When it comes to buying a car, you want to make a well-informed decision.  Here are some tips to avoid making a costly mistake: 

Check out different vehicles. Several Internet sites can help you compare features and prices on new motor vehicles.

• Go to www.popularmechanics.com  to see the best sites for buying or selling a car online.  
• ?Visit www.truecar.com to see what others paid for cars you're interested in.
• Two popular magazines offer information in print and online concerning vehicle performance, service and safety: Consumer Reports (www.consumerreports.org) and Motor Trend (www.motortrend.com).

• Research the dealer’s price for the car and options. It’s easier to get the best price when you know what the dealer paid for a vehicle. The dealer invoice price is available at a number of websites and in printed pricing guides. Consumer Reports offers the wholesale price. Lower than the invoice price, this figure factors in dealer incentives from a manufacturer and is a more accurate estimate of what a dealer is paying for a vehicle.

• Find out if the manufacturer is offering rebates that will lower the cost. Check out Edmunds.com www.edmunds.com/car-incentives.

• Get price quotes from several dealers. Find out if the amounts quoted are the prices before or after rebates are deducted.

• Avoid high-profit, low-value extras such as credit insurance, extended warranties, auto club memberships, rust proofing and upholstery finishes. You do not have to purchase credit insurance in order to get a loan.