| How
to Buy a Luxury Car
Buying a luxury car should be fun, so take your time. If you're
spending a lot of money, you should be able to get exactly
what you want.
 Steps:
1. Determine what you want to spend. Luxury cars start at
about $30,000, and prices can go into the stratosphere.
2. Decide what's most important to you: safety, performance,
value, handling, comfort, reliability, dealer service, looks,
interior room, quietness, prestige.
3. Make a short list of the makes and models you want to consider.
Do some research to determine how they stack up in terms of
your priorities. Most luxury cars today excel in most if not
all areas. However, some place comfort over handling and performance,
or vice versa. Read magazine reviews to get a clearer picture.
4. Review the crash-test data for various cars. Check the
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) vehicle ratings
(see hwysafety.org).
5. Consider resale value. You may be surprised to find quite
a bit of variation here. In general, German and Japanese luxury
cars have the highest resale values. Check the Kelley Blue
Book values of the various models over time (see kbb.com).
6. Talk to friends who own similar cars. They may have some
good advice.
7. Compare insurance premiums for different cars you are considering.
8. Go test-drive the two or three cars on your short list.
Don't worry about the dealers now. Focus on the cars. Do you
feel comfortable in the car? Does it drive the way you want
it to? Don't commit to any car or salesperson yet. Go home
and think about it.
9. Rank the cars according to your priorities. Then rank them
in price. You should be able to narrow the choice down to
one or two cars. If the choice still isn't clear, test-drive
the cars again.
10. Collect pricing information for the car you want, decide
on colors and option packages, and get your loan together
(see "How to Get a Car Loan," under Related eHows).
11. Return to the dealer and tell a salesperson what you want.
For tips on how to negotiate the sale, see "How to Shop
for a New Car," under Related eHows.
Tips:
Many luxury cars come with different engine, transmission
and suspension options. Be sure to test-drive the cars with
the options you want.
Consider cars with a sports package if you enjoy driving twisty
roads. But expect the ride to be more harsh.
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