How often have we wondered if a deal for a car was mutually beneficial to both the buyer and the seller? Sellers are human, after all, and haggling too much should not leave him bitter about his indispensable customers. Since in this country, a car is bought many times in an average user's lifetime, it is better to equip ourselves with some checklists, which leave both the buyer and the seller happy.

Some useful tips on buying a car are:

Make sure you buy during a time when very few are likely to buy that product. Christmas is a good time for buying cars. At this festive time, most people would be preoccupied with other purchases, so a car is least likely to figure in their list of purchases. Not only do you get the best deal, the seller is more than willing to sell you a product no one else would think of buying. In fact, this is the time when most would be looking to dispose of their cars at whatever price they can get, for obvious reasons.

Cars depreciate very quickly with time; even if it has not been driven, it is still considered old. So, make sure you go in for these cars at the time the new models come on the market. This is typically between July and October, when the dealer is in a state and needs to get rid of the older models.

With the surfeit of information about cars on the Net, surf closely for the best price. Once you have downloaded a price and presented it to a dealer who has offered a higher price, he is left with no option but to come to your price level!

Don't get taken for a ride the next time your finance geek tells you that you were not eligible for a loan! Giving loans is his bread, and these are tricks to induce you into paying a higher rate. Tell him flatly that you would look out for another lender, and watch him fall at your feet!

Once a deal is closed, it is closed forever. Don't again get fooled by those who claim that they need you to sign the papers once again after they have given you what you thought was a good interest rate. This is an attempt to fix a higher rate than the original, so look out.

Don't try to exchange a car whose loan has not yet been cleared. Dealers usually take their own time to clear the remainder of the loan quickly; this could only invite penalties from your bank.

Once you have been convinced about your model, pay an initial amount and ensure you get the car at the stated price, so that in the interim of the time before the delivery, prices cannot be jacked up.

Distress selling is the last resort for your old car. Once you have shown that you badly need to dispose off your old car, you are handing the deal on a platter to the buyer. Start looking for a new car even while you are aware that there is still some life in it.