Unfortunately the family car will not last forever. Sooner or later all of us will be buying another car. Here are a few strategies to consider when buying your next car. Mainly we want the best price on whatever vehicle we select, but not all cars that are cheap are a good deal.

1. Look for bargains. We can look in the ad pages of any newspaper for deals that may be close to home. Why travel many miles when close is better? Chances are that you may know someone in the dealership that is near your home; you may be able to get a favor from someone you know.
2. Ask your friends and neighbors for a recommendation if they have just purchased a car. Learn from their experience. If they were happy with the car dealer’s service, then you might be too. Likewise, if they report that they got a bad deal, you can avoid the same result by not going to the place that they did.
3. Don’t be afraid to travel. If the best deal on the car of your choice is in another state, consider going the extra miles to take advantage of the savings. Be aware that laws and rules in other states may not be the same as in your own. Consider all aspects of a car sale, not just the sticker price of the car.
4. Ask your favorite mechanic. If you have a good mechanic that you trust, ask him or her for a recommendation on the type of car that will suit you best. Your mechanic will know what kinds of cars operate the best, and what kinds of cars give frequent problems. You certainly don’t want to spend unreasonable amounts of money repairing your car once you have purchased it.
5. Buy for practicality. In this lousy economy it is unwise to buy large gas guzzling vehicles. Think more of the practical use of a car; it is a vehicle to get you to your destination. Having lots of “bells and whistles” and other useless items in the car is a large waste of money. Think of what you will have to spend on the vehicle after you buy it.