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Welcome to CAR-IQ, the total information source for new car buyers. Here you will find everything you need to get the best price on your new car, truck or minivan.

Select the car or truck you want by considering your budget, your needs and finally your desires. Note that "desires" is listed last because that is where, for the majority of us without unlimited budgets, it should be placed. You can substitute "emotions" for desires, for that is what usually happens once a person gets to the dealership, which is designed specifically to elicit such responses.
Know how much you can afford BEFORE you go to the dealership by checking with your bank or credit union. This will give you an idea of exactly how much you can reasonably afford to spend on your new car or truck. Write this number down and under no circumstances permit yourself to be talked into anything higher.
Find out how much the car, truck or minivan cost the dealer - the Dealer Invoice Cost. There are many sources for this information both on an off the Net. AUTOPEDIA offers a complete vehicle pricing guide that includes standard equipment, dealer invoice cost, MSRP(retail or sticker) and destination charges for every popular vehicle available.
If possible shop near the end of the month, since virtually all dealerships operate on a monthly quota system and both salesmen and managers are eager to meet various sales quotas and bonus levels that expire at the end of each month.
Shop when you have the time. Never let yourself be hurried or rushed into making a decision that you are not completely comfortable making.
Shopping on a busy weekend near the end of the month, is hectic and will likely frazzle your nerves a little bit more, but the advantage is that both salesmen and managers are NOT concentrating SOLELY on your deal - which is definitely to your advantage.
Negotiate the purchase and trade-in SEPARATELY. Although you will find that towards the closing of the deal, final negotiating points may well have to do with your trade-in.

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Last modified 12/27/96. Copyright ©1995-2001 by AUTOPEDIA, all rights reserved. AUTOPEDIA™, AUTO411™, CAR-IQ™, DEALERPEDIA™, INTERLOT™, SIMULSEARCH™ and INTERQUOTE-RFP™ are trademarks of AUTOPEDIA. All other trademarks, tradenames and/or service marks are the property of their respective holders.