when i bought a car.. i researched a lot...  find a  car that you want yo buy..research about it.. search google for the owners reviews, and ratings.. and what are the peculiar feature of that car,, find out how much a leather interiors cost and whats the difference between leather interior and cloth. i mean money wise..find out the engine is V4 or V6..depending on your need choose one...if u dont know V6 Gulps a lot of gas..think about it..but it is a lot powerful than a v4...fin, tanned windowsd out about the features like sunroof, monroof, what kind of sound system they got,brake system etc

 go to autotraders.com or cars.com(these are the ones i used).. for the price and feature comparisions..the price listed on these websites are actually market price and is definately  cheaper than the dealers list at their lot(beacuse there is a big competition on the internet).now  find a car that you feel is affordable and  suits your needs, they have phone numbers that you can call and fix an appointment ..do make sure they have the car you just looked...ask them three times if u have to...u know..just to be sure they have the car!!! sometimes they can trick you to come to their dealers and they act like they dint know about it...ihave had that situation, and remember that is  a federal crime on their part..called fishing advertisement. u can raise this issue if they try to argue and humiliate you..hehe..just in case!!!
depending on where you live, the prices varies..it is higher in the south..suppose if u live in texas.. it is very high here.. in newyork or MA or Delaware, virginia.etc(the north ) they are lil cheaper..u can save soime bucks!!! or u can travel to these places and get it done!! this will definately gve you the joy of saving some money and the joy of ride, bringing the car home..
find a car that suits your needs and financial situation..research about both the pros and cons..by the end of your research you will become a car guru..trust me!!! when you buy one...ask for the carfax reports..this report will show you the history of the vehicle...like who owened it, how many owners did it have and what things have been repaired..whether it has been involved in an accident and the whole history..all im saying is when u go to adealership..go prepared..and you will understand and what they are talking..this will also help you from being tricked into buying something that u dont want..remember these sales people are trained..and u have be able to argue and bargain...do not ever go to carmax..if u want to  bargain..go to toyotas dealerships...you can bargain a lot at these dealerships and bring them down ...u can also try nissan for that..VW, Volvo they dont bargain a lot.. do not buy VW cars, they are in their worst phase right now..see the ratings and u will know..buy japanese cars,, is my recommendation..you will know why..just do a little research.. and also buy a car thas has got some warranty..

now, if u are avoiding dealerships, and buying a car in person, take it  to a mechanic you know.. or your friends know..tell em to perfrom a computer diagnosis on it..it will tell you the internal problems..they are not always accurate though..it is always a risk buying it from a private individual...ask them for a carfax also...
 any questions let me know..ill try to answer..to the best of my knowledge