Car Buying Tips

1. New or Used? - New cars come with warranties and peace of mind, but that comes at a price. Sometimes a used car can be a better deal, especially if you find one with low mileage that is also in good condition.


2. Ask Your Mechanic - Your local trusted mechanic makes a living fixing cars and will be able to recommend trustworthy and low-maintenance cars to you.


3. Have an Ownership Plan - Knowing what you are going to do with the car during your ownership of it is important. Some people habitually trade cars in every few years for a newer model, while other drive theirs until it falls apart. Having such a plan can be beneficial in choosing what car to buy.


4. Consider Something Common - The average price for an oil change for a 2006 Mercedes is about $75 (using Mobil1 oil), and that adds up really quickly. A slightly less upscale car, such as the Infiniti G35x or Acura TL, will run fine on a standard $40 oil change,and will also save you money when buying parts such as brakes.


5. Buy Something You Like - This sounds obvious, but there are people who buy something because it is popular or trendy, only to sell it a few years later because they ended up not actually liking it. In a country like the U.S. where people spend a lot of time in their cars, liking what you drive is pretty important.


6. Buy What You Can Afford - Car financing is a tricky business. If you don't know what you are doing, it can result in some major headaches. Chances are that three years from now, having that expensive, flashy car won't seem all that important. It's not worth risking your financial security.


7. Pay as Big a Down-Payment As Possible - Going into debt is rarely a good thing, and when you’re dealing with cars (products that depreciate rapidly) you want to pay as much cash upfront as you can in order to avoid possibly owing more than your car is worth down the road.


8. Buying Something That Fits Your Needs - Do you need a flashy car to take clients out in? Do you need the space of a minivan or SUV for your family needs, or will a sedan suffice? Questions like these are important to ask so that you don't end up buying a car that is impractical.


9. Consider Your Location - Where you live could mean the difference between a car with front or rear-wheel-drive, or choosing whether or not to buy an All-Wheel-Drive vehicle. Residents in cold climates might want to avoid convertibles - while those living further south might not need the rugged capabilities of a Land Rover.


10. Buy Proven Technology - Some might remember the years of refining it took for BMW to finally get its iDrive vehicle control system perfected. Though it debuted in 2001 as a feature of the 7 Series, it was buggy and took quite a while before BMW started using it in its other cars. This proves that buying yesterday's solid, proven technology can save a lot of headaches.

These ten tips will be a useful guide in helping you decide what car to buy. There are a lot of things to think about when buying a new car, and making wise decisions now could make the difference between buying a car you'll love and buying a car that will cause you nothing but problems. Choose wisely!