How to.....Buy a New Car

Buying a new car: it can be an ordeal. But then it doesn't have to be.
with a proper plan and knowledge of what's available, you can still get
the car you wnat, equipped the way you want it, at a fair price.

Below, the five (5) steps to blissed-out car buying:

1. Find out what the dealer paid for the car
Easier said than done in the Jamaican market, but
ascertaining the dealer price is critical to negotiation.
A good source is the Kelley Blue Book(check with JAMPRO), or you can
go on to the Consumer Reports website


2.Know Your Negotiating Room
Either of the documents mentioned
above will give you an idea of the leeway
you have between the dealer price and the
manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP)
or sticker price.


3. Always Bargain Up
Don't be intimidated by the salesperson.
Always baragin using the invoice price, never
down from the sticker price. If the car you
want is in tight supply, you may have to pay full price,
otherwise 10-15% over the invoice price is
reasonable for popular models.


4. Be wary
The sales manager or sales rep may try
to upsell you, that is persuade to try a higher-priced
model for the sake of added features. Don't jump
into these arrangements, they usually don't
provide the value you're expecting over the
long term.Weigh the dealer's terms carefully
and stick as close as possible to your guns.


5. Consider the trade-in
You'll need to have an idea of
your car's re-sale value. Find out
from the dealer their disposition to trade-ins
and then compare to open market prices (which
can be had by scanning the Auto Classifieds of
the Sunday papers)