I research and I have bought our last 3 cars. We always did things together, but when we first married my husband talked to the salesmen. I watched and listened, then we talked it over and made our decision. It prepared me for when I was alone and had to make the decisions alone.

I research the heck out of it first. Decide exactly what make and model I want. Go online to see what 'my' car is selling for all over the nation. Am willing to pay a little more if I can find my car locally. Prefer to sell existing car, but will conside trading it in if the offer is good enough.

Vehicles are expensive, depreciating assets. We buy last year's model from the dealer to get an extended warranty. We keep our cars a long time and put few miles on them.

A few years ago a local dealer woudn't look for a car we wanted for what we wanted to pay. I found 'my' car online. We bought the car from a dealer in Troy, MI and paid someone's bus fare to go up there and bring it to us in Chicagoland. It was exactly what we wanted at the price we wanted to pay. Local dealer was miffed. Refused to service the car until the manufacturer told him he was obligated to do so. Hey, he had his chance to sell to us, and wouldn't he be a fool refuse dollars from the company to service the car under warranty? (Plus whatever was not included in the warranty.)

Our present car was a car dealer's company car, bought with 3500 miles on it 8 mos. after it was titled. We may have spent $300 on it in unwarrantied service. It's now four years old, with 15K miles on it. In 16 mos., when the dealer's extended (6 yr.) warranty runs out we'll pay probably $2K for another two year warranty. When the car is eight years old we'll be looking for another.

who can buy something on a spur of the moment---that's me!

DH and I decided what car we want and then I do the buying...DH can not do the bargaining....The last car we got, I knew exactly how much it should be, how much the salesman would be making and when he told us a certain price, I told him no! He kept looking at DH and finally DH told him I would be the one he deals with....He insisted on his price and we walked...He called the next day, wanted to talk to DH and he put me on...Once again, he said, he could come down to $$$$ and I said no....2 days later he called, asked for me, and asked if I wanted to come and pick out my color....He met my price and still made a decent commission....It really irks me when salesmen think they have to talk to the "man of the house" or even worse, think a woman isn't smart enough to handle a deal......

DH reads everything he can get his hands on about automobiles so he has a good idea about the strengths and weaknesses about any vehicle. I know as soon as I sit in one whether I'll be happy ergonomically or not with it.

I am reading and building an know that is I do do anything i will get another Tahoe...even though I could downsize with the kids....I have the dogs and need to be able to pull a trailers...so I just dream and build and build and build....stacy

When my mom wanted a new vehicle, I said I wanted my parents to be driving safe ones. And SUV's were so in.
I researched at the library and read the consumer reports and wrote it all down to read and check over and then my dad and I went car looking for her and she wanted a RAV but we looked at it and said ugh too small and plus way too high for our dogs to jump in and out of safely.

Then we tried the Honda CRV and I went this is the car for her, it drives like a car and has all the luxuries that she is used too. she even still had a choice between DVD or Cassette, she said cassette but never used it. What a huge mistake that was.

Then dad I pushed as his station wagon car he had for years was getting dangerous driving it, unsafe and I said you need to buy one too. WE checked the SUV Subaru Forester which was perfect for him, both his and mom's were good for our long windy driveway and snow too. And dad's is number one safety vehicle.

They still have them and great vehicles for both of them. Safe too.

I went looking at what was out there and got consumer reports to look at hatchback cars and good on gas for myself. And my friend had gotten a Toyota Matrix and I loved it tons and tons.
And so when dad and I went looking there was only two to testdrive, Matrix and Fit and it was the Matrix hands down. I love it and when you upgrade you get the luxuries which I wanted so bad, air-conditioning as we have gotten hot summers here and there and I cna't handle heat at all. And power windows, no more killing myself to reach over to passenger side to roll down the window or roll up. Side mirrors too drove me crazy if they were out of whack while driving and can't do anyting about it until you can stop and fix it.
Also automatic, I wanted that for quite awhile as I was finding grear shifts were not my thing as I went along.

I find that you check the consumer auto reports and also the internet. See what comments others say, ask people if you know they have bought a car that you are interested in or you like it because of them buying one.

Also take your time to test drive and tell them you want to go on highway, you want to try this and that. And make sure the seat feels good when driving. Is it easy to manuever and the curves, how does it handle on them. corners, backing up. Also how fast does it go, small cars that is important to be able to zip out on the roads instead of sitting there forever and ever. Go back and test drive it again and then ask questions that you forget in the excitement of it.

How about trade in cars? Do they take trade ins?

What about colours, what do they have on the lot? Can you wait for the colour you want? Or take whatever is there?

Can you make a deal on things thrown in, cut down on price? Are you good at doing that? And getting it?

Find out if you have winter snow in your area how certain vehicles run during those times.

My parents got me a pony hyundai as it was cheap, ( I Paid them back for it) and it was the worst car for winter, couldn't make it up the hills and we live with hills and that driveway that is long and windy. I had to have the neigbhours push my up the road we lived on and pushed me off the road, embarrasing that was. I hated that car with a passion and stuck with it for 10 years.

This Matrix is zippy, has the luxuries with the upgrade and automatic and hatchback. It is everything I want. Plus they also had one last car with the colour I wanted, the nice blue, not navy blue.

I loved too that I got the intermittent wipers, and back wiper and even a radio.

With the Nissan Sentra, got none of that, not even a light for the trunk to see what was in it.
And radio, no way would they put one in it for me. Said they do not do that. I couldn't believe it.

so, had to go to this place and check them out and then go back and kill time while they put it in for me.

so, those things are worthy finding out about.

And also they give you a rental car to drive when you drop off your car.

And with health issues, they are giving me plus I live quite a ways an extra day with the rental car so I drop off my car and then pick it up the next morning. Works for me much better.

So, find out those things too ahead of time. Maintenance is huge in taking it in when you are supposed too, expensive but in the long run you have the car for tons of years running for you.

Also the dealer, do you like it? Find out if people have had problems.

I did with Nissan and took my car there only once for maintence, I was stuck all day because they told us that a truck blocked our cars plus too late in washing them. I never took it back there, took it to this good garage close to where I lived and got way better work there.

So, find out and check about that.

If you have to leave the car for a full day or so, then find out about rental car they give you and if they don't, find out how you will get back to work or home and back again. And how long too it will take you. If you don't work, then find out if they are close to malls or somewhere you can go to kill some hours and then go back and pick it up.

What are you looking for in a car, carry just yourself, family, pet/s, kids, friends, what?

I wanted another hatchback where the back seats came down to be able to buy things and carry them home. I had to borrow my parents or ask my friend who had a van then for help.

when you have a two door car you can't put stuff in the back seat, won't fit. And the trunk isn't good even though its big, still won't fit I found.

I check it all. Ask questions all the time and still asked even afterwards. It pays too, be happy and content when you get into that drivers seat after signing its yours and away you go and that is what you wanted fully in a car.

Otherwise you will not be happy and live iwth a car you hate more and more each day if it doesn't live up to what you want to use it for or weather conditions too.

Ask, ask, and read and ask tons more.

Stuck on Tahoes....always wondered when friends said they got a new car and would come show me itwas the same CAR just didn't year color Maybe but the same...I have now fallen in that rut! Stacy