How to Compare Car Prices

In the world of automobile purchases, prices count. The window sticker reflects a price, a starting point. The MSRP or manufacturer’s suggested retail price, forms the foundation for a bit of research, the car price comparison, that will group cars together, separate them into categories, and ultimately end in the amount of money that will change hands to secure the new ownership of a particular vehicle.

As with all modern research, beginning to compare car prices begins on the Internet. The World Wide Web will deliver the latest prices with the click of a mouse. The search tool will allow anyone to gather a large volume of information quickly, and those prices will start the rough sketch to compare car prices.

Vehicles will appear in the particular categories. The compacts, the mid-sizes, the luxury cars, the sport-utility vehicles and the trucks will all reflect similar prices within their groups so you can see the best new car prices side-by-side within each category. For example, the prices of the Toyota Camry compared to the prices of the Honda Accord compared to the prices of the Ford Fusion compared to the prices of the Chevrolet Impala places them all within the same price range if you do a car price comparison with that category of car. Give any of those dealers about $25,000, and you’ll drive away in a vehicle with four doors, seating for five humans, a choice of engines, and the front wheels placing the power to the pavement. At first glance, this car price comparison of these vehicles yields no clear favorite. The price reflects no superiority in the group and that is when you need to really know how to compare car prices because it isn’t simply a matter of just price.

A little more research can yield a few more specifics beyond the car price comparison, and some web sites, like Autobytel, will present comparison charts, displaying prices, horsepower ratings, options and even warranties, reflecting what the car prices will deliver.

A visit to the local dealer will eventually produce a tangible price on a car, and it will answer the questions that can only be answered in person. The visit will allow you to see and touch and experience the vehicle although it will be more difficult to compare car prices on the car lot. Take your time during these visits and gather a sharp impression of each automobile, how the seat felt, how the controls felt to you hands, how well you could see out of the vehicle, and determine what the dollars will yield.

If we refer back to our example of the Ford, Chevy, Toyota, and Honda, we saw too many similarities on paper in the car price comparison. In person, these vehicles will distinguish themselves. Like a pair of shoes, one car will feel better. It will drive better. One seat will hold your body better than another. It will make you feel more comfortable on the road. You will also understand that each dealer will present a package to bring you his vehicle at the most attractive price.

The dealer can calculate the price of the car, with or without any options you may want, the rebates, the taxes, the license fee, any value of your trade-in, and the financing costs for the vehicle at that moment. These quotes are the true prices you will use to compare new car prices, and these prices will allow you to determine one value over the other and to drive home with the right vehicle at the right price.