How to Shop for a Vehicle at a Car Dealership

Buying a car is an experience that almost everyone goes through at some point, and walking into a dealership for the first time can be fairly intimidating. With the many sales tactics that dealers use, it helps to be able to go into the situation with some knowledge of what to expect. Otherwise, you may be pressured into a deal that you are not comfortable with and a car that you do not really want.

Instructions

1

Research the car that you are interested in. Get on the manufacturer's website and find out everything that you can about the car. This gives you the knowledge you need to make an educated decision before you ever get to the dealer. Check out third-party resources to see what other people are paying for the car. The manufacturer's website may also provide pricing and information about rebates or other promotions.

2

Talk to a sales associate. Once you arrive at the dealership, it should be a short time before a sales associate initiates a conversation with you. Find out about any dealer promotions or incentives that may be offered in addition to manufacture programs. Provide the sales associate with basic information about why you are there, but never seem desperate to buy the car -- the associate may use this against you.

3

Test drive the car. Once you find the make and model that you like, ask the associate to allow you to take a test drive. She may simply give you the keys and let you drive it around, or the associate may have to come with you on the ride. This will give you an idea of how the car handles and help you decide whether you really want it.

4

Negotiate the various aspects of the deal with the associate. Once you make it clear that you are interested in making a purchase, the associate will typically take you to a desk or a room to negotiate the deal. Negotiate each aspect of the deal separately: Work out a trade-in price for your vehicle, then settle on a final price for the car and financing arrangements. Many dealers try to lump everything together so that they can make a larger profit without you knowing it, according to ConsumerReports.org.

5

Agree to the terms of the sale. If you finance the deal through the dealership, you will sign loan documents as well as a sales contract. If you pay in cash or already have financing arranged, you will provide the payment to the dealer and sign the sales contract.