Although getting behind the wheel of a new or used car can be fun, few people find the process of purchasing a car a pleasant experience. With some persistence and preparation, you may get the car you want without overshooting your budget. Obtaining a good deal makes buying a good car even better, and we aim to give you the info you need to confidently navigate the car buying experience and learn how to negotiate car pricing.

Car buying is one of the last strongholds of price negotiation that happens between a buyer and seller. Also, it’s one of the most unbalanced negotiations out there. Professional car salesmen work with 100s of transactions per year, whereas most car buyers only purchase a vehicle every 4 or 5 years. Luckily, consumers have better access to car data than ever seen.

Be prepared – Do your research ahead of time to know the correct car prices to prepare yourself before you start to visit dealers.

At the dealers – Work with several dealers and learn the correct things to do when talking to salesmen.

Completing the deal – Complete the purchase, and protect the deal you just negotiated.

You should know everything you can about the car you are seeking, from its invoice price that the dealer may have paid to its sticker price. You can check what other buyers around you have paid for similar cars by viewing the TrueCar Market Analysis report for the model.

Timing matters when buying from a dealer. You have a better chance to score a good deal on a weekday, according to TrueCar. You may find that dealers try to meet sales goals toward the last weekend of the month, quarter or year. By finding a dealer that has yet to reach their sales goals, you may be able to pick up a great deal.

If you come to the dealers table with a pre-approved car loan, they will have to match or beat that offer in order to get your business. Look into trying out a car loan calculator to find the right finance options for you. Mark-ups on car financing is where car dealers make most of their money, and where you can lose the most of your money also.