So you’ re ready to purchase a new or used car for your household, but you’ re not quite sure how to get the best deal. Don’ t worry. The following are 5 tips you can use to ensure that you get spectacular offers when you go to buy your next car:
1. Improve Your Credit Profile
Your credit score is important when it comes to getting the right financial deal on a car. You want to check all three because you don't know which one the lender will use and you want to give yourself time to fix any mistakes. Therefore, you want to make sure that your score is as high as possible before you visit a dealer. Order a copy of your credit report, and then dispute any accounts that do not appear to belong to you. Anything that the bureaus remove will boost your score significantly.
2. Shop around for the best rate.
You shop around to get a good deal on your new vehicle, so why wouldn't you shop around for the loan to pay for it? Most people don't. They go to the dealer without doing any homework. Before you set foot in a dealership, find out what the car really cost the dealer and what other buyers are paying. You can find invoice prices, cash incentives, financing deals and average transaction prices at TrueCar.com. Call several dealers in advance and ask for an Internet salesperson or manager to negotiate prices over the phone. Be sure to ask for a "loyalty" discount if you're buying a vehicle that's the same brand as your last. If you're new to the brand, ask for the "conquest" discount.
3. Choose the shortest loan you can afford.
As a rule of thumb, the rebate is a better choice if you plan to trade in the car within three years (and retire your auto loan). For loans longer than three years, it's often better to take the lowest rate to reduce your overall interest charges. But it also depends on the size of the rebate and rate on the loan.
4.Be Willing to Haggle
Yes, buying a car is a game. But you win by coming to a fair agreement. Get your poker face on. Never tip your hand that you really, really want a particular car -- and never forget that there are many exactly like it at other dealers. A dealership may gang up on a customer by bringing in two salespeople, or a salesperson and a manager, to tag team the deal. So bring along someone who's got your back -- say, a friend or relative who knows cars. 
5.Don't Pay Unnecessary Fees
The last time you bought new shoes, did the salesperson charge you to ring them up? To pull the crumpled paper out of the toe? No? So what are all those preparation fees, floor plan fees, advertising fees, administrative fees, fees only referred to by acronym, etc., on your dealer paperwork? Ask to see the factory invoice sheet. If the fees are not listed on there (meaning they come directly from the manufacturer), refuse to buy the car unless they remove the charge.
