1. Determine what you want to spend. Luxury cars start at about $30,000, and prices can go into the stratosphere.
2. Decide what's most important to you: safety, performance, value, handling, comfort, reliability, dealer service, looks, interior room, quietness, prestige.
3. Make a short list of the makes and models you want to consider. Do some research to determine how they stack up in terms of your priorities. Most luxury cars today excel in most if not all areas. However, some place comfort over handling and performance, or vice versa. Read magazine reviews to get a clearer picture.
4. Review the crash-test data for various cars. Check the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) vehicle ratings (see hwysafety.org).
5. Consider resale value. You may be surprised to find quite a bit of variation here. In general, German and Japanese luxury cars have the highest resale values. Check the Kelley Blue Book values of the various models over time (see kbb.com).
6. Talk to friends who own similar cars. They may have some good advice.
7. Compare insurance premiums for different cars you are considering.
8. Go test-drive the two or three cars on your short list. Don't worry about the dealers now. Focus on the cars. Do you feel comfortable in the car? Does it drive the way you want it to? Don't commit to any car or salesperson yet. Go home and think about it.
9. Rank the cars according to your priorities. Then rank them in price. You should be able to narrow the choice down to one or two cars. If the choice still isn't clear, test-drive the cars again.
10. Collect pricing information for the car you want, decide on colors and option packages, and get your loan together (see "How to Get a Car Loan," under Related eHows).
11. Return to the dealer and tell a salesperson what you want.
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