Fall is in the air. Besides looking to the calendar, you can always tell that autumn is just around the corner because the new cars for 2011 are making an appearance in a big way (manufacturers introduce new models throughout the year, but autumn remains the official start of the new automotive year). So with a new year of vehicles popping up, new-car buyers ask themselves the age-old question: Am I better off to wait for the new models to come out or should I buy a leftover at the end of the season? The answer: maybe.

Every five years or so, car makers completely redesign models, from making updates to mechanicals and styling midway to a full redesign. On the plus side, these new models come with the latest safety and convenience features, and updates to engines, transmissions, and technology mean improved fuel mileage and performance. On the minus side, they pretty much always cost more (this includes the models that only have a slight redesign), and don’t even about getting a discount.

If you’re going for a leftover model, there are plenty of pros on the benefits side of the list. You’ll be able to save some money upfront, because dealers want to clear old inventory. These cars come with a full warranty, and if you are a long-distance driver, buying a car at year’s end will give you one more model year to spread your miles over. Also, according to reliability surveys, new models have more problems on average than those that have been on sale for a year or more. This means the last year of a model’s production is often the most reliable.

On the down side, the leftover car is a year old the moment you drive it off the lot, which means you’ll lose a money of the depreciation if you trade every couple of years. And if your leftover has been replaced with a redesigned model for the new model year, it’s likely to depreciate even faster.

[Source: Consumer Reports]

Now that the market is on a tentative upswing, there is no time to waste – one of the positive points about a recession is that new-car buyers are in charge when it comes to making a deal.

Data collected from a recent survey by the Consumer Reports National Research Center shows that half of those polled believed that they were able to negotiate a much better deal in these tough times. Further results found that around 27 percent of respondents reported no change, while 18 percent said their ability to negotiate has diminished some or a lot.

Other important information gathered from this survey showed that income played a significant role in negotiating tactics. New-car buyers who earned at least $50,000 were more likely to say that their ability to negotiate improved, compared to those with household income under $50,000, while twice as many consumers who earn less said their ability diminished relative to those who earning power was greater.

So how do you ensure you get the best deal? The key to getting the best deal is to do your homework and have a strategy when your go into dealerships. Here are some negotiation tips that will come in handy when you’re ready to start haggling:

• Be sure to get all dealer quotes by email or phone. This allows you to focus on the dealership offering right car and price.
• Don’t be afraid to play one dealer off another in order to get the price lowered, and tell them that you’re going with the lowest price, even if it means driving a few miles out of town.
• It’s important to negotiate up from the bottom line price, not down from MSRP. This tactic keeps you closer to the real target while proving you mean serious business.
• If you have a trade-in, keep it removed from the new-car negotiation, as it’s a totally different transaction that needs to be managed separately.
• Stay away from dealership sales events – the showroom tends to be staffed with its best, profit-creating experts during these promotional events.
• Compare interest rates and get pre-arranged financing. This way, if the dealer can’t meet or beat your best loan option, you still have secured the best rate and are not pressured into taking a bad financial deal to get the car.

[Source: Consumer Reports]

Would you go an extra mile to save an extra buck on a new car purchase? According to a new survey released by Consumer Reports, you’d be willing to go 55 miles.

Thanks to the Internet, it’s easy to compare prices, and armed with all this valuable research, it’s a great way to haggle with dealerships for a lower price. The web also offers consumers a greater range of dealerships that will fight for your business and allow you to compare prices across a larger geographic area. And if you’re willing to drive out of town, you can save a lot of cash.

Consumer Reports wanted to see just how far new car buyers would go to get the best price, so they polled 1,700 adult s whose households owned at least one car. It turns out the median distance car buyers would to drive to get the best deal on a new car is 55 miles.

But the results of the telephone survey offer a wide range of responses.  For example, about 14 percent of respondents wouldn’t drive 20 miles for a deal, but 26 percent would go the distance – at least 100 miles – to save some money. And then there’s the dedicated eight percent willing drive over 200 miles to get the best deal possible.

So if you’re in the market for a new car, go online to get quotes from the dealerships and look outside your immediate area for the best offers. Taking the scenic route could save you a few hundred dollars – totally worth the extra time on the road.

[Source: Consumer Reports]