Car Buying Advice

Step-by-step: Buying a new car

Not sure where to start? Whether you are looking for a fuel-efficient small car, a sporty convertible, or a family minivan, Consumer Reports can help guide you through the new car buying experience. We give you the essential information you need to choose, buy, finance, and maintain a new car. Also, see our used car guide.

Choosing a car:
In this section

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Pricing

After the test drive

As soon as you return to the dealership from your test drive, a salesperson will almost certainly try to hustle you into an office to start the buying process. He or she is counting on your enthusiasm after driving a new car to seal the deal. But this is not a good time to start the negotiating process, especially if you have other cars to test drive. Now is the time to collect your thoughts.

Evaluate the dealership

How you’re treated during your first visit to a dealer-ship may tell you a lot about any future relationship, so make sure you’re comfortable with the atmosphere and test-drive experience.

Your test drives give you a good chance to evaluate a variety of dealerships. Even the lowest possible price usually won’t compensate for a bad experience with a particular dealership. Salespeople should treat you with respect and honesty. Unfortunately, there are exceptions, so here are some questions to ask yourself when deciding where to buy your next vehicle:

Was the salesperson responsive to questions?
Was I treated with respect?
Did I get all of the information I needed?
Did I get honest answers?
Was it easy to arrange a test drive?
Were any high-pressure tactics used during my first encounter?
Was I invited back for additional test drives?

If you answered “yes” to more than a few of these questions about a dealership, there’s a good chance you might want to do business there. If you answered “no” often, you should think about going elsewhere to buy your car.

Last reviewed: February 2011

Next: Common car buying mistakes