The first car you own may or may not be a new one, but when you are ready to buy a car that is brand new, understanding the process will make things easier. New car shopping is hard because there are a lot of salespeople in the industry that can be a little tough to work with. They only get paid if you buy, so they may try to steer you to a car just to get that sale and paycheck.

Shop Around for a Car

There was a time that you could stop by a car lot after hours to browse the selection before you talked to a salesperson. That is hard to do now because the dealers are open longer and on the weekends these days. When you decide to go look at cars, be sure to stick to your goals and plan for the day. If you are not ready to buy, tell the salesperson you want to look around a little before you make any decisions. If they do not give you some space, go to another dealer and look there. Shopping around is a good idea anyway, and if you have not made a decision about what you want to buy, you should not be forced into a purchase you will regret later.

Know Before You Go

One of the things that is important to know is your credit score and condition before you start looking around. If you have a good credit score, it will be easier to get financing for the car you decide on, but if your score is borderline, let the salesperson know so they can talk to the finance manager and determine if they can get you the loan before you get you fall in love with that perfect new car. In some cases, they can get you financed but will require a large down payment or a high interest rate on the loan. Know what your budget is and stick to it. If they can not get you a loan that fits your needs, try another dealer.

Set Your Price and Stick to It

One of the hardest things to do is set a price or payment limit and stick to it. If you set the payment limit and the dealer wants to go five or ten dollars more, let them know that is not acceptable. It is common that a $400.00 a month budget turns into $425.00 a month. People will often let that go because they want the car, and the dealer knows this. That $25 a month adds up to hundreds of dollars a year that you did not plan for or might not be able to afford. Set your price and stick to it. If it is the difference between selling the car or not, the dealer will find a way to trim a little off to get your auto loans in the amount you need them to be.