Our First New Car Cost Us More Because We Weren’t New-Car Smart

This is part of a sponsored collaboration with Kelley Blue Book and DiMe Media. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

My husband and I have purchased a few new cars over the span of our marriage but we were not new-car smart. We made horrible choices in the beginning. When we entered our marriage, I had a sports car and he had a truck. Once we learned that we were pregnant with our first child, one of us had to trade in our vehicle for a more family friendly car. That was when we made our first big mistake. We went to the dealership without any resources on how to buy a new car.

We lacked trusted sources about how to buy a new car at our fingertips. Neither one of us had ever purchased a new car on our own before. We didn’t know which questions to ask. How were we to determine what we could afford not just on purchasing day but five years from then? We managed to get the dealerships to come down on price but looking back, I’m not sure that was the best we could have done. We didn’t have anything to compare it to other than the sticker price of dealerships down the street.

In the end, our first new car cost us more money than necessary because we weren’t new-car smart. Today, I’m grateful to have discovered and have used the resources from Kelley Blue Book. They can help make anyone become new-car smart. Being new-car smart means realizing there are many more resources beyond just pricing that can help empower you as you are on the new-car journey.

Last month, at Hispanicize in Miami, I was invited to attend the Kelley Blue Book Bootcamp You Auto-Know: How to Navigate the Car-Shopping Process. I didn’t get to attend the full session due to my packed schedule but I made sure to pop in and say hello to the team because I value what they share with each time I do meet with them. I appreciate that this team has shown up to Hispanicize year after year to teach us about the car buying process.

Even though I didn’t get to attend the full bootcamp, I can access all of the Kelley Blue Book resources online. So can you! Some of the tools that KBB.com offers includes:

Price Advisor

Find what others are paying for the same vehicle in your local area.

5-Year Cost to Own Information
Everyone knows that negotiating a good price on a new car can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars, but fewer car shoppers realize they can save even more simply by choosing the right vehicle to begin with. Similar cars with similar sticker prices can vary in their costs over the first five years of ownership, so it is important to compare overall costs to ensure you’ve made a smart choice that holds up in the big picture.

Editorial Reviews and 10 Best Lists

From segment buyer’s guides and comparison tests to 10 best lists, KBB.com’s award-winning editorial team can help you decide which new car is right for you. Narrow your shopping list with Kelley Blue Book’s recent award winners and Editorial top picks based on what is important to you (e.g., Family Cars, 10 Coolest Cars, 10 Best SUVs Under $25,000 and more).

Consumer Reviews & Ratings

Kelley Blue Book has one of the largest databases of consumer vehicle reviews for third-party sites.

All of the above resources and more can help you make the right choice in buying a car that’s right for you. Plus, they are all available online and on your mobile devices for you to take with you to the dealership. When you make a large purchase like a car, you want to consider value over price. Kelley Blue Book is a trusted source for car buyers to use to make an educated choice about their next purchase.

Queridos, I wish we could have accessed these resources so easily as a newly married couple. That’s why I’m happy to share the Kelley Blue Book resources with you today. No one needs to make the same mistakes that we did.

Are you ready to be new-car smart?

Which Kelley Blue Book resource could you use to buy your next car?