Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Car Bargains in Soft Economy: Advice from Kiplinger's

"As good as the deals are on new cars, they’re even sweeter for used ones, as used-car dealers cut prices to compete." That's the word from the May issue of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, which provides these bargain-hunting tips:

· Getting a Deal. Check dealer inventory and preview private listings on Web sites such as http://www.autotrader.com/ and http://www.cars.com/. If you’re willing to search the entire U.S., you may pay thousands of dollars less Late model luxury cars, for example, are often cheaper in the Southwest than on either coast.

· Recipe for Success. Once you decide on a make and model, see what others are paying for it by visiting Kelly Blue Book and NADA Guide sites. Get details on at least five cars before heading to the dealer so you have more bargaining clout.

· Certified Pre-Owned. Choose from the crème de la crème of previously owned vehicles through a certified pre-owned program. Warranties and perks on these models can be generous—and, under a certified program, you may qualify for low-rate financing from the manufacturer. "

The article is available at:

1 comment:

Chief Family Officer said...

We bought a new car last month and even though we negotiated a price that was $500 under invoice and very close to canceling out the dealer holdback, the salesman was wonderfully aggressive about wanting to make the sale. However, they were less enthusiastic about the same deal at a different dealership - so maybe it didn't have that much to do with the state of the economy after all.