Buying a car remains a hassle for women, according to a recent poll conducted by CarMax, Inc. (NYSE:KMX) on the company's Web site. The retailer, which conducted a similar poll last year, asked more than 16,000 women nationwide about what was most lacking in their latest car-buying experience. Responses are summarized below:
| What Was Most Lacking? | This Year's Responses | Last Year's Responses |
| A quick, effortless transaction | 21 % | 22 % |
| A salesperson I liked and trusted | 16 % | 16 % |
| Clear, fair pricing | 14 % | 12 % |
| A fair trade-in value | 14 % | 16 % |
| Respect for/attention to my wants and needs | 13 % | 13 % |
| A fair, reasonable finance rate | 7 % | 7 % |
| Understandable paperwork | 4 % | 5 % |
| Other factors | 11 % | 9 % |
"I am not surprised that women continue to experience stress when buying a car," says Donna Wassel, regional vice president for CarMax. "Like most women, I am extremely busy juggling my career and family and I need things done quickly, without any hassles. "
Wassel offers the following tips for women car shoppers:
To facilitate a quick, effortless transaction, be prepared by doing research and gathering your own paperwork. Use the Internet to research vehicle types, makes, models, options, features, and prices. Visit carmax.com to see actual prices and photos of nearly every vehicle make and model. Print out fact sheets or information about the vehicles you are interested in, so you can remind yourself about what you want when you step onto the lot.
If you plan to buy a car, bring key paperwork items with you, including title and registration for your current vehicle, your driver's license, and insurance card. If you have been pre-approved for a car loan, bring the sight draft or approval letter with you.
To find a salesperson you like and trust, ask friends and family for referrals. Look for openness and transparency in the transaction.
Look for a retailer that offers low prices, and a la carte pricing on each part of the car buying transaction -- the vehicle price, the warranty, the trade-in, and the financing. Also, be on the lookout for extraneous, unexplained fees.
Do not hesitate to ask questions -- as many as you need so that you understand exactly what you are paying for. Ultimately, you should be prepared to walk away if you are unhappy with your car buying experience. This can be tough to do, especially if you have spent a lot of time on one lot. But, in the long run, it's worth it -- remember, you are the one who has to drive the car and make the payments, not the salesperson.
To help get a fair price on your trade-in, get your current vehicle appraised.
