A woman's guide to savvy car buying.

Although my title refers to women, this can be applicable to anybody. Buying a car has always been one of those distasteful things that must occasionally be done, and often we end up paying more than we need to, due to the sales techniques that we are assaulted with. This includes the high pressure sale, unnecessary add-ons, dealer financing, convincing you that you have to buy something that is already in inventory (even though it's not what you want), etc.

As a mobile massage therapist, I have to be able to carry around my table and supplies, so I recently found myself in the market for a crossover SUV. I began my search by going to the different manufacturer websites to see which vehicles I was interested in, then I did some more online research to read the reviews.

Once I had the field narrowed down to 4 contenders, I went and took test drives. This is probably the hardest part, because they don't usually let you do a test drive without trying to get you to buy that day. Fortunately, I have no problem saying "no" to that. If you think you might cave in during this step, bring along a friend for moral support, somebody that is not emotionally invested in the potential new vehicle, and instruct them that under no circumstances are they to let you "sit down and run the numbers" with the salesman. Get the guy's card, then get the heck outta there.

After test-driving, I was able to definitively say that I wanted the Mazda CX-7. It had great reviews, was in the right price range, and was a joy to drive... all this in addition to being a beautiful vehicle.

Once you decide which car you want, then do your pricing research. I go to edmunds.com and price new cars with the options I like. This will give you an idea of what others are paying for the same car, as well as give you the MSRP and invoice pricing.

If you have a trade-in, then you will want to value that as well. Be honest about your car's condition, and once you get the current trade-in value for your car, stick to your guns with that amount!

After I knew how much I was willing to pay, I went to the dealer's website and looked in their available inventory to make sure they had what I wanted on the lot (you have much better bargaining power if the car is already in their inventory, because they HAVE to sell it by a certain time, or else they begin losing money). It also helps if you purchase towards the end of the year, since the new models will be coming out soon. I made my purchase in September.

Once you've determined the amount you're willing to pay, including sales tax, tag and title, get pre-approved financing from your bank or credit union. This is just one more weapon in your Car Salesman Defense Kit.

I then sent an email to the internet sales associate at that location, and I told them the VIN number of the vehicle I wanted, and how much I was willing to pay. I also told them what I would be trading in, and how much I expected for my trade. I let them know that these numbers were non-negotiable, and if they could meet my price, then please get back in touch with me.

Of course, they were happy to oblige, because what I was offering, while it was well below invoice price, was still a good value for them. Plus, they knew I had done my research, so were less inclined to try and jerk me around.

I printed the email containing their acceptance of my terms, and told them I would be at the dealership the following day to make the purchase. You see what I've done here? I've taken the face-to-face high-pressure sales BS completely out of the equation. It's harder to rattle somebody's nerves via email than in person, so do all of your negotiation via email whenever possible.

When I got to the dealership, they tried to get me with a high interest rate, but since I had gotten pre-approval from my bank for a lower rate, they had no leverage. They actually ended up beating the bank's rate! Sweet!!! :) They also tried to give me less for my trade, but I just waved the printed email in front of them and was 100% willing to walk out without buying their car.... They caved in.

Needless to say, I got a great interest rate, full value for my trade, and well below invoice for the cost of the car. It was the best car-buying experience I've ever had, and I felt like I came out a winner.

One last piece of advice... you should always get GAP coverage when buying a new car. As soon as you drive the car off the lot, it is worth less than the amount you have financed, so you want to make sure that if you somehow total your car, that the entire loan value is covered, not just what the car is worth (this can be a gap of thousands of dollars, hence the term "GAP" insurance).