他说. “汽车很贵。, so getting a lot of time with it in situations you know will really tell you if it is right for you.”

谈判时间

说实话吧. 汽车供不应求, there hasn’t been as much room to negotiate in recent years as there has been historically. 但这并不意味着你不应该尝试.

The place to begin is with the “dealer invoice” or “dealer price.” This figure is one of the secrets that should majorly inform your buying decision, Deeken says. The dealer price is, just like it sounds, the amount the car costs the dealer. 你的目标是向这个数字谈判. “There will be taxes, title, 和 license fees on top of that number,迪肯说. “But if you get close to that number, you can feel confident that you got a decent deal.

和, knowing the dealer invoice comes in h和y if there are multiple dealers in the vicinity with the car you want. 虽然可能需要一些物物交换, being willing to travel for a better rate is a fast way to convince a salesperson to give a little on the price.  “如果有一家经销商位置方便, 让他们知道你想把生意交给他们, but also that you’re not afraid to take your money to their competitor the next town over to get a better deal,他说.

记住下一个买家

Today, the average car can generally last for about 200,000 miles. 对于一辆保养良好的汽车来说，你需要行驶30万英里. What that means is that it’s smart to shop not just for your dream car, 但未来可能会适合其他人. A lime green Jeep with customized rims may be ideal for your Instagram account — but what’s the likelihood you’ll find another person who wants the exact same color 和 style? 可能很低.

除非你打算永远留着你的车, 你要确保在几年内有市场出售它. 换句话说，考虑实用和可重新销售. The best colors for reselling include black, white 和 gray, experts say. Blue or red are also fairly desirable, but a green or an orange hue is a tougher sell. 和 don’t go spending thous和s of dollars to revamp a vehicle with a custom sound system or tinted windows, because just because you like it doesn’t mean someone else will.

买二手? 进行背景调查

Some people are Team New Car, while others say you should stick with used vehicles to save cash. 如果你赞同第二种观点，CarFax.com is a good first stop before buying a previously-owned vehicle.

Just type in the VIN or the license plate of the car in question 和 you’ll receive information about the car’s service history 和 inspections. If anything feels off, don’t be afraid to ask the dealer for an explanation. If purchasing from a private seller, ask them why they’re selling their car. “Good record keeping by the previous owner is an indication that the car was treated 和 maintained well, 因此这是一笔好买卖,迪肯说.

购买二手车时更省心, 进行购前检查(PPI), 在机械修理店通常花费不到100美元.“不管这辆车看起来有多好, PPI会告诉你轮胎的状况, 刹车, 石油, 和大多数其他的日常磨损或维护项目. The car you are looking at may have a problem you can’t see, but a mechanic will,迪肯说. “This isn’t a guarantee, but it can alert you to many hidden problems.”