Tips to Buy a New Car

11 Questions to Help You Make the Right Choice

Couple car shopping at a dealer

With so many new cars (and trucks, SUVs, hybrids and "crossovers") to choose from, how to buy a new car that's right for you?

It's easy to go on looks alone, of course, but down that road lies trouble (very much like picking a spouse on the basis of looks alone).

Or you can focus on the price of your new car, but if you do that to the exclusion of other considerations, such as comfort, safety or reliability, it's not likely you'll be happy with your "bargain."

So where to begin?

To make sure you buy a new car that fits your needs, start by answering these 10 questions:

• 1. Do I prefer a domestic or an import brand? Does it matter?
• 2. Do I need (or just want) a large new car, a medium-sized new car -- or a small one?
• 3. Do I need (or just want) a vehicle with rear-wheel drive, front-wheel drive or some sort of all-wheel-drive/4x4 system?
• 4. Do I prefer a soft ride, a firm, "sporty" ride -- or something in-between?
• 5. How important is power/performance? Do I need (or just want) a new car that can do 150 mph?
• 6. Do I need (or just want) a vehicle that can carry cargo? How much?
• 7. What kind of gas mileage is acceptable -- and what's not? Is my personal "tipping point" at least 28 mpg -- or is 16 mpg OK if the car otherwise meets my needs?
• 8. How about safety? Are crash-test scores very important? The presence (or absence) of features like side-curtain air bags, stability control and brake assist?
• 9. What level of warranty coverage meets my expectations? Is three years/36,000 miles enough? Or is the minimum five years/50,000 miles?
• 10. Is resale/trade-in value a big consideration? Some brands hold their value much better than others.
• Your answers to the above will automatically exclude a number of makes/models, narrowing your pool of possible candidates considerably. Now the biggest question:
• 11. How much do you want to spend?

Never, ever plan to buy a new car without thoroughly figuring out beforehand the maximum amount of money you're comfortable spending -- and stick to it. This will keep you on budget and help you dodge the "low monthly payment" shuck and jive that often gets unsuspecting new car buyers in way over their heads. Be sure to include everything in the bottom line, too. That means finance charges, interest, taxes, insurance, everything you will need to spend to own and drive the car.

Tips About Buying A Used Car

If you're thinking about buying a used vehicle, be sure to have the car carefully inspected by your mechanic to make sure it is running properly. A car that is improperly tuned or that has a bad engine or transmission will run poorly and use energy inefficiently.

Used vehicles have many more years of life in them, and driving them helps extend their total energy life cycle - the amount of energy needed to get the raw materials to build and deliver the vehicle to the consumer.

You may consider buying a used hybrid vehicle, but be aware that these cars may carry a premium because they are in relatively high demand.

Bloom, vice president for cardetective.com, said that college students are at high risk of getting conned when it comes to buying a used car.

"College students are inundated with advertising messages," according to a press release from the Federal Trade Commission. "Marketers target students with high pressure -- and sometimes unscrupulous -- pitches."

Bloom agreed with this statement, saying, "[A] college student would be easier to con ... not because he or she isn't smart, but because they more often lack the car-buying experience that would make them more discerning shoppers."

Bloom added that students tend to be interested in the price range that used car advertisements, whether legitimate or not, publicize.

Ernie Gray, owner of Gray's Car Sales, said one telltale sign that a seller might be trying to con you is if they say that anything is "perfect."

University of California-Davis junior Travis Nelson, who has bought three used cars in his lifetime, suggested that students find out the classification of the cars they are

Before you buy the car, there are a few final tips you can follow. You can call the U.S. Department of Transportation's Auto Safety Hotline at(800) 424-9393 to find out information on recalls. The FTC pamphlet also encourages prospective buyers to contact their local consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau to gain access to any unresolved complaints on file about a particular dealer.

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