- 1). Leave yourself at least one or two months to find the right car.
- 2). Calculate how much money you have to spend. Take into account sales tax, registration costs and insurance.
- 3). Obtain financing (if necessary) before you find the car you want, even if buying from a used-car dealer.
- 4). Decide what type of car you would like: four-door, two-door, hatchback, station wagon, sports utility vehicle, sports car, pickup truck, two or four wheel drive and so on.
- 5). Decide which options are necessary for you: air conditioning, sunroof, power steering, air bags, anti-lock brakes and so on.
- 6). Test-drive as many different cars as possible to get a feel for what suits you best. Test-drive friend's cars, cars at used car lots and cars advertised for sale.
- 7). Check the Kelly Blue Book value of the car you have in mind. This figure will help you bargain, if necessary.
- 8). Check Consumer Reports' car issue for information about the make and model car you have under consideration.
- 9). Look in the classified section of your local paper, the Auto Trader and online for the car you have selected.
- 10
Visit several used-car dealers and tell them what you want. Leave your name and number so that they can call you if they get the car you want in stock. - 11
Test-drive any prospective car. - 12
Bring any prospective cars to a mechanic for a "prepurchase inspection" before buying.
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