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Question: I plan to buy a new car this fall, and I've never had a new
car. How can I get the best deal?
Answer: Your challenge is to have as much information as you can so
that, when you find the car you like best, you can buy it for a good
price.
A first step for most people is a visit to the
library. Check out the April issue of Consumer Reports
magazine and compare models, features,
safety, reliability information and prices. The brief reviews of
features, ride, steering and comfort of 2001 cars will give you a start
in narrowing your choices for the 2002 models.
Consumer Reports gives their test reports for braking performance,
emergency handling, visibility and seat comfort. They also use the
federal crash-test results to rate vehicles on crash protection. If you
don't want a car that ends up in the service department over and over
again, you'll also want to check out the frequency-of-repair charts.
Based on readers' annual survey responses, more than 500,000 vehicles
are rated from worse-than-average to better-than-average on reliability.
This information alone may save you thousands of dollars.
Let's say you've decided that four different cars would work for you.
Now you'll want to go to the computer section of the library to get
really specific information. The www.auto.com Web site scans newspaper
columns across the country that have evaluated various vehicles. Some
articles are helpful and others are general, but it's a start.
Up-to-date car reviews can be found at www.cars.com. Select each of the
four cars you're considering and you'll find information about exterior,
interior, engine and driving impressions. Because reviewer impressions
may differ, try these sites as well: www.autoweb.com and
www.carpoint.msn.com.
When you're ready to buy, try these sites: Start with
www.carpoint.msn.com, where you'll learn the base retail price range.
You can decide about options by pricing them separately. By submitting
your name and contact information, you'll get real prices from nearby
dealers for the cars and the features you want. Additional sites that
will send you local price information are www.autobytel.com and
www.autovantage.com. Of course, don't forget to check your local
dealers, but go armed with all the critical information that you've
carefully researched.
For more information, contact your local
Colorado State University Extension office. |
