Everyone needs to head to a car dealer occasionally, even if it is dreaded. It can be hard to grasp all the possibilities when it comes to options, how to get the price you want and how to win the negotiation game. The article below contains standard advice you need to know.

Before beginning your car shopping journey map out exactly how much of a payment you can afford. Take the time to write out a budget and see how much money is left over each month. By doing this one step, you can avoid getting into a situation where you put a financial strain on your budget.

Watch out for the up sells in the financing office. When you reach the financing office, you will always be offered an extended warranty, interior protection, gap insurance and other such add ons. Make sure that you understand these well before making a decision to purchase them. Most are not worth the money you will spend, and you’re better off saving each month in the event that you need a repair or your interior gets a stain.

Prior to even stepping foot in a dealership, you need to know what kind of car you want. If you have kids, maybe you should be looking for a van or large SUV. If it is just you, maybe you want something more sportier. Either way, knowing what you want will make the whole process of shopping for a car easier.

Shop around before you even go to the dealership. If you spend some time on local dealer’s websites, you can learn about incentives that are offered. If you know what one dealership is offering, you can use it as a negotiating point and may be able to get a better deal.

Make sure your financing is in order prior to shopping for a car. You can do this through your local credit union or bank. You will get a much better interest rate by doing this.

Check out the maker’s site if you want to customize your car. While the cars on the dealership lot may be the kind of car, you want, a number of car manufacturers give you the opportunity to customize the car a bit with color and features. You may have to wait a few weeks more to get your car, but it might be worth it.

Due diligence should be exercised when planning your car budget. It is imperative that you take a full and realistic look at your budget. Not only must you consider a car payment, you must also consider insurance, gas and maintenance for the vehicle. There is nothing worse than having a vehicle that you cannot afford to drive.

Set a spending limit before shopping for your new car. It is easy to get swayed by pushy salesmen or a nice leather interior, but it is important that you stay within your budget. You may like the cause of spending extra, but you will not like it when it comes time to pay for it.

Check a vehicle’s overall consumer rating before you make a purchase. The great thing about consumer reports is that you can save yourself from making a bad purchase very easily. These reports can tell you how much you should expect to spend on repairs and how long the vehicle will last on average.

If you’re worried about your credit score, you can check your credit report before you go to the dealership. It’s free to check your credit report once a year, so take advantage of that. By knowing your credit before you go to the dealership, you’ll be able to determine if you’d be able to qualify for any low interest financing offers.

Many people who have bad credit end up at a buy-here pay-here dealership. Be very careful of these types of dealers. Usually they buy cars at auction for little money and the majority of the money they make is off of the high interest rates they charge. If you have any choice, always get a loan from a bank, not the dealership.

When purchasing a car, do not fall for the salesman’s ploy that you must make a deal now to get the special pricing. Instead, tell the salesman you are going to get something to eat and will return in an hour. This will allow time for your emotional attachment to lessen making you able to negotiate the best terms and price.

Find out all you can about rebates. You can either get a cash rebate, low loan interest rate or the dealer themselves gets the rebate in cash. It is the manufacturer who offers these rebates, not the dealership. This will only be available on cars available on the lot, of course.

You should never even consider purchasing a car before you test drive it. In fact, before giving a test drive and general overview of the car, you need to assume it is horrible. The car needs to prove itself to you, so don’t fall in love with a specific car and then try to justify its value.

Ask people you know about where they bought their vehicle and their experience. You can learn a lot from other people’s experience, which can save you a lot of time and money. Do not be shy about it. People usually enjoy sharing their experiences with others, whether they be good or bad.

The first offer a salesman gives you won’t be the lowest possible offer. Give them another counter offer, and they’ll give it to their manager. The price should lower at this point. They should come back with a rock-bottom price at this point in the process.

Get the car you want at a price point you love, even if it is difficult. However, if you have some excellent knowledge when going into a dealership, you are much more likely to succeed. Use the information here when you go to purchase another car. You should be able to negotiate some good deals in the showroom.