What’s the best way to buy a car?

It used to be that when you wanted a new car, you only had one choice:  head to the dealership and haggle with a sleezy car salesman.  But these days, you have new options that can save you money.  Here are your car buying alternatives:

  1. Old School:  This is what your father taught you.  Put on your lucky tie and head to the dealership to haggle.  Dealerships have no reason to give you a competitive price because you’re not talking to their competitors.
  2. Buy Online:  Use a service like CarsDirect and buy the car on the Internet.  You can even have the car delivered to your home.
  3. Negotiate Online: Get the best car prices online  from multiple dealers at once.  Then make them compete with each other to systematically lower your price.

Summary

If money is of no concern to you, then by all means, go Old School and buy a car at the dealership.  But if you are like the rest of us, then your best bet is to take a few test drives, figure out what you want, and then go home and get on your computer!
From your computer, the simplest way to buy a car at a good price is to Buy Online through CarsDirect.  You’ll likely get a great deal and won’t have to negotiate.
However, if you don’t mind sending a few emails and want to get the lowest price possible, try Negotiating Online.  It’s easier than you think.  You’ll be the winner when you make multiple dealers compete with each other.  It’s also not a bad idea to check the CarsDirect price after you negotiate in case they end up lower.