Money-saving information on new cars, new car prices,
used cars, used car prices, auto loans and auto insurance. Includes tips and
online resources for car buying, auto leasing, automobiles, new autos, new
trucks and lots more. Free quotes!
New Cars, New Car Prices
Money Saving Tips for Car Buyers--
First, do your homework. Learn all you can
about dealer tricks because they can quickly erase any discounts or other
savings that you think you're getting. Car dealers spend millions of dollars
training their salespeople to get more money out of customers, and if you
don't know the tricks they use, you could be overcharged by thousands of
dollars. Find out the dealer's real cost on the car (it's typically
less than invoice) and the prices that smart shoppers are paying for that car,
then research any other items you might want (loans, extended warranties, car
alarms, etc.). Shop around for competitive auto loan (or lease) rates at
banks, credit unions and lenders on the Web. When you find a great interest
rate, get pre-approved at that lender before you start negotiating with
dealers. If a dealer can beat the rate you found, let him finance the car -- on
a "simple interest" contract only. Otherwise, stick with your
pre-approved loan.
When you've finished your homework and you're
ready to buy (or lease), it's time for the negotiating process -- where
dealers quote prices and you make counter-offers. If you've done your homework
properly, this process should go faster and produce better results (i.e.,
lower prices). Use the Internet to get dealer quotes before you start
negotiating. To really make dealers compete for your business -- and drive the
price down -- get quotes from at least 5 dealers. When you get to the contract
stage, make sure the dealer doesn't slip any hidden charges into your loan or
lease. (This is known as "payment packing.") To avoid this common
rip-off, calculate your own monthly payments -- using a computer program just
like the dealers use. Finally, always negotiate the price of the car, not
the monthly payment.
Cars, Autos - Money Saving Resources:
CarInfo.com has searched the Web to find the
best car buying (and leasing) resources. These resources are listed below,
along with direct links to their sites.
New Car Prices, New Cars - free quotes/searches. Are you
looking for a new car or truck? Get free (no obligation) quotes and searches
from the following car buying services, then use those quotes to convince
other dealers to lower their prices. If the other dealers can't beat the
lowest Internet quote, you may have found the best possible deal on that car.
For quotes on new cars & trucks, click on Stoneage,
Autoweb,
VehiclesOnline,
InvoiceDealers, and CarsDirect. To make sure you're not missing out on a better
deal, get quotes from all six services!
Used Car Prices, Used Cars - free quotes/searches. To get
free (no obligation) quotes and searches on late-model used cars &
trucks, click on VehiclesOnline and Stoneage.
Make sure you're not missing out on a better deal -- get quotes from both
services!
Auto Loans Online. If the dealer is not offering
below-market rates, don't finance your car there. To help you shop around for
rates and loans, we've found two great online lenders. Both have posted rates,
payment calculators, online applications, competitive rates on new & used
cars, and quick service. They can also refinance your existing loan to lower
the interest rate, and PeopleFirst can provide financing for a
person-to-person used car sale. Apply online during normal business hours and
you'll usually get a decision within 1 or 2 hours. After you're approved and
you've signed the loan documents, you can get a check the next day. To compare
loan programs and rates, click on PeopleFirst and E-Loan. (If you don't qualify for a low interest rate at
one lender, try the other one.) Consumers with "less-than-perfect"
credit should try using AutoAgent.
This free service will act as your personal shopper to locate your next new or
used car, negotiate the price, and arrange the financing. Note: Be sure to
read the following section on Credit Reports.
Extended
Warranties, Service Contracts. If you're shopping for a new or used
car, you can protect yourself against most major repair bills by purchasing a
good extended warranty. But don't pay those high dealership prices just to get
a little peace of mind! Click on Warranty Gold
and Warranty Direct for free online quotes. Both companies
offer great extended warranties at discount prices, and they even run
occasional specials that make their deals even better -- so be sure to get
quotes from both. (If you already bought that new or used car, you might still
be able to get an extended warranty for it. See the two sites for details.)
Used Autos, Used Trucks - Vehicle History Reports. Don't
buy any used car or truck without checking its history first. Has it ever been
salvaged? Flooded? In a major accident? Odometer rolled back? Find out in
seconds when you order a Carfax Report online. Start with a free "Lemon
Check" to see if a vehicle has a lemon (buyback) history. Click
Here for Carfax.
Autos, Cars - More Resources:
Credit Reports. If you don't know what your credit report
looks like, get a copy of it before you apply for financing. This will
give you a chance to correct any mistakes that may be in your credit file. Why
is this important? Because "blemishes" on your credit will prevent
you from getting the lowest possible interest rate on a loan. Never agree to a
higher interest rate at the dealer without checking your credit report first
to see if the higher rate is justified. (And shop around for a better rate, of
course.) You can get copies of your credit report by clicking on Equifax and ConsumerInfo. Both offer free 30-day trial memberships in
their credit monitoring services, and Equifax offers a low-cost alternative
that gives you online access to your credit report (for 30 days) without
signing up for a long-term service.
Auto Leasing & Car Buying Software. Expert Lease Pro
software can save you money on your next lease or purchase. This easy-to-use
program will help you make the right lease vs. buy decision, avoid overcharges
and negotiate a better deal. Calculates payments, reveals true APRs on leases,
provides MSRP, invoice and residual data on all new cars & trucks. Warning:
Dealers use computer programs to manipulate the numbers and increase their
profits on new and used car transactions. If you don't have your own program
to figure out what's going on, you're a prime candidate for the "payment
packing" scam. (See the KCBS story on our front page.) To prevent dealers
from slipping hidden charges into your lease or loan, calculate your own
payments before signing any contracts. Click Here for Expert Lease Pro.
New Cars - The Real
"Dealer Cost" Numbers. This is where many new-car buyers
make two big mistakes: They don't know how to get the real dealer cost
number (it's usually a lot lower than dealer invoice), and they don't know
what smart shoppers are paying for the same car. So they end up overpaying,
sometimes by $500 to $1,000. Most of the free "dealer cost" info on
the Web is incomplete (secret payments and incentives to dealers are usually
missing), and random checks of the free dealer invoice numbers keep finding
inaccurate and/or outdated information. To avoid these expensive mistakes, get
your hands on a New Car Information Package from Fighting Chance before
signing any contracts. This package also comes with a "coach" -- a
live, new-car buying and leasing expert that you can talk to if you have any
questions. Click Here for
Fighting Chance.
Used Cars, Automobiles - Multiple
Quotes. To really make dealers compete for your business, use
CarBuyersAuction. Instead of getting a price quote from just one dealer, you
can now get competitive quotes from as many dealers as you want. All you do is
fill out one request form, specify how many dealers you want quotes from, then
wait for all the offers to come in! Click
Here for multiple quotes.
Car
Buying & Auto Leasing Services. Tests by consumer magazines have
shown that CarBargains consistently gets lower prices than any other new-car
buying service. If you hate haggling with salespeople, but you still want a
great deal, this is the service for you. Click Here for
CarBargains.
Auto Insurance Rates, Car Insurance Quotes. When you're
doing your homework to save money on that new or used car, don't forget to
shop around for insurance. InsWeb is a great place to start -- they offer free
online quotes from multiple insurance companies using just one application.
Depending on which state you live in, you could receive quotes from as many as
8-12 companies. (Available for cars and trucks only.) Click Here for Free InsWeb Quotes. Progressive Insurance also
offers free online quotes, plus rate comparisons with two major competitors.
Available for cars, trucks, motorcycles, RVs and watercraft. Click Here for Free Progressive Quotes.
Click Here - Free Searches/Quotes on New & Used
Cars, Trucks, Minivans, SUVs
Money Saving Books: Secure Online Ordering - 25% off!
What Car Dealers Don't Want You to Know.
This buyer's guide has been featured in a number of TV news programs. It was
the first book to expose leasing rip-offs and the first book to reveal
dealer's cost on extended warranties. This new edition contains worksheets and
payment tables for leasing and buying. If you don't know the secrets revealed
in this book, you will pay too much for your next new car or truck. Click Here for Dealer book info.
Leasing Lessons for Smart Shoppers. If
you're thinking about leasing, this is the book that dealers and leasing
companies don't want you to see. In fact, it's been used as a reference by
attorneys and prosecutors working on leasing fraud cases. (This book scooped
the national press by 19 months on the story of Ford's deceptive
leasing practices.) Read this before you lease to avoid common rip-offs
that could cost you thousands of dollars. Click Here
for Leasing book info.
What Auto Mechanics Don't Want You to Know.
This book has been featured in numerous TV news programs due to its shocking
exposés on auto repair fraud, a practice that costs consumers millions of
dollars every year. Do you know which well-known companies have been caught
(repeatedly) selling unnecessary repairs? Do you know how to find out about
secret warranties (not recalls) that provide free repairs? What you don't know
can cost you. Protect yourself -- read the book. Click Here for Mechanics book info.
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