New cars these days have better safety features and more tech gizmos than models from a decade ago. And let's face it: Trading in a beat-up clunker with grimy seats is an enticing idea.
But many Americans make big mistakes buying cars. Take new car purchases with a trade-in. A third of buyers roll over an average of $5,000 in debt from their last car into their new loan. They're paying for a car they don't drive anymore. Ouch! That is not a winning personal finance strategy.
But don't worry — NPR's Life Kit is here to help. Here's how to buy a car without getting over your head in debt or paying more than you have to.
1. Get preapproved for a loan before you set foot in a dealer's lot.
"The single best advice I can give to people is to get preapproved for a car loan from your bank, a credit union or an online lender," says Philip Reed. He's the autos editor at the personal finance site NerdWallet. He also worked undercover at an auto dealership to learn the secrets of the business when he worked for the car-buying site Edmunds.com. So Reed is going to pull back the curtain on the car-buying game.
For one thing, he says, getting a loan from a lender outside the car dealership prompts buyers to think about a crucial question. "How much car can I afford? You want to do that before a salesperson has you falling in love with the limited model with the sunroof and leather seats. "
Reed says getting preapproved also reveals any problems with your credit. So before you start car shopping, you might want to build up your credit score or get erroneous information off your credit report.
And shop around for the best rate. "People are being charged more for interest rates than they should be based upon their creditworthiness," says John Van Alst, a lawyer with the National Consumer Law Center.
Van Alst says many people don't realize it, but the dealership is allowed to jack up the rate it offers you above what you actually qualify for. So with your credit score, "you might qualify for an interest rate of 6%," says Van Alst. But, he says, the dealership might not tell you that and offer you a 9% rate. If you take that bad deal, you could pay thousands of dollars more in interest. Van Alst says the dealership and its finance company, "they'll split that extra money."
So Reed says having that preapproval can be a valuable card to have in your hand in the car-buying game. It can help you negotiate a better rate. "The preapproval will act as a bargaining chip," he says. "If you're preapproved at 4.5%, the dealer says, 'Hey, you know, I can get you 3.5. Would you be interested?' And it's a good idea to take it, but make sure all of the terms, meaning the down payment and the length of the loan, remain the same."
One word of caution about lenders: Van Alst says there are plenty of shady lending outfits operating online. Reed says it's a good idea to go with a mainstream bank, credit union or other lender whose name you recognize.
2. Keep it simple at the dealership.
If you're buying a car at a dealership, focus on one thing at a time. And don't tell the salespeople too much. Remember — this is a kind of game. And if you're playing cards, you don't hold them up and say, "Hey, everybody, look — I have a pair of queens," right?
So at the dealership, Reed and Van Alst both say, the first step is to start with the price of the vehicle you are buying. The salesperson at the dealership will often want to know if you're planning to trade in another car and whether you're also looking to get a loan through the dealership. Reed says don't answer those questions! That makes the game too complicated, and you're playing against pros. If you negotiate a really good purchase price on the car, they might jack up the interest rate to make extra money on you that way or lowball you on your trade-in. They can juggle all those factors in their head at once. You don't want to. Keep it simple. One thing at a time.