How to Start Your Car Search

One of the most important aspects of car shopping is planning for your purchase. Before you begin shopping for your new or used car, you want to make sure you're prepared. Here are some questions to ask as you're getting started:

- How soon will I need a car?
- What type of car do I want?
- What type of car do I need?
- What can I afford?
- What's the best way to go about finding a car?
- What strategies shall I employ?

Car buying can be a frustrating experience when you're not prepared, but by asking and answering some questions upfront it will make your experience a much smoother one. You don't want to find yourself without a car or a plan. Here are a few tips to get you started:

Research - The more educated you are about the process, the better off you'll be. Research is important to starting your car search because it gives you perspective. Research helps you clarify a few things like: What type of car do I want, what's the value, selling price, good and bad qualities, etc.

Cars, like people, have flaws. It doesn't matter whether you're buying new or used, there will be some great selling points and some negative ones. Find out as much as you can about your car of choice, what people like and what they don't like. For most people, pricing is an important factor, so have some ideas before you start shopping around. Arm yourself with information before you go into the dealership so you're not at a disadvantage.

Shop around - Take some time to look around, see what's out there and make some decisions on what type of car you really want. Think about it: How many people do you know that purchase the first home they look at? Not many, right? Now consider that buying a car is the 2nd largest purchase you'll probably make so you need to make sure you have what you want. Shopping around for a car has gotten a lot easier, thanks to the internet, which allows you to maximize your time and do a lot of research and shopping without having to leave the comforts of your home. Start by visiting some of the dealership sites. You'll feel a lot less pressure. This way you don't have to worry about the tactics of aggressive sales personnel, feeling rushed, or ambushed. You can also visit dealerships in your area. Dedicate one or two days just for looking. Take a friend and make a day of it. Visit different dealerships, talk to different sales staff, drive the cars around and then go back and do more research if you have to.

Get Organized - Finding a car is not always an easy process. Most people on average spend a few months before they find the car they want. Of course you can find a car a lot sooner than that. It really depends on your personal time frame, objectives, etc. The previous steps are all part of the organization process, but take it a step further so that once you begin looking at the cars, you'll have everything in order.
Author:Sheronde Glover