One of the best ways to get the best prices on new cars is to take advantage of monthly sales incentives such as rebates and bonus discounts sponsored by car manufacturers through dealers (see Best Car Deals for details).
However, the catch is that those incentives are only good on selected vehicle models and styles, and only for a limited time. If the particular brand, model, and style that you want is not one of those with incentives offers this month, you are back to square one — negotiating for deals the old fashion way.
A new company has come along that changes all that, and may change how we buy cars in the future.
TrueCar answers the question, “What should I pay for my car?” Even if you are a shrewd negotiator, you have to know your target price. You also would benefit by knowing what other people are paying for the same car, same model, same style that you want. With that knowledge, you will know the price you should be aiming at.
If you don’t like having to spend a lot of time and research effort when looking for a new car, wouldn’t it be nice to find out what other people were buying, assuming that most of those other people had spent the time and effort, and had made good informed decisions.
If you decided to buy one of the cars that other people are buying the most, you could reasonably assume that those purchases are being made on the basis of those cars having most of the good characteristics that people want in a new car — such as good reliability, good safety ratings, good performance, good styling, good fuel economy, and good driving comfort.
Following is a list of the top ten best-selling new vehicles in the U.S. for the last several months:
Of all the cars available to teenagers, which are the best first cars?
If you simply want the fastest answer to that question, without explanation, we would say the Honda Civic is the best all-around car for teens. The Toyota Corolla would be a close second.
If you don’t like the Civic or Corolla there are other cars with similar characteristics and different styling that might suit you better.
But what is it about the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, and similar models that make them great as a first car for teenage drivers?
First, they are economical — relatively inexpensive to buy, inexpensive to insure, and inexpensive to drive.
It doesn’t cost much to buy a new or relatively new Civic. Used models might be a little higher priced that other brands but that works in your favor too. When you get ready to sell or trade, Honda and Toyota vehicles hold their resale value better than most.
There are literally thousands of combinations of different automobile types, makes, models, styles, and prices, which can make it difficult to choose. However, we will help you determine the perfect car for your needs.
What is a good first car? Which car is the best buy? Which is more reliable? Which gets the best gas mileage? Should I buy a SUV or pickup? Which car is safer? Which is more economical? Which is cheaper to insure?
What car should I buy as my first car?
If you were to ask this question and you gave no other information about yourself or what you wanted, we would suggest you buy either a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry, two of the most popular and most purchased first cars in America.
However, if you already know you don’t want a Honda or Toyota, stay with me. I’m not going to try to convince you that these are the only brands you should consider. I’m just using them as a starting point to help you choose the right car for you.
We see this question being asked frequently: “What is the best car to buy?”
Of course, the real answer as to what is the best car can vary, depending on your own personal needs, preferences, and finances. Some people place a great deal of importance on reliability. Others might think safety or cost is more important. And others might feel that the best car should have great looks and high performance.
Many people believe that to get the best car, you must spend a lot of money — that the best cars are the most expensive one. Strangely, this is just not true. Actually, some of the best cars are the least expensive — and some of the most expensive cars are the least reliable and the least efficient.
One of the best automobiles, overall, is the Honda Civic. Why? Because it has the most perfect combination of all the factors that most car buyers look for — cost, fuel efficiency, reliability, cost of operation, cost of insurance, style, performance, resale value, riding comfort, luxury features, and handling.
Should I keep my old car and fix it up, or buy a new car?
Expressed another way, the question is this: Is it smarter, more practical, and more economical for me to keep and fix my old car than to buy another car, new or used?
This is always a tough one to answer. Generally, it’s going to be better to fix up an old car than buy a new car every five years or so.
However, the real answer depends on your particular circumstances. Here are some tips that will help you make a decision.
Cheap cars can be found in many places — if you know where to look. Following are just some of the places you might find cheap cars:
Independent Used-Car Dealers – Independent used-car lots are a potential source of affordable cheap second hand cars. Many lots have older vehicles that can be real bargains, but might require a little work. You should take care to determine if the price is fair and that the vehicle has no hidden problems. Most used cars are sold “as-is” and come without any kind of warranty or return policy. Check out local used-car lots in your area but also consider large national or regional used-car dealers such as CarMax.
New-Car Dealer Used Car Lots - Many new-car dealers also sell pre-owned cars. Most new-car dealers only offer relatively late model used vehicles that have been taken in trade or are off-lease, and are in good condition — and are relatively expensive. But bargains can be found. Therefore, it doesn’t hurt to check out local new-car dealers but also look at other sources listed below. Some new-car dealers sell “certified” used cars — at a higher price. These cars have been inspected thoroughly and come with a short guarantee.
Buy-Here-Pay-Here (BHPH) Dealers – BHPH dealers are a different kind of used-car dealer that provides in-house financing, usually with no credit check. Most BHPH dealers are local and can be recognized by their “we finance anyone” or “no credit check” banners. Be aware that interest rates are usually very high and payment terms are strict. See “Should I Buy From a Buy-Here-Pay-Dealer Car Dealer” for more details.
What are the most popular used cars — the cars most people are interested in — the best used cars?
We wondered about that question too. Are there certain cars that most people are buying, asking about, seeking information about, and asking for pricing on? What car makes and models are most popular? Are they the best cars to buy?
Well, we went to one of the most-visited used-car web sites, UsedCars.com, and found such a list. Actually, the site compiles a real-time list of the makes and models that their site visitors most often request information about, which is an indicator of the most popular cars.
The most-popular car list can change from day to day, but not by much. A vehicle that is #1 today might fall to #2 tomorrow, and vice versa, because the rankings depend on what online visitors to their web site are asking about and searching for on any particular day.
Here’s the current list of most popular used cars at the time of this writing:
First time car buyers have a choice of buying a brand new car, or buying a used car. Which is better?
There are advantages and disadvantages to either choice. Most people would rather have a brand new car with its new-car smell and latest style, but there are reasons that a new car might not be the best choice. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of buying new and buying used.
Advantages of Buying New
You get a brand new car with new-car feel and smell
You get the latest style and technology
You get the latest safety equipment
You get a full manufacturer’s warranty
You get Lemon Law protection
You get lowest loan interest rates, if you qualify
You get the option to lease
You may get special manufacturer-sponsored pricing and financing
Most of us get our first car as teenagers. It’s the car we’ll always remember.
Let’s take a look at some of the important questions you’ll want to consider when deciding about what you’ll buy as your first car, how you’ll pay for it, and how to go about the purchase.
How much can you spend?
If cost is not important and you can choose practically any car you want, we’ll get to you later. However, most teens have restrictions on how much they can spend. It might be that parents are buying and have set a price limit, or that you have your own budget and limited income.
Obviously, you know that new cars can only come from new-car dealers, but used cars can come from a variety of places including private individual sellers, car dealers, automotive web sites, classified ad sites, and even public car auctions.
From private party sellers
You can buy a used car from an individual seller - someone who owns a car they no longer want. These people may advertise their cars in a number of ways. Some simply place “for sale” signs in the windows. Others may park the car in an abandoned parking lot or consignment lots with a “for sale” sign and contact information. Others may advertise in newspaper classifieds or “autotrader” magazines available free at supermarkets and auto parts stores. Others may place ads on online sites such as , AutoTrader, and UsedCars.com.
One of the best ways to get the best prices on new cars is to take advantage of monthly sales incentives such as rebates and bonus discounts sponsored by car manufacturers through dealers (see Best Car Deals for details).
If you don’t like having to spend a lot of time and research effort when looking for a new car, wouldn’t it be nice to find out what other people were buying, assuming that most of those other people had spent the time and effort, and had made good informed decisions.
We see this question being asked frequently: “What is the best car to buy?”