MY FIRST CAR!
WHAT EVERY FIRST ( AND SECOND) TIME AUTO BUYER SHOULD KNOW.
by: Steve Thompson , vettemole@hotmail
    Allegany County, Md. Public Schools
July 2001

  At some point in your lifetime you will face the inevitable experience of purchasing a new or used car. Historically, automobile dealers have a reputation for being less than totally honest in their dealings with the consumer. However, a consumer armed with some basic information and knowing how to use it can make the car buying experience as painless as possible.
 

PRETRIP   THE FIELDTRIP  POST TRIP

    When the time comes to purchase a car, there are quite a few steps to follow in order to insure that you, the consumer, are getting the best deal for your needs. To help you do this, you may wish to ask yourself the following questions:

    1. Why do I need a car?

    2. How much can I afford to spend?

    3. Do I want a new or used car?

    4. Am I looking for a specific car or will any car in my price range do?

    As you can see, the process of buying a car has to begin with some good reasons for justifying such a purchase. Please take a moment to print and complete the  PRETRIP WORKSHEET  before proceeding to THE FIELDTRIP.
 

    First, click on and print   FIELDTRIP WORKSHEET
    Now that we have an idea what car we want to get  it is time to start our search for the 'perfect vehicle'. Click on CAR DEALER  to access a major American new and used car dealership. Use the VEHICLE SEARCH to find the cost of a car that you want. Once you have  found a car and its cost , complete the information on the  fieldtrip worksheet  and come back to this page.
    Next, we are going to examine some consumer information which is helpful to know when purchasing a new or used car. Click on BUYING TIPS     and complete the remaining questions on the fieldtrip worksheet. When complete, come back to this page and proceed to POSTRIP.
 
 

    Purchasing a car can be a very involved process. Hopefully, by taking this fieldtrip, you have obtained some information related to the retail car business that you may not have previously considered. This activity does not claim or intend to include everything involved in the car buying process, but to make the user aware of some of the resources available to assist in this process.
    The final activity in this fieldtrip is to get a local newspaper (preferably a Sunday edition) to do the following:
    1. Search the classifieds for used cars.

    2. Try to find several examples of the same type of used cars that are being sold by both a dealer
        and a private person (i.e. a 1999 Ford Mustang being sold by a dealer,Jones Ford and a 1999
        Ford Mustang being sold privately by Bill Smith)

    3. Compare the prices being advertised for both vehicles. Which has the higher cost? Why do you
        think this is the case?

    4. List two advantages of buying a car from a private person.

    5. List two advantages of buying a car from a dealer.
 

Print a copy of  the POST TRIP WORKSHEET   for this activity.