The end of the year 2011 is around the corner, and if you are a savvy car shopper this is the best time to look for deals on 2011 Volvo models, or any new car, other than Japanese cars that have been affected by recent catastrophes. The tsunami in Japan and more recently flooding of Honda factories in Thailand.
I purchased a new car at the end 2009, and although my car was a 2010 model I scored a good deal with zero percent financing. However, I lost money on my trade in for my trusty old Vw Jetta because I did not know how to get the most money out of it. You don’t have to loose money on a trade in, if you learn from my mistakes.
Two reasons why the end of the year is attractive to buyers are:
  1. Car Dealers and Manufacturers are trying to meet their end of month sales goals.
  2. Car Dealers are also trying to sell their cars from 2011 so as to make room for the new models.

What happens is that the Volvo sales manager is not only trying to hit the end of month sales targets but also the end of year sales goals.

So, if the Car Dealer is running short of their sales goals, they will add additional incentives to sell their products,  such as increased cash incentives or cash rebates with attractive financing.

CAR BUYING ADVICE: 5 key Meterics to look for when buying a new car are:

  • fuel economy
  • safety
  • Reliability
  • Insurance cost
  • Financing/leasing

usaa:Helps you find the vehicle that’s right for you

Beware of dealers trying to sell you extra features like rust-proofing, fabric protection or windshield etching of the vehicle identification number.

 The financing guy tried to pull a fast one on me about paint protection and all that mumbo jumbo while I was in a daze, flying high in new car-heaven.

What I can tell you is that, protect the new car shine by hand washing your new baby — I mean new car — and wax it two or three times a year. I discovered to my horror that when you go through a car wash you will discover new tiny scratches or swirl marks on your baby. If you love your car DEARLY, hand wash it and dry it with a good quality shammy (made of soft lamb skin leather). Don’t let the wet car dry out by itself, it will look really ugly. It’s a sin to leave a new car out in the sun to dry. The sun oxidizes the paint and soon it will have a faded look, yuck.

 After drying your baby, rinse the shammy thoroughly with clean water, squeez out the water gently and fold or roll it up to keep it soft and pliable. Don’t let the shamy dry up like a piece of wood.

Extended Service Contract 

It often cheaper to purchase your extended warranty when the car is new, just have it rolled into the car note (monthly payment). The business manager or financing guy will be able to help you with purchasing your extended warranty.

Know your credit score before you go car shopping

The easiest way for dealers to pad an invoice is by bumping up the interest rate on your loan by suggesting you didn’t qualify for a better rate. Get your credit report and use it to shop around, you don’t want every dealership pulling your credit report, and if they do just make sure to do all your shopping in one month. That way you won’t take a hit on your credit score after several pulls because it will count as one pull.

Go to bankrate.com and shop for the best loan for you. Credit Unions will most often give you the best deals.

At MoneyAisle.com, consumers can watch as up to 150 banks and credit unions bid on their loan in less than a minute

Another dealer tactic that could wind up costing you more money is negotiating the monthly payment rather than the price of the car. If you tip your hand about what kind of payment you can afford, the dealer could steer you toward a long-term loan with a very high interest rate, and a $199 monthly payment.

You should always be prepared to walk. Don’t become emotionally invested in the deal. If you feel pressured, that’s when you want to step away.

Do your due diligence at Edmunds.com, and find out how much other folks are paying for new cars in your area, for the same make and model.

What is the  www.kbb.com:Blue book value for your used car?

Like I mentioned in the beginning of this post, dont lose money on your trade in, like I did for my trusty old beat up Volkswagen.

I was hoodwinked and bamboozeled, but you don’t have to be.

Dealerships will often give you a wholesale price or try to roll your trade-in as part of the down-payment for the new car.

Trading in your car could mean losses of hundreds if not thousands of dollars of hard earned money. You are better off selling your on craiglist.org or cars.com.

Another strategy to get more for your old car is to look for a dealership that sell cars of the same make as your used vehicle to find out what they’d pay outright. They may offer more because they specialize in that make and have the know-how to get the car ready for a quick sale.

How to Maximize the value of your trade-in:

  • Make sure your car looks clean and well maintained: Appearance is important
  • If your car needs repairs, it could help to get an estimate to take with you so that the sales guy won’t pull a fast one on you by overestimating the repair bill.
  • Try to sell your car to a used-car dealer. This is if you have a clean, well maintained low mileage vehicle that is in popular demand. Personally, I would sell to an individual next time around, no more trade -in’s for me. I learned my lesson.
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