New to Car Buying? Here Are 7 Tactics You Can Use

No matter how many times you have purchased a car, the process can be daunting. It's impossible to know if you're buying the right vehicle or getting a good deal. And even when you do everything right, there's a chance the car could end up being a lemon and you could find yourself in need of help from a California lemon law lawyer in order to pursue a legal remedy.

For first-time buyers, however, the process of purchasing a new vehicle can be even more fraught with complications. That's why as many as one in four car buyers between the ages of 18 and 34 responded to a survey indicating they don't feel comfortable negotiating a new car purchase and would prefer to have a parent help them to make the deal.

While there's nothing wrong with getting help, it becomes important at some point to figure out how to purchase a vehicle on your own.  Fortunately, USA Today recently published some helpful tips and tactics to help those new to the process of purchasing cars.

Tactics to Help Car-Buying Newbies

There are seven tactics that USA Today suggests new car buyers take to get the right vehicle at the right price:

• Set a budget first: You need to know how much you can afford to spend on a car before you start shopping for one so you can stick with cars in your price range and won't be tempted by a vehicle that you can't afford.
• Obtain pre-approval: Salespeople may not take you seriously if you look young, but a pre-approval letter from a bank or credit union shows that you are a serious buyer to negotiate with.
• Be price-savvy: Knowing the car's market value can help you to start off negotiations on the right foot. When you know what you should pay, you can avoid getting ripped off and get the dealer to give you a good deal. The Internet makes it easy to find out what a car is worth before you go, so you can be prepared with data to use during the negotiating process.
• Shop around: Make sure you end up with a dealer that earns your business, don't just buy the first car that you see at the first dealer you visit.
• Know the vehicle's history: You want to obtain a vehicle history report so you can find out if the car has been in accidents.
• Stay alert: Many car dealers try to wear you down so you end up agreeing to things you don't want or signing paperwork without reading it.
• Take your time: Don't rush to close a deal. You may be pressured to say yes to things such as extended warranties, but take the time you need to think about the purchase.

Of course, even when you follow these tactics and get a good deal on a car, your purchase could turn into a disaster if the vehicle ends up being a lemon. A California lemon law lawyer can provide you with representation if the car you buy has problems so contact an attorney today to find out about pursuing legal remedies.