Many people are absolutely horrified of going out to a car dealership on a nice Saturday afternoon and being accosted by a ravenous salesman who will not let you leave until you are driving away in a brand new car that is overpriced, underpowered, and ugly. I remember that my dad and I were so scared of car salesmen that we used to go car shopping at night when we would have to jump the gate in the dark to peek at the window stickers and get all the new car prices. I learned the hard way, but there are many better ways to get an idea of what manufacturers and dealers are charging for new cars.
The Internet offers many helpful sights that can help you find new cars and new car prices. Autotrader.com is a site that enables you to search for new car prices based on the car you are looking for, how much you are willing to pay, and how far from your home you are willing to go. All you have to do is type in the make and model of the new car you want, the price range you are looking at, your zip code, and how far from your zip code you are willing to travel, and autotrader.com will give you a list of all the new car prices that have been posted on their site by car dealerships and private sellers that fit your standards.
There are many other sites like autotrader.com on the Internet that provide a place for car dealerships and car buyers to do business without having to haggle face to face. The beauty of websites like autotrader.com is that you almost always get an exact price and a complete description of the car. Unlike some car dealerships that do not put the prices on their cars in the hopes that interested buyers will enter the bargaining process with no idea how much the car is worth, autotrader.com and other websites like it almost always have a price posted that may or may not be negotiable.
If you find the new car you want and you find out how much a dealer is charging for it, one way to find out if the price is good or if you are being overcharged is to go to the car manufacturer’s website and find out how much they charge for your exact make and model. Today, every car manufacturer that sells cars in the United States has a massive website that is incredibly detailed, interactive, and thorough. For instance, you can go to Dodge.com and find out exactly how much they charge for a brand new Ram 1500 crew cab with mag wheels, a hemi V8, a premium sound system, cloth seats, air conditioning, power windows and door locks, a short bed, and any other variation of any other option they offer.
Unfortunately, despite what the manufacturer is charging for the new car or truck you want, the dealerships in your area are always free to jack up the prices depending on demand, how much money they want to make, and what everyone else is charging. Of course, dealerships also often give great deals with regards to new car prices because they are often overstocked or demand is not what they had expected.
By Alex Turman