Buying a new car can be exciting. But it's also a complex process through which you can end up overpaying by hundreds or thousands of dollars or with a vehicle that you won't be happy with down the road. Below are 10 mistakes that car buyers often make that can quickly turn that initial excitement into buyer remorse--and how to avoid them.

    You can find more in-depth information and advice on each of the following subjects in Consumer Reports' new 384-page Smart Buyer's Guide to Buying or Leasing a Car, available in bookstores. It provides a five-step plan that guides you through every aspect of the car-buying experience, showing you how to simplify the process, find key information, and take control of the negotiations at the dealership.

    1. Falling in love with a model.

    When spending tens of thousands of dollars on a car, emotion shouldn't rule the day. Becoming infatuated with a single model can blind you to alternative vehicles that may be better for your needs or make you skimp on thoroughly researching a vehicle's ratings, reviews, reliability, or safety and pricing information. A wide-eyed approach can also leave you more susceptible to a salesperson's tactics to get you to pay more than you should. To determine which vehicle is best for you, you should set emotion aside and focus on doing your homework, comparing different models, and assessing your real wants and needs. There will be plenty of time for emotion after you've bought the vehicle.

    2. Skipping the test drive.

    The test drive is one of the most important parts of the car-buying process. A lot of vehicles look good on paper--especially in glossy brochure photos--but the test drive is your best chance to see how a vehicle measures up to expectations and how well it "fits" you and your family. You don't want any surprises after you've bought it. That's why it's surprising that many people give vehicles only a token test or, worse, none at all. That is a mistake and a sure recipe for buyer remorse. It's critical that you take ample time--at least 30 minutes--to conduct a complete test drive and perform a thorough walk-around of any vehicle you're considering.

    3. Negotiating down from the sticker price.

    Don't use the sticker price as your gauge when negotiating a deal. A salesperson may offer you a deal that's, say, $500 below the sticker price, and many consumers will conclude, often mistakenly, that they're getting a good deal. Unless the vehicle is in big demand and short supply, you can often get an even lower price by negotiating up from what the dealer paid for the vehicle. When you know the dealer's true cost, you'll know how much profit margin it has to work with and can determine a reasonable target price with which to begin your negotiations. You can calculate the dealer's cost by subtracting any behind-the-scenes sales incentives, such as dealer rebates and holdbacks, from the dealer invoice price. Consumer Reports New Car Price Reports does this for you with the CR Bottom Line Price.

    4. Focusing only on the monthly payment when negotiating.

    Salespeople like to focus on a monthly-payment figure while negotiating a deal. Indeed, "How much were you thinking of paying each month?" might be one of the first questions to greet you when you meet a salesperson. Don't take the bait. It's the first step down a slippery slope of being manipulated with numbers and overpaying for your vehicle. Using the monthly payment as the focus, the salesperson can lump the new-vehicle price, trade-in value, and financing or leasing terms together, giving him or her too much latitude to give you a "good price" in one area while making up for it in another. Instead, insist on negotiating one thing at a time. Settle on the vehicle's price first, then discuss a trade-in, financing, or leasing separately, as necessary. A leasing tip: Don't bring up your desire to lease until after you've agreed on the vehicle's price.

    5. Buying the "deal" instead of the vehicle.

    Automakers have been offering a variety of attractive sales incentives in recent years, from 0% financing and hefty cash rebates to employee-discount pricing programs. These can save you money, but it's important to remember that any deal is only as good as the car that's attached to it. Just because you can get a good discount doesn't mean you should buy the vehicle. After all, you'll be living with the vehicle for years, so make sure it's the right one for you. Thoroughly research any model you're considering and check our Ratings and reviews of competitive models （see our New-vehicle Ratings comparison, available to subscribers）. You may find you can get a much better vehicle for not much more money. Also check the reliability of the model （see our Reliability Ratings, available to subscribers）. Despite an attractive discount, a vehicle with subpar reliability--and the possibility of hefty depreciation--might not be much of a bargain in the long run. A related tip: Don't let a special incentive keep you from negotiating. Rebates and special financing are subsidized by the automaker, not the dealership. You should still negotiate the vehicle's price as if there were no incentive. There's no reason you shouldn't get the best price and the incentive, too.

    6. Waiting until you're in the dealership to think about financing.

    You might be a whiz at negotiating a good deal, but if you don't choose your financing just as carefully, you could lose everything you saved on the vehicle's purchase price, and more. A car shopper who hasn't researched financing terms is especially vulnerable to being manipulated by the dealership. Not only do you only have the dealership's terms from which to choose, which are often higher than elsewhere, but dealers also often mark up the interest rate of a loan over what you actually qualify for--a tactic called "interest-rate bumping." It can cost you hundreds or even thousands of dollars more over the term of the loan. That's why it's critical to comparison shop for financing terms at different financial institutions and get prequalified for an auto loan before you go to the dealership to buy the vehicle. Check interest rates at banks, credit unions, or online financial sites to see which offers you the best rate. If the dealer can offer you terms that are better than what you got elsewhere, you can always choose that deal instead.

    7. Underestimating the value of modern safety features.

    Today's vehicles offer an array of advanced safety features. But many buyers don't know which are most important or what to look for when comparing vehicles. Antilock brake systems （ABS）, electronic stability control （ESC）, and head-protecting side air bags, for instance, are effective and well worth the money. Studies have shown that ESC can significantly reduce accidents and fatalities. The feature is especially important for SUVs, because it can help prevent rollovers. Side-crash tests show that head-protecting side air bags are critical in preventing fatalities in side impacts. Unfortunately, you can't always depend on a dealership's salespeople to give you accurate information or reliable guidance about these features. That's why you should thoroughly research the benefit of all available safety features and look for vehicles that have the ones that will best protect you and your family.

    8. Buying unnecessary extras.

    Dealerships often try to sell you extras that boost their profit margin but are a waste of you money. They can include rustproofing, fabric protection, paint protectant, or VIN etching, in which the vehicle identification number is etched onto the windows to deter thieves. Don't accept those unnecessary services and fees. If you see those items on the bill of sale and you haven't agreed to them, simply cross them out and refuse to pay for them. Vehicle bodies are already coated to protect against rust. And recent CR reliability surveys show that rust is not a major problem with modern cars. You can treat upholstery and apply paint protectant yourself with good off-the-shelf products that cost only a few dollars. If you decide you want VIN etching, you can buy a kit to do it yourself for less than $25, instead of the $200 that some dealerships charge. Also think twice about an extended warranty. It can cost hundreds of dollars. But if you buy a model with good reliability or if you expect to have the vehicle only for five years or less, it often isn't worth the cost.

    9. Not researching the value of your current car.

    You could get a great deal on your new car but lose all of the savings--and more--on your trade-in. That's why it's critical that you research the value of your current car before buying your new one. Find out what both the used-car retail and wholesale prices are, so that you'll know what you should be able to get if you trade it in or if you sell it yourself. Typically, you'll get more money by selling it, as long as you're willing to put in the additional effort. By knowing your vehicle's true value and by sticking to your price during the negotiations, you can get your car's full value, whether you trade it in or sell it yourself.

    10. Not having a used car checked by an independent mechanic.

    When buying a used car, condition is everything. Even the most reliable vehicle can turn into a lemon if it's poorly maintained. Before you buy a used vehicle, have it scrutinized by a repair shop that routinely does diagnostic work. A thorough diagnosis should cost around $100, but confirm the price in advance. A good mechanic should be able to tell if the car has been in a major accident or has a hidden but costly problem. Ask for a written report detailing the car's condition, noting any problems found and what it would cost to repair them. You can then use the report in your negotiations with the seller to adjust the price accordingly.

    買(mǎi)輛新車(chē)是件讓人高興的事情。但是如何能做到不必多花費(fèi)成百上千美元買(mǎi)輛車(chē)或者買(mǎi)一輛你不喜歡開(kāi)的車(chē)就是一個(gè)復(fù)雜的過(guò)程了。以下就是10個(gè)購(gòu)車(chē)者經(jīng)常會(huì)犯的錯(cuò)誤，他們會(huì)讓購(gòu)車(chē)的興奮轉(zhuǎn)為購(gòu)車(chē)的悔恨--下面我們就來(lái)看看如何避免這些錯(cuò)誤。

    你可以在新一期消費(fèi)者報(bào)導(dǎo)雜志的第384頁(yè)的《聰明購(gòu)買(mǎi)者購(gòu)買(mǎi)或者租賃汽車(chē)指南》中找到更多深入的信息，這本雜志可以在書(shū)店里買(mǎi)到。書(shū)中提供了5個(gè)步驟的計(jì)劃，并且每個(gè)步驟都會(huì)指導(dǎo)你該如何做，告訴你如何簡(jiǎn)化購(gòu)買(mǎi)過(guò)程，找到關(guān)鍵信息，在與經(jīng)銷(xiāo)商的談判中取得控制權(quán)。

    1. 愛(ài)上模型。

    你需要花好幾萬(wàn)美元買(mǎi)車(chē)，所以不能感情沖動(dòng)。沉迷于某一型號(hào)的汽車(chē)會(huì)讓你無(wú)視其他更適合你需求的車(chē)的存在或者讓你忽視對(duì)汽車(chē)的評(píng)定等級(jí)，審查，可靠度，安全性和價(jià)格信息進(jìn)行全面的的調(diào)查。無(wú)知天真的購(gòu)買(mǎi)方法只會(huì)讓你更容易上銷(xiāo)售人員銷(xiāo)售策略的當(dāng)，花更多的錢(qián)。要決定什么型號(hào)的汽車(chē)最適合你，你就必須把個(gè)人感情放在一邊，專(zhuān)注搜索相關(guān)的信息，比較不同型號(hào)的汽車(chē)，評(píng)估你真正的需求。在你買(mǎi)車(chē)后有足夠的時(shí)間釋放你的個(gè)人情感，好好欣賞你的車(chē)。

    2. 忽視試駕。

    試駕是買(mǎi)車(chē)過(guò)程中重要的一部分。有很多的汽車(chē)在宣傳單上看上去很好，特別是那些宣傳照片--但是試駕是看一部車(chē)是否滿足你需求，滿足你和你家人要求的最好途徑。你也不想在你買(mǎi)車(chē)之后發(fā)現(xiàn)任何讓你感到吃驚的事。這就是為什么那些只對(duì)汽車(chē)進(jìn)行標(biāo)記測(cè)驗(yàn)或者更糟糕的什么不做的購(gòu)買(mǎi)者讓我感到驚奇的原因。這就是一個(gè)錯(cuò)誤，而且肯定會(huì)讓那些購(gòu)買(mǎi)者事后后悔。這是很重要的一個(gè)方面，你需要花足夠的時(shí)間--至少30分鐘-進(jìn)行完整的試駕測(cè)試以及對(duì)你考慮的汽車(chē)進(jìn)行全面的評(píng)估。

    3. 以標(biāo)價(jià)作為標(biāo)準(zhǔn)來(lái)商討價(jià)格。

    當(dāng)你在商討汽車(chē)價(jià)錢(qián)的時(shí)候別以商家的標(biāo)價(jià)作為標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。汽車(chē)銷(xiāo)售者可能會(huì)給你提供比標(biāo)價(jià)低500美元的優(yōu)惠價(jià)格，消費(fèi)者也常常會(huì)因此而錯(cuò)誤的把它做為汽車(chē)的最終成交價(jià)，除非這種型號(hào)的汽車(chē)需求量極大或者是脫銷(xiāo)，否則在一般情況下，你可以同經(jīng)銷(xiāo)商進(jìn)行更多的交涉，從他們實(shí)際進(jìn)價(jià)的信息壓低價(jià)錢(qián)。當(dāng)你知道經(jīng)銷(xiāo)商的成本，你就可以了解它的利潤(rùn)空間，以此來(lái)決定一個(gè)合理的目標(biāo)價(jià)格來(lái)作為你討價(jià)的基線。你可以通過(guò)扣除任何幕后的銷(xiāo)售激勵(lì)，比如經(jīng)銷(xiāo)商回扣以及來(lái)自經(jīng)銷(xiāo)商發(fā)票價(jià)格的一些障礙。消費(fèi)者報(bào)導(dǎo)雜志的最新汽車(chē)價(jià)格報(bào)告以汽車(chē)最低價(jià)錢(qián)底線為你提供了這方面的相關(guān)信息。

    4. 商討價(jià)錢(qián)的時(shí)候只關(guān)注月支付。

    在進(jìn)行交易的時(shí)候，銷(xiāo)售人員喜歡關(guān)注月支付數(shù)目。實(shí)際上，"你每個(gè)月想要支付多少？"或許是銷(xiāo)售人員在第一次見(jiàn)到你的時(shí)候就問(wèn)的問(wèn)題。不要上當(dāng)，這是你被數(shù)字控制，多付車(chē)款的第一個(gè)重要步驟。使用月支付作為焦點(diǎn)，銷(xiāo)售人員會(huì)把最新的汽車(chē)價(jià)錢(qián)，折價(jià)物，融資和租賃條款合在一起，給消費(fèi)者某一方面很優(yōu)惠的價(jià)格卻在其他方面提高價(jià)錢(qián)補(bǔ)回來(lái)。實(shí)際上你應(yīng)該一次談合一件事。首先解決汽車(chē)的價(jià)錢(qián)，然后對(duì)折價(jià)物，融資和租賃條款依次進(jìn)行談判，這是很有必要的。租賃建議：在你沒(méi)有達(dá)成成交價(jià)之前不要表現(xiàn)出你要租賃。

    5. 購(gòu)買(mǎi)"交易"而不是車(chē)。

    近年來(lái)汽車(chē)制造商不斷的提供各種吸引人的銷(xiāo)售激勵(lì)，從0%的融資，豐厚的現(xiàn)金回扣到員工折扣價(jià)。這些銷(xiāo)售激勵(lì)能為你省錢(qián)，但更重要的是你要記住只有附上汽車(chē)這些交易才是真正的有意義。因?yàn)槟憧梢缘玫揭粋�(gè)好的折扣并不意味著你要買(mǎi)車(chē)。畢竟，車(chē)對(duì)你而言要陪伴你好幾年的時(shí)光，所以你要確保選擇一輛適合你的車(chē)。對(duì)你所考慮的車(chē)型做全面的調(diào)查，查看我們的評(píng)估和其他有競(jìng)爭(zhēng)性的車(chē)款（看我們的新車(chē)評(píng)估比較，僅對(duì)授權(quán)用戶）.你會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)你不需要花更多的錢(qián)就可以買(mǎi)到更好的汽車(chē)。此外你還要查詢(xún)車(chē)型的可靠性（看我們的可靠性評(píng)估，僅對(duì)授權(quán)用戶）.盡管有很吸引人的折扣，但若汽車(chē)的可靠性欠佳，就算有很豐厚的折舊，從長(zhǎng)遠(yuǎn)來(lái)說(shuō)也是不值得考慮的。相關(guān)的建議：不要讓特殊獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)阻礙了你討價(jià)。回扣和特殊融資是汽車(chē)制造商的補(bǔ)貼，而不是汽車(chē)經(jīng)銷(xiāo)商。你必須就如沒(méi)有那些銷(xiāo)售激勵(lì)一樣對(duì)汽車(chē)的價(jià)錢(qián)進(jìn)行談判。沒(méi)有理由你不能同時(shí)獲得最好的價(jià)錢(qián)和銷(xiāo)售激勵(lì)。

    6. 等待，直到經(jīng)銷(xiāo)商需要你考慮融資。

    或許你是擅長(zhǎng)促成一樁不錯(cuò)的買(mǎi)賣(mài)的高手，但是如果你對(duì)融資的選擇不夠認(rèn)真的話，可能就會(huì)失去你在購(gòu)買(mǎi)車(chē)的過(guò)程中所省下來(lái)的錢(qián)，或者更多。汽車(chē)購(gòu)買(mǎi)者如果沒(méi)有對(duì)融資條款進(jìn)行調(diào)查就很容易受到經(jīng)銷(xiāo)商的控制。你選擇的融資條款不僅會(huì)比別處高，而且經(jīng)銷(xiāo)商還會(huì)在你實(shí)際需要付的貸款上提高利率--這個(gè)戰(zhàn)略就叫做"利率追撞".它會(huì)讓你在貸款條款上多付幾千美元甚至更多。這就是為什么你需要在不同的財(cái)政機(jī)構(gòu)對(duì)融資條款進(jìn)行比較的重要性，并且在去經(jīng)銷(xiāo)商店購(gòu)買(mǎi)車(chē)前就提前取得汽車(chē)貸款也是很重要的。查詢(xún)銀行，信用合作社或者是網(wǎng)上財(cái)政機(jī)構(gòu)的利率，看看哪個(gè)機(jī)構(gòu)能為你提供最好的利率。如果銷(xiāo)售者能為你提供比其他地方更好的條件，你也可以就近選擇。

    7. 低估現(xiàn)代安全體系的真實(shí)價(jià)值。

    現(xiàn)在的汽車(chē)都提供了大量先進(jìn)的安全設(shè)備。但是許多買(mǎi)家不知道哪些是最重要的，或者在汽車(chē)對(duì)比的時(shí)候需要注意什么。比如說(shuō)防抱死系統(tǒng)和進(jìn)入控制系統(tǒng)（ABS）,電子穩(wěn)定控制系統(tǒng)（ESC）, 和保護(hù)頭部的安全汽囊，是很有效而且值得的。許多調(diào)查已經(jīng)顯示電子穩(wěn)定控制系統(tǒng)可以有效的減少事故和災(zāi)難的發(fā)生。這項(xiàng)功能對(duì)于多用途跑車(chē)特別重要，因?yàn)樗�可以防止�(jié)L動(dòng)翻轉(zhuǎn)。側(cè)碰試驗(yàn)顯示保護(hù)頭部的安全汽囊在防止側(cè)面碰撞的災(zāi)禍里面特別的重要。不幸的是，你不能總是指望代理商的銷(xiāo)售人員為你提供這方面精確的信息或者是可靠的指導(dǎo)。這就是為什么你必須對(duì)所有相關(guān)的安全設(shè)備進(jìn)行全面的調(diào)查，尋找那些可以保護(hù)你和你家人最適合的安全設(shè)備。

    8. 購(gòu)買(mǎi)沒(méi)必要的附加零件。

    那些商品特許經(jīng)銷(xiāo)商通常會(huì)向你推銷(xiāo)附加商品來(lái)增加他們的利潤(rùn)，但這些附加商品實(shí)際上只是浪費(fèi)你的錢(qián)。這些附加商品包括抗銹，織物，漆面保護(hù)劑， 和汽車(chē)蝕刻，汽車(chē)蝕刻是將汽車(chē)的識(shí)別碼蝕刻在車(chē)窗上來(lái)防止竊賊。不要接受那些沒(méi)有必要的服務(wù)和費(fèi)用。如果你在銷(xiāo)售帳單上看到這些項(xiàng)目，你不需要理會(huì)，只要將他們刪除拒絕支付。車(chē)身本身就有抗銹涂層，最新的消費(fèi)者雜志可靠度調(diào)查顯示生銹不是現(xiàn)代汽車(chē)的主要問(wèn)題。你可以使用室內(nèi)裝潢品或者利用貨價(jià)成品自己漆保護(hù)層，這只需要花費(fèi)你幾美元的費(fèi)用。如果你想要汽車(chē)蝕刻，你可以自己買(mǎi)個(gè)工具箱來(lái)安裝，這樣的花費(fèi)不到25美元，這樣就可以省200美元的經(jīng)銷(xiāo)商費(fèi)用。此外你還需要認(rèn)真考慮延長(zhǎng)保證期。它會(huì)花費(fèi)你上百美元的費(fèi)用。但是如果你買(mǎi)的車(chē)型有很好的可靠性，或者如果你打算車(chē)的使用期在五年以?xún)?nèi)的話就沒(méi)有必要花這個(gè)錢(qián)。

    9. 沒(méi)有對(duì)你現(xiàn)在的車(chē)的價(jià)錢(qián)進(jìn)行調(diào)查。

    或許你在購(gòu)買(mǎi)新車(chē)的時(shí)候得到很多的回報(bào)，但是在折價(jià)的時(shí)候卻花費(fèi)了你所有的積蓄--或者更多。這就是為什么你在購(gòu)買(mǎi)新車(chē)之前需要對(duì)你現(xiàn)有的車(chē)進(jìn)行估價(jià)。調(diào)查二手車(chē)零售店和批發(fā)價(jià)各是多少，這樣你就可以知道折價(jià)和二手出售你各可以得到多少錢(qián)了。特別是二手銷(xiāo)售，只要你多花精力可以獲取更多的錢(qián)。無(wú)論是折舊還是自己出售，通過(guò)知道你的車(chē)的真實(shí)價(jià)錢(qián)，并且在商談的時(shí)候堅(jiān)持你的價(jià)錢(qián)，你的車(chē)就可以取得應(yīng)得的回報(bào)。

    10. 沒(méi)有讓獨(dú)立的技工檢查二手車(chē)。

    當(dāng)你買(mǎi)二手車(chē)的時(shí)候，車(chē)的現(xiàn)有條件是最重要的。盡管是最可靠的汽車(chē)如果缺乏保養(yǎng)也是沒(méi)有用的。在你買(mǎi)二手車(chē)之前，你要對(duì)二手車(chē)在專(zhuān)門(mén)的修理車(chē)廠進(jìn)行診斷檢查。一個(gè)全面的診斷大概花100美元左右，需要提前確定價(jià)格。一個(gè)好的技工應(yīng)該告訴你這輛車(chē)是否有過(guò)重大事故或者是存在潛在但很花錢(qián)的問(wèn)題。要求一份有關(guān)于車(chē)的詳細(xì)書(shū)面報(bào)告，注明任何發(fā)現(xiàn)到的問(wèn)題并標(biāo)上修理需要花費(fèi)的金額。你可以在和銷(xiāo)售者談價(jià)錢(qián)的時(shí)候利用這份報(bào)告來(lái)達(dá)到你理想的價(jià)錢(qián)。