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Is it Time to Trade in Your Car?
March 12, 2015
Figuring out if it's really time to trade in your current car for a new one can be tricky. Every day we are bombarded by advertisements for new vehicles and it sometimes can be hard to resist the pull of the "new shiny."
Consumer Reports understands this and recently published a very thorough article on how car owners can honestly determine when it's time for a new vehicle.
Consumer Reports breaks it all down to three "musts" to help you figure out when it's time for a new car. The first is money -- how much money will a new car will save you in fuel costs, maintenance and repairs? Second is safety -- having a car with basic safety features is paramount. And lastly it's all about the features that help you stay connected, such as Bluetooth or built-in navigation.
To help make the thought process even easier, Consumer Reports put all this information in an easy-to-understand infographic, which I have included below.
And if you do find it's time to purchase a new car, remember to use TrueCar No Haggle and CarsDirect for the best prices in your area.
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).Select Vehicle to Get Local Pricing
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
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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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