In life, getting what you want starts with some knowledge. You have to absorb what the experts provide you on the topic. Car shopping requires the same research, and this article has all the tips and tricks you need to make shopping for a car a walk in the park.

What can you afford? You have to understand exactly how much money you have every month to not only pay for the car lease, but also insurance, licensing costs, gas, and repairs. Everything must be covered every single month or else you’ll have to reduce the amount you have to spend on the car itself.

Negotiating helps to save you a lot of money towards your purchase. In fact, you should never purchase a car for the listed price. They are purposely inflated in order to allow room to dicker with the customer, and you should take advantage of this fact.

When buying a used car, a great way to tell if the car has been in an accident is to look into the door frames. Usually when a car is repainted, you will notice over spray in this area. This is not proof that a car was in an accident, but it will let you know it was repainted.

Check the BBB rating of your local car dealers before you visit them. As you likely already know, car dealers can be less than honest. Save yourself from a lot of stress and expense by investigating how others feel about the car dealer. The time it takes is nothing compared to the time you can waste at a sheisty dealer.

Never turn over your trade-in keys to the salesperson before the deal is finalized. Some pushy salespeople will hang onto them in an effort to pressure you into hearing them out, even after you have turned down a deal. Keep the keys in your possession and only hand them over when the deal is done.

If you are shopping for a new car, you might want to leave your kids at home. They might have a good time going on a test drive or two, but they will usually end up being bored. This will make it difficult to focus on the task at hand and could possibly end up costing you money.

A great way to test out a car is to rent the model you desire. If you really desire to get a good feel for your potential vehicle, an extended rental is the way to go. Test drive the vehicle with your family and test different speeds so that you can figure out whether this vehicle is right for you. This is an easy way to get lots of first hand experience with a vehicle before making the purchase commitment.

If you are trying to determine your trade-in value for your current vehicle, be sure to take it to a few dealers. By going to a few different dealers, you’ll be able to get a rough estimate of how much your car is actually worth. This will allow you to turn down low ball offers that someone may make for your car.

Speak with the car dealer about his return policy. You may even want to get the policy in writing. Even if you have test driven the car and everything seems fine, you never know what could happen later that day or week. It’s important that you know what the dealer’s policy is on returning it in case something should happen.

If you are considering trading your car in when purchasing a car, you should take your car into a neutral place to get it appraised. You want to be sure that you are getting a fair value for your car when trading it in. Be sure to include an adjustment for what you will be saving regarding taxes.

Speak with the dealer to make sure your car is available. If you visit the dealership without doing that, the salesperson will try to sell you any car that is on the lot. For example, if you want a 4-door car and the dealership does not have any to offer, you have wasted your time. Instead, call the dealership and ask.

Don’t overlook gas mileage. An car may be cheaper to buy, but a poor fuel economy can render your savings moot. Keep this in mind before you buy a car if you want to save money for the long term.

Take extra care when car shopping if you are a female. The sad fact is that some salespeople believe that women are uninformed buyers and will try to take advantage. Arm yourself with research on prices ahead of time, and don’t be afraid to walk away if your salesperson seems condescending.

You need to test drive the car when you are buying it. Many problems don’t appear until you turn a certain way or reach a specific speed. Push the car in as many ways as you can think before you sign any papers.

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.

Plan to buy at the end of the year if you can. This is the time when the best deals are available; not only is the calendar changing over, but new vehicles are rolling on to the lot. Begin shopping in October, although keep in mind that December might be the best month to get a low price.

With this knowledge in your mind and this article in your hand, you’ll be prepared for anything the salesperson throws at you. You will know what you want and how to get it, and that gives you the power. The next step is to find the lot you want to visit and take it over with your confidence.