By the time many of us have decided to buy a new car, we already may be so giddy with excitement that we forget to do certain things during the purchasing process. While you always want to make sure that you get the best financing options and best payment terms, you must also make sure that you are getting the best car for your buck too. Therefore, it’s important that you don’t just consider the “test drive” a “joy ride.” You must pay attention while you doing this and that means turning the radio off and not worrying about how “cool” you look in your soon-to-be ride.

First, sit in all of the seats of the car, front seat, and back seat, see how it feels. Check the leg room. See if the driver’s seat is comfortable to you.

Start by driving on city streets. See how easy it is to turn the steering wheel, check the turning radius and gauge the brake response. Align the mirrors and tune the radio to see how easy this is to do while in motion.

Switch to highway driving, check acceleration and engine response. Open the windows to check for buffeting and other noise.

Once this is complete, return to the dealership and resist every urge to buy on the spot. Instead, head to another dealership and test drive the same make and model that you just drove to see if the experience is similar.

Following these steps will help make sure you get the car you are looking for.