How to Compare Car Prices
Shopping for a new, or new to you, car is stressful. Car dealers bombard you with offers, deals and commercials, so how can you know when the deal you have found is the best deal available? Unfortunately, it takes quite a bit of research to compare car prices and find out where the best deals lie.
- Make a list of all the car models you are interested in pricing. Also list what features you want in your new car. Do you need air conditioning? Is satellite radio a must?
- Research each model with a respected and legitimate resource, such as "Car and Driver" or "Consumer Reports." These organizations give unbiased overviews and ratings of different vehicles. Eliminate any cars from your list that have bad ratings.
- Contact your local car dealers or visit their websites to check pricing on the remaining cars on your list. Make sure that the options you want most are included in the prices that you get.
- Look for special deals or incentives from the car dealers. Many have limited time pricing or deals for specific groups of people. Make sure you ask, because some of these incentives not may be advertised.
- Remove any cars from the list that are out of your budget or more expensive than other comparable vehicles with the same set of features.
- Call the car dealers and ask if any other deals are available. Since this process can take some time, it may be a few weeks after your initial check. Let the car dealer know the lowest price you've found for the vehicle and the features you want. Ask if they can match that pricing.