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First, check out websites like Edmunds.com and autotrader.com to find what cars people find reliable. Epinions.com sometimes has decent car reviews, too, written by people who own them. ConsumerReports are crap, avoid them. If they aren't bought off by the companies they judge, then they are just bad judges of quality. They aren't always wrong, but they are wrong often enough that their guesses are meaningless.
Second, don't fixate on one type of car or you may wind up ignoring flaws with a particular car you find because you are so happy you found the model you are looking for. Have a few cars in mind, and leave yourself open to new ideas. One of the best cars I ever owned was a minivan we bought while looking for a (dare I say it) SUV. The minivan had more carrying space, a lot better mileage, better seats, and better handling and safety, and we'd have never known that if we had been to fixated.
Third, trust your salesperson if you trust them. If you don't, walk away. A lot that hires untrustworthy salespeople also sells untrustworthy cars. Test your salesperson--find a car you know something about on the lot and ask his opinion, and judge it's objectivity. Also, don't play games with the salesperson, because even honest salespeople will play games with you if you play games with them.
When talking to a salesperson, don't say a lot once you've laid out what you're looking for and your price range. He who spokes first, loses, is the number one rule of selling, especially on price. The less you say, the more they will say, and the more you will learn, about the car and about them.
Fourth, don't trade your car in, and don't let them look at it. If you do, you may have trouble getting your keys back without a sale. Even if they are honest, they will charge you a fraction of what your car is worth. Get a good price off Edmunds.com, put it in Craigslist, and it will sell. Or, put it on Ebay, put a minimum bid of the trade in amount (ignore the people who want to ship your car overseas--those are always scams), and you may be surprised. I've sold at least two cars on EBay, and got more than market for them both times. I write good descriptions, though, so that helps.
Fifth, get a price estimate on all the cars you are considering from Edmunds, so you can tell when a lot or private seller is being ridiculous. If they name a price that's way too high, don't give a counter offer, just shake your head and so "No," then start to leave. They will give you a better price right away, and that's closer to a negotiating price. In fact, if you have the stubbornness to pull it off, don't even give them a price. Just sit their like you're thinking about it, unable to decide, until they get low enough. I once had a salesperson laugh when the whole deal was done, and tell me he'd never seen anyone play his manager so well. I didn't do anything, I just sat their indecisively until they got low enough.
Sixth, walk away if you don't get the price you want. Don't love the car. Even if you do, walk away. I had one dealer call me back a week later with a 1500 dollar better offer on a 10K car. They do call back if they need the sale. If they don't, you can find something better. These days, because of computer research, they don't play games with the price quite as much, especially if you mention your price research early on.
Seventh, have your own financing. Go to bankrate.com and find the best auto loans available, and apply for a pre-approved loan, so you can walk in there with the paperwork for the loan. You will always get a better rate that way.
Eighth, careful where you get your opinions. I've gotten crappy opinions from mechanics because mechanics work on cars that are several years old, and the model you are looking at may be more current than they've really worked on. I've also seen mechanics give recommendations just because they liked a certain model ten years ago. I work with mechanics, my dad was a mechanic--I know mechanics better than cars.
Ninth, avoid any opinion on a car model until you can get other recommendations. For instance, I've seen Toyota and Honda both recced above. Hondas were once great cars--I owned one. They aren't anymore, but they still have the reputation and so they cost more than they should. Same with Toyota, although not as much. They are still great cars, but they are priced high and aren't as good as they used to be. The one exception is the Prius, but that's because of the intense engineering that went into the car. Mine is almost seven years old and drives like a two year old car, and I put a lot of miles on it. Other than that, Toyotas have gone downhill. Nissans and Mazdas, on the other hand, are better than their reputation, and I've heard good reviews on Fords and Hyundais, too. Just saying, check a few sources.
Tenth, if you are looking for something almost knew, and you are decent at judging people from what they say in an ad, don't be afraid to buy something off Ebay. I got my Prius and two other cars from EBay. In all cases, I got a good price and a great car. But I know how to judge a car a bit, so I knew what to avoid. Never take a risk--if you have any doubts online, don't do it.
Eleventh--DO NOT PAY FOR AN INSPECTION from a car inspection company. They are worse than worthless. They will overcharge you and not tell you anything you can't learn by listening for a smooth engine and getting a smooth test drive and looking for oil in the engine compartment. Look under a car, see if anything looks oily. There should never be oil on anything under the hood or car, other than a little spillage around the filler cap. Same with brake or transimission fluid. Anything that isn't clear water under the car or dripping from the car is bad. Also, make sure the AC works, and play with every window and lock and the radio, and bring a CD for the player. Judge the car for yourself. If you aren't sure, walk away. If they pressure you, run away--there's a reason they pressure you.
Twelfth--Do not buy any add-ons. You don't need a warranty--they almost never pay for themselves, which is why they are offered. Don't pay for etching or cleaning or prepping or spot removal warranties or undercar coating.
Sorry for the lenght. I'm bored of working. :)
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