I have always purchased my cars used. And every single time, I got a great deal because of a few secrets that is easy to do.

These secrets will save you money. And the good news is there is no luck involved.

If you follow these steps you are guaranteed to save lots of money, so please pay attention.

BUYING A USED CAR Power Tip #1 - Check Consumer Reports on the safest cars out there. Looks are one thing, but never ignore safety.

Here’s what you do: Go to a reputable car repair shop and ask if you can bring the vehicle by for a look-over.

There is a 99% chance they will say “yes”.

While you’re there, ask what cars they have to repair most often. Also, ask what the inspection includes, how long it takes, and the price. Always get this information in writing - just to be safe.

Once the vehicle has been inspected, ask the mechanic for a written report with a cost estimate for all necessary repairs.

Be sure the report includes the vehicle’s make, model and VIN. If you decide to make an offer to the dealer after approving the inspection, you can use the estimated repair costs to negotiate the price of the vehicle.

Do you see how easy it is?

Are you going to purchase from an individual? If yes, then here is your next tip.

BUYING A USED CAR Power Tip #2

Remember, private sellers generally are not covered by the Used Car Rule and don’t have to use the Buyers Guide. However, you can use the Guide’s list of an auto’s major systems as a shopping tool.

It’s simple.

You can ask the seller if you can have the vehicle inspected by your mechanic. If he/she says no… beware. No matter how nice the car appears, something fishy is going on.

Now, a private sale likely will be on an “as is” basis, unless your purchase agreement with the seller specifically states otherwise. If you have a written contract, the seller has to live up to the contract.

The car also may be covered by a manufacturer’s warranty or a separately purchased service contract. But that doesn’t mean that the warranty and service contract are transferable.

Plus, other limits or costs may apply. Before you buy the car, ask if it’s still under warranty or service contract, and review that baby carefully.

Some states will require vehicle sellers to pass a vehicle inspection before a sale is made. That’s not always the case, though. To find out what your state requires, contact your state Attorney General’s office or a local consumer protection agency.

Hey, it’s just a phone call. And it will take less than 5 minutes.

Whether you end up buying a used car from a dealer, a co-worker, or a neighbor, follow these tips to learn as much as you can about the car:

BUYING A USED CAR Power Tip #3

Examine the car carefully yourself using an inspection checklist. You can find a checklist in many of the magazine articles, books and Internet sites that deal with buying a used car.

Once I bought a used car in August, and never thought to test the rear defroster. Guess what? Come November, I found out it didn’t work. If you’re shopping in the summer, don’t forget to check the heater. And if it’s cold as ice outside, still turn that air on full blast and make sure it works!

Test drive the car under varied road conditions–on hills, highways, and in stop-and-go traffic.

Ask for the car’s maintenance record. If the owner doesn’t have copies, contact the dealership or repair shop where most of the work was done. They may share their files with you.

Talk to the previous owner, especially if the present owner is unfamiliar with the car’s history.

Have the car inspected by a mechanic you hire.

There you go.

Follow those three “used car buying” tips and you are guaranteed to save a ton of money buying a used car.

About the author:

Charlie E. Hendersen is the author and creator of the FREE website: GetAnotherCar.com”>http://getanothercar.com”>GetAnotherCar.com A site dedicated to providing useful tips for buying and maintaining your car. -

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According to NADA, almost no single car model is sold at the same fixed price by car dealerships in a particular area. Every buyer receives a different final new car price quote.

In other words every Honda Accord buyer in your area would have paid a different price for the car based on which car dealer they went to and how well they negotiated the price. Therefore, there is no level playing field on buying a new car.

As you may have guessed, this translates to either visiting as many car dealers in your area as your time permits or negotiating really hard with a shrewd car dealer.

My 7 hassle-free tips to buying a new car will certainly help you save money and pay one of the lowest prices in your area for any new car.

1.Finalize what car model you want and how much you re willing to spend. This way you ll be less pressured into making hasty decisions.

2.Identify two other competing car models that you might consider buying or can use as a negotiating leverage with car dealers.

By doing this you re showing the car dealer you have done your research and are not emotionally attached to this particular model (even though you may be).

3.Collect Internet new car price quotes for 3 competing car models. Do not step into a dealership without getting online new car price quotes. “>www.autoauctionbids.com”>www.autoauctionbids.com is a good website to receive new car price quotes from multiple local dealers rather than just 1 car dealer as in the case of most Internet websites. Through magazines and publication, identify the dealer invoice price.

4.Take these new car price quotes and invoice price information to the car dealers who provided the online new car price quote to you.
This not only shows the car dealer you have done your research, but also shows you are serious about buying a car.

5.Now that you have invoice price & new car price quotes from 3 competing car models, stick to the total price of the car during negotiations. The car dealer may lead you to monthly payments, trade-ins etc., but only focus on negotiating the final price down.

6.During the negotiation, mention about an even lower new car price quote received on a competing car from “>www.autoauctionbids.com”>www.autoauctionbids.com. See if the dealer would match or beat it. Leave if you have to and see if the car dealer calls you back.

7.At this point, you are already getting a great deal on the car you want, so you can always go back to that dealership and buy the car at that price, which is probably the lowest price in town.

The advantage of this process is that, you re not engaging in much face to face negotiation with the car dealer, since you already have some facts to share like the new car price quote and invoice price.

However, the disadvantage of this is that the car dealer who made the lowest new car price quote on “>www.autoauctionbids.com”>www.autoauctionbids.com, will pretty much be the lowest price you would pay for the car.

You may be leaving money on the table unless you keep going back and forth from dealership to dealership to see if they would beat you new low new car price quote.

An alternative to this and the ultimate hassle free way to buying a new car would be to continue negotiating on the Internet. AutoAuctionBids.com allows buyers to send back the lowest price quote received for a particular car to all participating dealers.

The car dealers can view this lowest new car price quote and submit a lower quote. Another participating dealer can view this new low price and submit an even lower price.

This can go on for up to 3 days and at the end of the car auction, buyers can contact the lowest bidding car dealer and buy the car most of the time at below invoice price.

The best part of it all is that you can conduct 3 separate auctions for all 3 competing cars absolutely free, with no obligation to buy at the end of the auction.

In summary, remember all new car price quotes are different and car dealers will make a hefty profit if you cannot provide facts about competing dealer new car price quotes and competing car models new car price quotes. Collect these prices first and no negotiation will be required.

About the Author

Prashant Desai, author of various consumer tips articles and industry expert for AutoAuctionBids.com. Email him at p_desai@autoauctionbids.com to sign up for e-Newsletter and visit “>www.autoauctionbids.com”>www.autoauctionbids.com for more information. -

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