So you found the perfect car. It’s a vehicle so right, you’ve just gotta have it. Perhaps it’s a car you’ve always dreamed of owning, or it’s a great price and includes all the right features. Congratulations! But how do you actually buy a car from the dealership? The car-buying process can be complicated and tricky, especially if it’s the first used car you’ve ever bought. Have no fear, we are here to help!

A Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle, also known as a CPO, is a used car with low mileage, no history of major accidents, and is backed by the manufacturer. Each manufacturer has different criteria for what constitutes a CPO. For some, those three letters are a stamp of greatness. Others have a very loose interpretation. That’s why we’ve compiled what we believe to be some of the best and worst CPO programs throughout the auto industry.

Haggling and negotiating are important parts of the used car buying process, but if you walk into a dealership without knowing how to negotiate, you’re not going to get a favorable deal. There’s an art to negotiation, and you have to enter into your used car buying experience knowing that. There are several phases to a successful used car price negotiation. The first phase occurs before you make your way to the dealership, and the second is at the dealership itself.

When watching a commercial for car dealerships, you’ve likely heard the term “Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle” being thrown around. But what is a Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle? Is it just a fancy way of saying “used car”? Believe it or not, it’s not just sales jargon. Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles are very real, and they’re an important part of the used car buying process. In order to determine whether a Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle is right for you, you’ll first need to understand the differences between a CPO and a regular used car.

When shopping for a used car, you may find anxiety creeping up around the entire process. After all, shopping for a used car is often portrayed as a harsh process where conmen in loud suits and greased back hair try to swindle unsuspecting marks out of their money. In reality, the used car buying process can be easy to navigate, as long as you go in understanding the prices, how dealers make their money, and how you can use that knowledge to negotiate a better deal for yourself.

The process of buying a car has always been a tedious task. You need to find a brand, model and make, evaluate the different features available, determine your budget, assess the various cars on the market, perform vehicle history checks, test the car out, and then negotiate a price that works. And none of it can be rushed, after all this is the vehicle because you’ll be driving around for the next few years.

Whether you’re buying a new car or a used one, it’s important to understand common car lingo. Car sales jargon can be very confusing, especially if you’re a first-time car buyer. By understanding the lingo, you cannegotiate better prices, walk away with the car you want, and feel more confident you’re not getting the raw end of the deal. Start today by reading our guide on 30 car buying industry terms we believe every car buyer should know.

Car dealers are smart and savvy, and they often get their bad reputation by tricking customers. Now, we’re not saying they all behave this way. But a large majority of buyers have been ripped off by car dealers either through excessive and unanticipated fees or extra features that they push onto the customer. That’s why we want you to know the top seven ways you could get ripped off by a dealer while buying a car.

It’s tempting to dive straight in and purchase a brand new vehicle. New cars always have the latest features, can be customized however you want, and they’re easier to buy. But between new vehicles and used cars, a used car is almost always a smarter financial decision. Used cars are significantly cheaper when it comes to the overall cost, insurance rates, and registration. While used cars come with additional risk, there are now certified pre-owned programs that can give you great peace of mind.

You’ve found the perfect used car at the lowest price, but it happens to be halfway across the country. There’s no way you can come and inspect the vehicle and give it a test drive. You’re not feeling so confident just examining photos of the car and trusting the unknown seller on their word. Don’t worry. Before you get too overwhelmed, there are many ways you can review a used car that’s out of state without undergoing a test drive.