Choosing what car to buy is usually half the battle. Choosing whether to go new or used, and deciding which make and model to go with can often be quite time consuming. These pages will help guide you in the right direction in terms of what vehicle works best for you. Money will play the largest factor whether you decide to go new or used. Deciding how much money you would like to spend on your purchase is the first step.
Once you have established the dollar amount you want to spend, you will want to start getting an idea what cars are in this price range. If you unsure the amount you want to spend, but know what monthly payment you need to be at, visit Edmunds Payment Calculator, which will show you what vehicle purchase price you need to be at in order to achieve your desired payment. Cars.com is a good site to browse both new and used cars, and to just get your feet wet. If you are shopping payment and trying to decide whether to purchase or lease, use the Bloomberg buy or lease calculator to help you make an informed decision.
Reasons to Purchase a Car:
– Paying cash and don’t want payments
– Buying a used car (can’t lease used cars)
– Plan to keep vehicle for a long time (6+ years)
– Don’t want to deal with the mystery and complications of leasing (mileage restrictions, vehicle damage after end of lease) Note: you will be billed for door dings, windshield cracks, and anything beyond normal vehicle wear and tear, at the end of a lease.
– Vehicle you are looking at has a poor residual value
– Credit qualification problems (tougher credit restrictions for leasing than purchasing)
– Don’t want to always have a car payment (if you continually lease a car every few years)
– Plan on heavily customizing vehicle
Reasons to Lease a Car:
– Wanted nicer vehicle and lower payments
– Want to prevent costly vehicle maintenance bills (more common the older a vehicle gets: timing belts, engine/transmission, shocks/struts, electrical systems)
– Writing the payment off as a business expense
– Plan to keep vehicle for shorter period of time (48 months or less)
Used Car Buying Guides:
– AutoCheck Vehicle History Report
– Consumer Reports used cars
– KBB used cars
– Edmunds Used Cars
– MSN used car reliability ratings
New Car Buying Guides:
– Car and Driver
– Edmunds New Cars
– Motor Trend New Cars
– U.S. News Rankings and Reviews
– J.D. Power Ratings
– KBB New Cars
– Consumer Reports New Cars
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