Disclosure: This post was made possible by iConnect and Kelley Blue Book. I was provided compensation to facilitate this post, but all opinions are 100% mine.
A couple of years ago, we were forced to replace both our family vehicles within a few months, and I can say that it was NOT fun! To say that I hate car shopping and dealing with car salesmen is an understatement, but like many things in life, sometimes you just have to “put on you big girl pants” and get it done. I will say that the first thing I did, long before even stepping foot on a car lot, was check out Kelley Blue Book.
Not only did I find the value of my current vehicle, was able to check out what the car I was looking at should sell for, but I also learned that Kelley Blue Book does their own “Best Buy Awards” every year! These awards honor the top new model-year vehicles available in the U.S. market, (regardless of whether it’s all-new or not), in 12 major categories, along with an overall winner (chosen from the winning list of 12 segment winners). Designed as a service to the American new-car buyer, these awards recognize the best of all available 2016 model-year vehicles. The awards are the culmination of a year-long regimen of expert vehicle evaluation and testing of nearly every new vehicle available in America, along with analysis of a broad swath of vehicle-related data, including pricing/transaction prices, 5-Year Cost-to-Own information (which includes depreciation, insurance, maintenance, financing, fuel, fees and taxes for new cars), consumer reviews and ratings, and vehicle sales information. Backed by nearly 90 years of expertise, the Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Awards help shoppers’ in-market for a new car make the best possible purchase decision.
Want to know who made the winner’s circle this year? The infographic below has all this year’s winners and more!
I will say that having the value of the vehicle we were trading in and an estimate on what I should be paying for what we were buying allowed me to negotiate our purchase with more confidence. When they gave me a number, I pulled out my printouts from KBB.com and simply said “No”. I was able to get within $1000 of my happy price, and without to much back and forth, once they realized that I was informed and prepared.
After that experience, I highly suggest doing plenty of research on KBB.com and bringing that with you whenever you car shop. To learn more about the Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Awards or check out your car’s value, be sure to visit KBB.com and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
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