Most people love new cars, but many hate the prospect of having to go shop for one. Given the substantial expense involved, preparing to buy a car requires a good bit of research in advance of your shopping trip. The article that follows below contains terrific guidance for anyone looking to buy a vehicle.

Always bring a mechanic along when shopping for a new vehicle. Car dealers are notorious for selling lemons and you do not want to be their next victim. If you can not get a mechanic to look at cars with you, at least be sure that you have him look at your final choice before you buy it.

Financing needs to be in place before you arrive on the lot. The process of buying a car can take a long time due to the fact that they must look over your credit score in order to obtain a lender. If you already have a loan when you walk through the door, you will have a much faster transaction.

Before you visit a dealership, look at the car prices online. Don’t bother with a dealership unless you know exactly what you want. Make sure that you do your homework to get the best possible deal.

Do your research before you even step foot on a car lot. You want to have an educated position when it comes to such a large purchase. It is a good idea to know what models you are interested in, and what the fair price is for those specific cars.

Call your bank about financing ahead of your purchase. You need to know this is available before you attempt to buy. Usually the finance department at the dealership can find you a better rate than your bank, but it is a good idea to know what interest rate you are looking at before shopping.

Before you go in to look at a new car, make sure you have thoroughly researched the proper trade in value of your current car. In fact, why not try to sell it yourself first before you buy. Either way, you will get more from your vehicle if you know what it is really worth.

Salespeople often have monthly quotas to reach. This system works to your advantage at the end of the month. Salesmen who have not met their quota are going to want to make one more sale. You might get a better deal this way.

Bring a friend with you on your car shopping trip who isn’t personally affected by your decision to buy a car. They will stop you from making an emotional based decision. Also, they can point out the deficiencies of the car.

Understand that introductory terms are just that, introductory. Therefore, know what to expect afterwards, and assess your budget to make sure that it accommodates it nicely. If you don’t, you could find yourself getting duped by one of the oldest tricks in the book. Don’t let that happen to you!

Take the time to find the car that you want before heading to the dealership. Learn about the available options for that car. Furthermore, research to find out what other consumers are paying for that car with the options that you want. This way, you can better be prepared to get the dealer to sell you the car for what it’s worth.

Never give your trade-in’s keys to the dealer before you’ve come to an agreement. The dealer could take your keys (and thus, your car) hostage and manipulate you into an unfair deal. Always hold on to your keys and if the dealer wants to take a look inside the car, open it up for them while you hold the keys.

If you are considering purchasing a used car, you might want to buy a membership to AAA. There is a little bit of unknown when buying a used vehicle. If you have the AAA membership, they will come and help you if you have trouble. They will even tow your car for free to have it fixed.

Do not allow a dealer to pressure you into making an immediate purchase. The truth is that there may be a similar car in another car lot that is has a better price. Let the dealer know you are interested, but make it clear that you want to consider other dealers before making a final purchase.

Don’t accept a new car’s sale price based on how much you think your trade-in might be worth. Research its value before shopping. This will help you to maximize the overall value of the car.

Contact a dealership by phone before visiting to make sure they have the car you want. This can help to save you valuable time at the dealership. If they do not have the car you want, they can often get it within a few days from another dealership. Ask them to do so, and ask that they call you when the car is in stock.

You can buy a car online, skipping the dealership and allowing you to avoid high-pressure sales tactics. This is even possible for new cars on some lots, so do your research and find the car you want. Obviously, you won’t get to take a test drive if you never go to the lot, though.

Ask the dealer to include a 72 hour grace period to return the car in the contract. It is almost impossible to learn everything there is to know about a vehicle during the shopping process, but major flaws usually show themselves in the first couple of days. If they are not willing to do this you should steer clear of them altogether.

The task of shopping for cars can be daunting, scary and of course, quite expensive. In order to make the most of the experience, it pays to conduct sufficient due diligence before heading to the dealership. Hopefully the information and guidance found above has provided you with the confidence you need to get the ball rolling.