Buying
A New Car
A new
car is second only to a home as the most expensive purchase many
consumers make. According to the National Automobile Dealers Association,
the average price of a new car sold in the United States as of June
1998 was $23,480. Thats why its important to know how
to make a smart deal.
Buying
Your New Car
Think about what car model and options you want and how much youre
willing to spend. Do some research. Youll be less likely to
feel pressured into making a hasty or expensive decision at the
showroom and more likely to get a better deal.
Consider
these suggestions:
Check
publications at a library or bookstore, or on the Internet, that
discuss new car features and prices. These may provide information
on the dealers costs for specific models and options.
Shop around to get the best possible price by comparing models and
prices in ads and at dealer showrooms. You also may want to contact
car-buying services and broker-buying services to make comparisons.
Plan to negotiate on price. Dealers may be willing to bargain on
their profit margin, often between 10 and 20 percent. Usually, this
is the difference between the manufacturers suggested retail
price (MSRP) and the invoice price.
Because the price is a factor in the dealers calculations
regardless of whether you pay cash or finance your car and
also affects your monthly payments negotiating the price
can save you money.
Consider ordering your new car if you dont see what you want
on the dealers lot. This may involve a delay, but cars on
the lot may have options you dont want and that can
raise the price. However, dealers often want to sell their current
inventory quickly, so you may be able to negotiate a good deal if
an in-stock car meets your needs.
Learning the Terms
Negotiations often have a vocabulary of their own. Here are some
terms you may hear when youre talking price.
Invoice
Price is the manufacturers initial charge to the dealer.
This usually is higher than the dealers final cost because
dealers receive rebates, allowances, discounts, and incentive awards.
Generally, the invoice price should include freight (also known
as destination and delivery). If youre buying a car based
on the invoice price (for example, "at invoice," "$100
below invoice," "two percent above invoice"), and
if freight is already included, make sure freight isnt added
again to the sales contract.
Base Price is the cost of the car without options, but includes
standard equipment and factory warranty. This price is printed on
the Monroney sticker.
Monroney Sticker Price (MSRP) shows the base price, the manufacturers
installed options with the manufacturers suggested retail
price, the manufacturers transportation charge, and the fuel
economy (mileage). Affixed to the car window, this label is required
by federal law, and may be removed only by the purchaser.
Dealer Sticker Price, usually on a supplemental sticker,
is the Monroney sticker price plus the suggested retail price of
dealer-installed options, such as additional dealer markup (ADM)
or additional dealer profit (ADP), dealer preparation, and undercoating.
Next
"Financing Your New Car"
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