New Car Prices Hit Record Highs
Car prices are at their highest levels in history.
In May, the average price of a new car was $29,817 - up $608 from a year ago and $215 more than the previous month's prices.
Some manufacturers have raised prices more than others.
Ford's average price is $32,885 - a 5.2% increase from last year.
Hyundai and Kia have the lowest average prices with a current average of $19,217.
These nasty sticker prices reflect a tight supply for new cars thanks to the earthquake in Japan.
So what should a car buyer do? If you can wait, your best bet may be to buy at the end of the year when supplies are expected to be back to normal.
You can also look forward to lower prices on any leftover 2011 models.
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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