How to buy a new car (shopping for best price)

Shopping around for a great priced vehicle isn't nearly the challenge that is once was. No more going to various car lots haggling with half a dozen people dealing with less than supportive salesman and cut throat sales managers to just get a decent quote. All shopping around can easily be done online and over the phone from your office or home. Not all brands have a negotiable price. Some are fixed by the manufacturer and can not be changed by the dealership up or down.

* MSRP. There are many great online resources that can help you find your manufacturer suggested retail price of your car, including the manufacturer site. Be sure to add in the options you plan on purchasing. Try to think like an average consumer. Picking unique options will reduce the likelihood of your car being in high supply, which can make negotiating harder. Dealers are much more willing to sell a car sitting on their lot than one they have to find or order.

* Actual Retail Price. Try contacting a few car buying agents or high volume lead generators. A great online example is http://www.carsdirect.com. These companies tend to know what the actual value on the vehicle is based on sales and demand. This can save you time and heartache as many high demand vehicles can sell for thousands more than the MSRP. And also let you know if the car you're looking for might be selling a little sluggish and offer discounts. Remember any price they can offer the vehicle for is the same price you can get from your local dealer.

* Be ready to buy. Get your financing in order and any trade-in ready.

* Don't limit your borders. Contact as many dealerships as you can and don't limit yourself by area. You can get very competitive prices many times from dealerships in the next city or county. An hour or two of inconvenience could be worth thousands of dollars.

* Dealerships will sometimes offer perks for buying with them like free car loaners, free service, and extended warranties. Be sure to weigh those in as part of the cars value.

* Contacting dealerships. Many dealerships will have a typical sales staff (walk-ins and phone) and then a separate online sales team. Contacting someone through email and another person by phone can open up two lines of communication and often two different quotes. Be sure to communicate exact what vehicles it is that you want, be weary of up-sales and avoid leading a salesman on by saying "maybe" or "I don't know". Make sure the dealer has the car in the lot or is able to secure that vehicle from another dealership. Don't fall for the old bait and switch or false luring to get you in. Most importantly, negotiate the price BEFORE ever stepping a foot onto the dealership. This step may take a couple days/weeks of phone calls or email tag. But this is the last step before buying your new car and shouldn't be rushed. Be ready to wait it out. A salesman/manager might be willing to put you on ice for a week or two. But if your offer was reasonable, then a low commission sale is still better than a no sale.

With these tips and a little patience you can save not only a lot of money but a lot of stress from your new car buying experience. There's no feeling like walking into a dealership to buy the exact car you want at the exact price you want.