If you are going to buy a car, take this advice...

If you are going to buy a car, old or new, at any dealership and you want to do a trade in with your current vehical do NOT tell them that you want to do a trade-in anytime before you are settled on the final price.**

Car salesman won't tell you this and you won't be able to tell but they have a way of working the numbers so that you don't really get the full amount of your trade in deducted from your final cost of your new vehical. Tell them you want to trade in your vehical AFTER you have negotiated the final lowest price of your car. Then you say "Okay, from THAT total deduct the value of my trade-in for my currently exsisting vehical". Then they will have no choice but just to take the trade in value and subtract it directly from the cost that you just negotiated for.

If they try to re-work the numbers from the top and try to "figure it in" instead of directly deducting it from the negotiated price, do not agree to purchase the vehical. There is no law saying that trade-ins have to be specified before negotiation. If any of the sharks try to convince you others, they are lying and you should take your business elsewhere.

Also, if any car salemen dealers ask for one of your credit cards to "check to see if you prequalify for financing" say no and leave immediately. Running one of your credit cards through IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE method of credit checking. If they are a professional dealership they will have a financers on site to do credit checks via loan houses using your credit score and credit history.

If you are going to finance your vehical, have the financer itemize your monthly payment having them to explain how the monthly payments are calculated, what is the monthly interest, what are extra fees, and how much of the principle is being paid off with each monthly payment. And ALWAYS find out what is your Annual Percentage Rate and if its fixed or fluxuates. Just because you are sitting at the financer's desk DO NOT MEAN you are committed to purchasing the vehical.

And for the love of Satan DON'T SIGN anything till you read EVERYTHING over and ask for clarification on anything you don't understand. Don't let them rush you, don't accept their synopsis of the contract. If you have to take an hour to read it, READ IT DAMNIT!

Take this advice and it will save you tons of money and headaches.

** This is actual advice given to be by a former high end (Porsche, Audi, Farrari, etc) car salesman who told me some of his trade secrets.