Hokaida is buying a new car!

[Hokaida]

Okay so im buying my first car and I need tons of advice from the infinite widom of my elders. Anything from down payments to knowing how to not get sharked by a dealer. Really anything is helpful. I already have a car in mind http://www.kiasoul.com/ and it seems to fit my budget of what I can expect to pay monthly from what I understand (300-400 a month.)
Anyways, like I said any advice will be greatly appreciated <3.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a264/Hokaida/imagesCAQW36Y9.jpg http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a264/Hokaida/1204224181-4_-_Kia_SOUL_Burner_conc.jpg

[Gladerunner]

Cute...!

[Hokaida]

hey thats not advice! One of the big questions I have is how much of a down should I throw on it?

[Peikaboo]

i'll get my mom to post :p shes smert about these things.... i think...

[Kadryn]

hey thats not advice! One of the big questions I have is how much of a down should I throw on it?

All of this is just my opinion, but here goes.

Typically, 10% is a good down payment. I would suggest going through your credit union, assuming you use one. (I hate banks and for good reason, seeing how well they are faring the past couple years)

Something that you might want to keep in mind when it comes to getting your car: I'm not sure how well Kia's hold their resale value and every Kia I have ever seen has had problems (although they have done better the past couple years). Toyota & Honda hold resale value pretty well. And if you look at Mazdas, all of their models come with about 100HP more power than their equivalent competitor's model - Gotta love the ZOOM ZOOM! Also, be sure to look at the parts content (it's listed on the sale sticker). Japanese parts are very good and tend to last longer.

Oh and check out ebaymotors.com - A lot of times, you can find almost new (or new cars) at a lot cheaper price than you would find at your local dealerships.

Also, that Kia is fug dood.

[Predator]

The best thing to do is research the car really well.. and also if you have AAA you can get a discount with all your other discounts. %down is basically where you decide how much you want your monthly payments to be.

[sapstick]

Mazdas do not have 100 more HP than thier competitors....all cars in a class are roughly the same HP and fuel milage. in compact cars there is no way a car class that makes roughly 141HP on average is going to have a car that makes 240HP. Some brands offer car editions with larger motors, however you will only see a 10-30HP difference in small cars.

[Hokaida]

love you guys, yeah like i said the kia was a starting idea. Ebaymotors? Im going to have to scope that shit out asap. I read somewhere that a 20% down is the best thing you can do because in theory it puts you ahead on the curve so im not actually paying what I owe off, rather than paying for my actual car.

appreciate the advice <3

[Hotpopcorn]

Compare and compare! with info on line. I subscribed to consumer reports just for info when i was buying a car and it was worth the 20 bucks or so it costs. It compares stats cars you pick, shows what breaks down the most and if people are happy with it. If i still had a subscription i would let u use it but i don't have it any more. Shop the car, and then shop the loan. Go to your credit union or bank, see what they will offer. Ask what you can do to get a better deal and usually they will tell you (like add a cosigner or put x amout of dollars down). I don't trust dealer for loans since dateline or 20/20 exposed them for finding the highest rate loan and other hidden charges. But then sometimes they have the 0% deals! So talk to your bankers and they will tell you what to watch out for. Check other dealers and tell offers you have got and give opportunity to see it they want to beat it. Same with the loan. Even if you just use 2 sources, i'm sure you'll get a better deal. It might be a little more running around but you will be glad you did.

[Ratt]

What pred, kad, and peiks mom said...

My additions:

- Know what you want and how much you are willing to pay. Do all of your homework before you even go to a dealership. Check out all of the options you might be interested in and decide for certain which you want and which you dont want. Once everything is figured out and you have a reasonable price in mind, then go to a dealer. Dont let dealers talk you into things you have already decided you dont want, dont need, and are unwilling to pay for.

- Bring someone with you. You are less likely going to get taken advantage of if you have someone shopping with you. I would recommend bringing your parents because they have been around the block and while they may make car shopping more of an asspain, they will ensure that you dont commit to something stupid.

- Shop around. Be sure to check out multiple places for the car you want. They will all have different options available on the lot, different deals, and most importantly different sales people! The best types of places are the ones that do not pay their employees on commission. Find a "wholesale" dealer. These are typically not pushy and the most helpful, not to mention better deals.

- Let the sales clerks help you, but do not give them too much information. The more they know about you, the more they will be able to play you for more options and retarded shit that you dont need. If asked how much you are willing to pay, undercut it so you have some change to work with. Because once that number is on the table, it will only go up. This applies to the more common mass lot dealerships. Also, when test driving ensure that when they take your license that they DO NOT scan it and submit it for a credit check. This is illegal but a lot of places do it simply because the customer doesnt know what they are doing in the back with a copy of your license while you are gone.

- If you dont see what you want on the lot, it can be ordered. Dont let them make you think that you cant get EXACTLY what you want and whats on the lot is all that is available. They simply need to get rid of the lot cars first.

- Take your time. Car buying is a serious investment dont let them push you around, take control and stay there. Obviously dont be a dick, but 99% of dealers are assholes and they dont give a shit about anything but making sure you buy the most expensive car possible.

- Get IN WRITING every minor deal they are willing to offer. Often times when it comes time to sign papers all of those verbal agreements go out the window and the finance office plays good cop, bad cop with the sales office and you ultimately get fucked. If anything like this starts to happen get up and walk out.

- HUSSLE THE PRICES but also know what actual dealer cost (not MSRP) is. MSRP is more than what the dealer actually paid for the vehicle. You can request this information and it is usually acceptable to shoot for 500-1000 bucks over dealer cost depending on the type of car. Edit: research invoice like bluerage said.

- Have two offers from competing dealership when you have narrowed it down. They will try to win the sale by being the lowest bidder.

- Once you have gotten all that you want and have a price and you are ready to sit down and sign papers. This is where the real game begins because youre comfortable and think you have won. Out of no where tons of fees and taxes and warranties will add far more to the price than you were willing to spend. Most of the fees can be negated if you ask about them. Like processing, fuck that. Its not your job to pay someone to process your paperwork, its theirs. Transportation and lot fees are like that too. The only legit fees are licensing/registration, emission/safety, and tax. Question everything else and if it sounds bogus yet they wont take it off, get up and leave. As far as warranties, this is something you can think about before you get there too. Decide how much you want to invest in "potentially protecting" your car and for how long. I personally think warranties and extra services cost you more in the end than if something were to actually happen and you fix it yourself. But some people like having the security of having those extras. Its up to you. Also know what type of leasing/payment plan that you want and how much you are willing to pay monthly and for overall interest. Another thing that can be done before you get there. I recommend putting down as much as you reasonably can so you dont pay more in the end. If you cant get the financing you want because of credit, have your parents cosign with you if they are willing to. That will help you get better options if they have good credit. Edit: Dont forget the tax breaks from the stimulus plan!! Free money!

Anyways, those are my tips. There are websites out there that have more info that is good too. I have bought a few cars and sold them as a short-term job in college (quit because the place i was at instructed shady techniques to take advantage of people - which is FUCKED). Anyways, good luck!

Edit: Heres a site http://www.carbuyingtips.com/ It has some good info and stuff like checklists. Car buying is srsbsns and its a pain!

[bluerage]

I used to use this site a lot to compare cars: http://autos.msn.com/Default.aspx

There are also sites out there (I can't remember the URLs) where you can see the invoice price for each model car, along with their options. It's good to go into the dealer with all of those invoice prices in mind so that you can make an offer based on what you know the dealer paid for the car.

Especially now, don't be afraid to go for it and offer them invoice price. Dealers are hurting and just want to get rid of inventory at this point. I've even made invoice deals when the economy was good. If you can't get the deal that you want off the bat, then tell them you are going to see what deal that you can get from another dealership. I guarantee they will bend over backwards to try and keep you from leaving the lot and will eventually fold.

Don't buy any special paint protectant packages or other crap they try to tack on after you make a deal either.

[Hokaida]

Damn Rat, Popcorn and Blue thats a hell of a lot of insight, you guys are saviors. Looks like I have a lot of researching to do =].

[sapstick]

http://www.edmunds.com/ and this

[Dremic]

MY MOM HAD A KIA IT WAS MAD SHITTY DUDE.

[bluerage]

MY MOM HAD A KIA IT WAS MAD SHITTY DUDE.

Only because you rode in it :D