For 2011 there are over 40 automobile manufactures and over 360 models of new cars for sale. If you were to test drive a different new car everyday it would take a whole year to make it through everyone. With no many models of new cars for sale, what's the best method of narrowing down your choices.
It's best to begin the new car buying process with an open mind, we understand, however, that personal circumstance may prevent car buyers from owning specific new car brands. For instance, it's not likely that a production worker for the big three living in Detroit, MI would buy a foreign new car brand.
The first step is to determine which new cars for sale will meet your lifestyle requirements.
Do you have a large family need plenty of seating room?
Is style and speed your main concern?
Do you need a vehicle with towing capabilities?
The list could go on and on. Once you've determined the body style that will meet your life style, you should determine your monthly budget for your new automobile. If you currently do not have an automobile or own an automobile without a lien from a new car finance company, we recommend adding an additional $100 per month to your budget for full coverage automobile insurance.
After you have determined what you can afford each month it's easy to determine the new car price range that will meet your monthly budget. Car buyers can use our free auto loan payment calculator to calculate the purchase price based on a monthly payment. Although terms will vary based on your credit rating, for most people with a fair to good credit rating you should be able to use a 72 month repayment term and a 6% interest rate to estimate the purchase price.
In the following example a $400.00 per month payment using the terms above and a 6% sales tax rate translates into a maximum sales price of $22,770.
Once you've determined the price range and body style it's time to view vehicles by new car prices. Several of the most popular are:
New cars under $15,000
SUVs under $20,000
SUVs under $25,000
On each of these new car price pages you can sort by the biggest new car rebates.
After narrowing down your new car search, it's also a good idea to compare the mpg ratings of the handful of models you have selected, especially if you are on a tight budget. With inflated gasoline prices it just makes sense to consider 30 mpg new cars when buying a new car.