Hey guys, thinking about purchasing a new car for the fiancee. We are looking at the affordable smaller 4 door cars such as the Toyota Yaris and Nissan Versa.

Does anyone know of some good dealerships in the NY area? I'm from Long Island, and have heard some horror stories about some of the places here, which is why I'd consider taking a trip to NJ/PA for a good deal/dealership.

With NY taxes and such as high as they are, is it really cheaper to buy a car in another state? Does this actually work out, or are there loopholes that will come back to bite us?

Any help and input for this first time *new* car buyer would be greatly appreciated.

Not that it helps, but I purchased my X at a dealership with the best recommendations out there, we actually purchased 3 cars from him with zero problems and at great prices. He doesn't sell new cars, though, and he wouldn't have a Versa or Yaris on his lot yet.

Thanks!

If you buy a car outside of NY, you will still have to pay the NY sales tax when you register it in NY.

Ah.. buying a new car.. my favorite sport..Here has been things that been succesful for me. Before you go, make sure you know what you want, color, options and either check kbb.com or edmunds.com and see what the stealerships cost for the car is. Then check the various stealerships website for the car you want. Most of then have an updated daily inventory of cars with VIN# or stock number of the car. Then call up and speak to a sales person, tell them which car you interested by stock number, agree on the price there and then on the phone and set up a time to meet that sales person. They want a quick and painless sale as much as you do.. Don't waste your time going down first to the dealer only to be raped because they have you trapped there with the car at your grasp. Before you go make sure you have financing arranged or a cashiers check for the agreed on price.

In February the wife and I bought her a new 2007 Mazda 3 hatchback and that was our game plan we used. The car was washed and ready when you arrived, we had a cashiers check in hand for the agreed upon price which was about $4500 below sticker. They did try to dick us on DMV fees and wanted to know if we were going to pay cash or write another check, I reminded I had check in had for the agreed on price and if that was not going to work I could return the check and one of the other 4 other Mazda dealers in the area.

Good luck.

when i purchase a new car, i want to get a quick reference price. i go to carsdirect.com and i have a quick price and they show you what ever rebates are being offered by manufacturer. you can also go through costco if there is one in your side of town, they have a new car buying program. or carmax.com they will deliver the car to your office or home. lets use the 2nd generation as an example... your choices where X S SE OFF ROAD. i did not choose the X since there was a chance it did not come with power windows. so i picked the S and when they asked me if i wanted power package, i simply said no.. because i knew it was already in the car from the factory..... so do your homework on the car you want and remember that 80% of the time the car is built with power package..good luck

At this point in our careers, I don't think we are going to be able to fork all the money all at once in a check. In terms of financing, is it better to go the "lease to buyout" route, or "buy downpayment and finance the rest" route?

What people are saying is to go to a local bank, or who you have your checking/savings thru, and apply for a vehicle loan. They will issue you a check. They will give you, in most cases, a lower APR than the dealership, since the dealership can "tweak" the APR to make-up for a lower negotiating price. Don't tell the dealership you are paying cash, until you get the agreed upon price. I would request a price quote over the internet. I used to sell Subarus via the internet, and I was given a lower selling price due to the fact that I sold on volume, so the price I would give you over the internet was MUCH lower than if you walked into the showroom. Good luck!

FWIW, there are two things to consider when buying -- the price and the financing terms. You ought to consider them as a total deal. For example, a lower price with a dealer but with higher financing from a bank might not be as good a deal as higher price at another dealer but with a lower dealer financing rate. (Sometimes the low rate dealer financing come in well below the bank rate).

My advice is *not* to focus solely on the monthly payment. If you do so, you can really get taken to the cleaners by lease financing whereby they engage in tricks such as low mileage limits (which can cost you a lot when the lease is up) and/or a high purchase price at the end of the lease (if you are planning on buying it at the end of the lease). Also, keep in mind that with a lease you never have any equity in the vehicle.

As for buying in the NJ area -- Forget about going through Costco -- they just referred me to a dealer who quoted a price and would not budge from it. I went to O'Brien Nissan in Hawthorne and their opening quote was $750 less than the Costco quote. You may want to check out O'Brien. Lynnes Nissan in Bloomfield use to have a good reputation, but I have done business with them in many years.

Anthony is right about the sales tax issue.

k_enn