1. how noisy is the ride
   its power and acceleration
2. all of these, and more

Test drives are your time to really get to know what could be your next car. Do a walk-around, get acquainted with the cabin and take it on the road. Listen for road and engine noise, pay attention to how it accelerates and brakes -- and don't forget about ride comfort.

1. a pretty-good rate
   annualized performance ratings
2. annual percentage rate

If you're financing your car purchase, you'll see your loan comes with an annual interest rate -- the Annual Percentage Rate, or APR. And when it comes to interest rates on loans, the lower the better.

1. the principal
   the buyout price
2. the money factor

The buyout price is the remaining cost at the end of the lease term, which you're responsible for paying if you decide you want to keep the car.

1. manufacturer's suggested rebates and penalties
   manufacturer's suggested retail price
2. mile, suggested rate per

MSRP, which stands for Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price, is also what's known as a vehicle's sticker price. Like the name says, it's a suggested price -- which is usually the highest market price for the car, set by the manufacturer. By law, the MSRP is displayed on every new car in showrooms across the U.S., but there's no law saying you have to pay that price.

1. 350
   500
2. 750

FICO credit scores range from 300 to 850, and the lower your score is, the riskier lenders think it'll be to loan you money. Scores above 700 are good. Most fall between 600 and 750, and the average score in 2016 was 673.

1. the salesperson who made the deal
   the person leasing the car
2. the dealership owner

There's additional terminology when you decide to lease instead of purchase a car. The "lessee," for instance, is the person who is leasing the car: you.

1. agree to anything so you can get it over with
   take the salesperson to lunch
2. walk away from the deal

Sometimes the best way to get what you want is to act like you don't want it. You don't have to agree to the first deal the salesperson offers -- or the second, or third. And one of the best tactics for changing that deal can, often, be your decision to walk away. (Don't worry, they'll follow.)

1. signing your name on the line
   negotiating
2. calculating extra costs

If you're a "chiseler," you're a good negotiator. Who doesn't want to be a chiseler?

1. just passing the time
   looking for job change advice
2. sizing up your income level

Car salespeople aren't just making small talk when they ask about your career. This is one way dealships participate in the very legal activity of price discrimination, which is when the salesperson strategizes to charge you the most for a car based on what they think your income is. Counteract it by downplaying what you do or where you work.

1. you get a new car every few years
   you put a lot of miles on your car in a year
2. you can write the lease off as a business expense

If you put a lot of miles on your car in a year, leasing a vehicle may not be the best option. Leased vehicles typically have mileage limits, and they can be as low as 10,000 to 12,000 annually -- and you'll pay penalties for going over.

1. almost everyone qualifies
   about half qualify
2. about one-third qualify

Interest-free loan offers are so tempting, but if you don't have a stellar credit rating, you may not qualify. In fact, about two-thirds of car buyers interested in those interest-free loans don't qualify for the deal.

1. yes, always
   no, "no haggle" is the future
2. sometimes

"No haggle" car sales seems a lot less stressful, doesn't it? No negotiations! But it's not always good for your finances -- just say no to "no haggle" prices that are more than 5 percent of the dealer cost.

1. the amount people are financing for a specific car
   the lowest price paid for a specific car
2. what people are actually paying for a specific car

The Fair Purchase Price of a new car is based on what people are typically paying for that car. It's based on real transactions across the U.S., and it is tracked down to specific makes and models.

1. dealer holdback
   invoice price
2. trade-in value

There are a lot of variables in figuring out dealer cost, which is the actual cost the dealer paid for the car, including invoice price, dealer holdback and any factory-to-dealer incentives (such as on slower-selling options).

1. 50 percent
   15 percent
2. 3 percent

When you finance, smartly, budget no more than 15 percent of your paycheck -- after taxes -- for your monthly loan payments.

1. the fair market value of the car
   how much the dealer paid for the car
2. how much the manufacturer says the car is worth

Invoice cost on a new car is available for every car, and every trim level. It's the dealer's cost for the car -- but just the car itself, not all the extras that get rolled into the final price, such as advertising, sale, prep, display and financing of the car.

1. at the end of the year
   out of season
2. when you want one

Buying a car out-of-season, like a convertible to ring in the New Year, can get you a bargain because the dealer doesn't want them hanging around. Similarly, buying at the end of the month allows you to take advantage of dealers' monthly sales quotas. But the best time may be to buy at the end of the year, before new models hit the showroom.

1. one-quarter
   half
2. none

You can expect your new car to lose as much as half of its value in its first five years.

1. at least 50 percent of the purchase price
   at least 20 percent of the purchase price
2. no more than 10 percent of the purchase price

The bigger the better when it comes to your down payment. Plan to put down at least 20 percent of the car's purchase price as your down payment.

1. after you've bought the new car, keys in hand
   after you settle on the purchase price of the new car
2. as a negotiating tool, if things aren't going well

The best thing to do with your trade-in? Even if you plan to trade it in and use the value to offset the cost of the new car, don't let the salesperson know that -- once the value of your trade-in is established, it can give the salesperson leverage to actually get you to pay more for the new car.

1. the amount borrowed on a car loan
   the buyer's down payment on the car
2. when you owe more on your car than it's worth

The "down stroke" is a sales term in the car buying experience. It's a phrase meaning the customer's down payment on the vehicle being purchased.

1. offer 5 percent over dealer cost
   offer 5 percent over invoice price
2. offer 5 percent over MSRP

Making an offer that's 5 percent over the actual dealer cost -- not including "destination charges" or other negotiable fees -- is fair to both you and to the salesperson.

1. the finance company
   the person leasing the car
2. the salesperson who made the deal

When you lease a car, you're either the person who's making the payments or the person who collects those payments. The "lessor" is the finance company -- the entity that collects the payments.

1. 5 minutes
   30 minutes
2. as long as you're home by dinner...

You're all set to sign on the line for your new car, but the negotiations are dragging out. To avoid giving the salesperson an upper hand in making you tired, keep your negotiations to 30 minutes. If you can't sign the deal by then, it's probably time to leave.

1. negative equity
   under water
2. all of these

Negative equity, also known as being "under water" or "upside down," means you owe more on your car than your car's worth. While that may not matter so much in your driveway or on the road, it does matter when you're trying to trade in that vehicle.

1. yes, take it
   no, it's not much of a change
2. wait, is that legal?

Although this is a pretty common way for a salesperson to get you to the magic number that you can pay every month, it's not actually doing anything much in your favor. What you want, instead, is a lower price point.

1. registration fees
   dealer prep fee
2. dealer cost

Dealer prep fees, which can range from $100 to a few hundred dollars, are added to the purchase price to cover "prepping" your new car to go from the lot to your home. If a fee's legit, it'll be listed on the factory invoice.

1. a tough negotiator
   a pro/con list for buying the car
2. shopping for an electric vehicle

Draw a line down the center of a piece of paper. On the left, the salesperson writes a list of why you should buy a car today. On the right, you're supposed to fill in why you shouldn't. It's manipulative, and you don't have to play along.

1. babysitter
   dad
2. mom

You'll never hear them say it to you, but the person you've brought with you to co-sign the loan is a "babysitter."

1. at least 50 percent of what you budgeted for monthly payments
   at least 5 percent of what you budgeted for monthly payments
2. at least 1 percent of what you budgeted for monthly payments

Be prepared before you go to the dealership. Figuring out your car budget isn't difficult: your new car should cost a minimum of 5 percent less what you've budgeted for your car purchase. You'll need the rest to cover gas, maintenance, repairs and auto insurance.

1. 97 percent of the invoice price
   25 percent of the invoice price
2. 3 percent of the invoice price

Dealer holdback (also called factory holdback) varies by manufacturer, between 0 percent and 3 percent of either the MSRP or the invoice price. The best way to estimate it? Calculate 3 percent of the invoice price (minus the destination and delivery fees) for domestic vehicles and 2 percent of imports.

1. negotiate up from dealer cost
   negotiate up from invoice price
2. negotiate down from MSRP

The best way to approach price negotiations, everyone's favorite part, is to start with the dealer cost, and negotiate up to a price you're comfortable with.

1. Price Insurance Options
   Payment Installation Options
2. Port Installed Options

PIO are Port Installed Options and refers to imported cars. PIOs are items that are installed at the port, after leaving the factory, before coming to the U.S. You can count on both Factory Installed Options and Port Installed Options being factory-approved changes, but not those installed at the dealer.

1. 24months
   48 months
2. 72 months

For the smartest budgeting decision, it's best to limit the length of a car loan to no more than 48 months. If you can't handle the monthly payments at that pace, you may be in too deep.

1. the dealership
   the department of motor vehicles
2. the manufacturer

When you buy your car from a car dealership, the dealership handles the vehicle registration fees.