Should You Buy a New or Used Car?
It used to be a no-brainer - when it came to buying a car, it was almost always better to buy used instead of new.
Not anymore.
Used car prices are the highest in years and will remain that way until 2013.
Currently there's a shortage of 2- to 5-year old used cars which makes them hard to find � and expensive.
Leasing hit a low point, which means lease returns will decrease over the next few years. Dealers depend on lease returns and trades for their used-car inventory.
While used car prices are higher, new car prices are lower.
Manufacturers are offering huge incentives (rebates, low-interest loans, special lease deals, etc.) on last year's models as well as brand new 2011 models. In many cases, these incentives actually make a new car cheaper than its previous year used model.
Still, if you're buying an older used car in good condition, the old rules still apply.
But if looking for a relatively new used-car, compare the price with the deal you can get on a brand new model. Even if the used model is cheaper, consider the full new-car warranty, lemon law protection, and updated features of the brand new car.
3 Steps Every Car Buyer Needs to Take to Save Maximum Money
The key to getting the best deal is to gather price or lease bids from as many local dealers as possible. Then shop that best price around until no one can beat it. Here are the steps:Step 1 Get Prices From My Trusted Network
Select the vehicle you're interested in to see if there are local dealers in my network who will provide you with their best upfront price. You will get direct access to an internet sales manager who you can further negotiate with online (no need to visit dealership).Step 2 Get Prices From TrueCar / CarsDirect
TrueCar, and CarsDirect are my top 2 online price quote recommendations. These services show you pre-negotiated prices from dealers closest to you - and the deals are usually pretty decent. But remember, you can still negotiate further.Step 3 Complete my Checklist
Follow this up with my checklist to make sure you squeeze out every last bit of savings.- Gregg Fidan
Each week, I'll keep you up-to-date on the latest car deals and news that might affect your purchase. This includes...
- Best Rebates, Incentives, and Lease Deals
- Latest Car Buying Scams and Tricks
- The Best & Worst Time to Buy a Car
- Which Cars You Should Avoid
About The Author
Gregg Fidan is the founder of RealCarTips. After being ripped off on his first car purchase, he devoted several years to figuring out the best ways to avoid scams and negotiate
the best car deals. He has written hundreds of articles on the subject of car buying and taught thousands of car shoppers how to get the best deals.
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