How to buy the car you want without getting taken for a ride!

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Here's how to buy the new car you want without getting taken for a rideBefore you invest in the car of your dreams, you need to know the car-buying facts. This guide will help you choose the car that is best for you and give you the showroom strategies you need to wheel and deal successfully.

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GETTING STARTED: TEN TO-DO's
1. Choose the best dealership. Look for a dealership that's close to your home or office, with convenient service and sales hours. Get references from family and friends regarding the quality of its service, and find out if it offers rental cars or a loaner vehicle if service takes longer than a day. Remember that megadealers who sell many different brands of cars tend to have higher overhead costs--costs that are passed to you. Single-brand dealers may make you a better deal and tend to have better relationships with their suppliers too. This can mean speedier delivery, more flexibility and greater dependability.

2. Know when to buy. "The last five to six days of the month is the best time to buy a car," says a Ford Motor Company spokesman. "Salespeople are anxious to make their quotas at this time of the month and are likely to make a deal more quickly." Another suggestion: Car-shop on rainy days, usually slow periods at most auto showrooms.

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3. Know how much cash you need up front. Ten percent of the purchase price is the minimum for most down payments. However, this amount will vary according to the type of payment plan you choose.

4. Determine what you can afford. Find out how much a car really costs by asking for an Interest Payment Table, available from most banks or credit unions. It will show you how much you'll need to finance the car of your choice, once you make the down payment. You can then divide that figure by 36 or 48 payments to determine your monthly costs at various interest rates.

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5. Find out the invoice price of the car you want. The invoice price--the price the dealer pays the factory for the car--is usually considerably lower than the retail price the dealer charges you. If you have a push-button phone, you can find out the invoice price on more than 730 new domestic and foreign cars by calling (900) INVOICE. The call costs $5 for the first minute and $1 for each subsequent minute. Make sure you have the make and model of the car you are interested in readily at hand.

6. Know how much to negotiate over the invoice price. According to Chris Hayden, president of Automotive Consumer Services, you should be able to find a dealer who will sell you a low-priced domestic car for $150 to $200 more than the invoice price. For imported and luxury cars, expect to pay $500 to $1,000 more than the invoice price.

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7. Consider "hidden" car costs. Add these expenses to the initial cost of the car: The monthly financing cost, which is determined by your lending institution; fuel, maintenance and repair fees, which you can learn about by reading automotive magazines; insurance costs, available through your insurance agent; and the licensing fee and taxes, which are determined by the state in which you live.

8. Narrow your list of dream cars down to three. This will make it easier to combat the dealer's attempts to entice you into buying a more expensive car.

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9. Read, read, read as much about cars as you can. Consumer Reports magazine issues an annual car-buying guide each April. Other helpful magazines include Auto Week, Road & Track, Motor Trend, Car & Driver and Home Mechanix. Also check your local newspaper for special automotive sections.

10. Ask, ask, ask! "Women tend to be better car buyers than men because they ask more questions," says Donald Petersen, chairman and CEO of Ford. Show the dealer that you mean business by asking the right questions and not being intimidated.

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