Intro to Buying a New Car

Series Summary

Buying a new car can be a nerve-racking experience. How do you know if you are getting a good deal or getting taken for a ride by an unscrupulous salesman? The first step to making sure you get your money's worth is to research your purchase. And that's exactly what you will be doing by watching this informative video series. Don't even think about buying your next car without listening to what our behind-the-scenes experts have to say....

Before buying a new car, its important to research new cars, and there's no better place to start than the internet. In this free video series, our experts will show you how to research new cars, how to find dealerships, and how to establish a relationship with a car salesman. Next, you'll learn what to look for when test driving a new car, how to negotiate buying a new car, and how to trade in a used car. Besides making a few after-market choices, you'll be well on your way to financing a new car and driving your new wheels!

Video Transcript

"BILL ZERVAKOS: Hi, this is Bill Z. CATHY DROZ: And I'm Cathy D with Two for the Road USA and Expert Village. BILL ZERVAKOS: Today, we're going to talk to you a little about the new car buying process and on the surface, well that may seem like, "Huh?" A lot has changed. First of all, cars are incredibly expensive. So you really have to put some thought into it. You're going to a keep a car in a certain amount of time and make sure that when you buy it, it's going to work for you over that period. In 15 years or so, we've been test driving new cars. We've learned a lot of things, and hopefully, some of those we'll talk about today. CATHY DROZ: Yes, we are going to talk about the first step which is the research and working off of the internet to find that perfect car and that perfect dealership. We're also going to talk about the dealership itself, how to negotiate, the finance department, talk about your trade or hold off. There's a couple of other things that Bill is really strict about and that is the test drive. BILL ZERVAKOS: Yeah, the test drive is really important. But just going back to the dealership for just a minute, don't forget about the service department. CATHY DROZ: Oh yes. BILL ZERVAKOS: We're going to touch base on that a little bit because that's something you need to look into before you even get going. So now, we're talking about that. As Cat mentioned, the test drive is really important, and it's something that people need to learn to use as a tool. So when you take that test drive, don't just get stuck on the dealer route. CATHY DROZ: Right, you can always make a checklist of things that you want to check. And one of the things that Bill and I have found is you have to be age-appropriate, lifestyle-appropriate in making those choices 'cause we know Bill would love a performance car, maybe like this one, but can you really get in and out? And even though I'm sure, I don't think I want a stick shift or anything else at this point. BILL ZERVAKOS: So those are some of things we'll be talking about. In our next clip, we'll begin the process. "