Long-time personal finance writers Ken and Daria Dolan offer 363 pages of helpful advice in their 2003 book, Don’t Mess with My Money. Even though many car dealers and certain makes of cars are going out of business these days, you still need to beware of the old tricks.

So here are some edited quotes from the chapter, Don’t Buy Another Car Until You Read This...

“• You know (from online research) what the dealer paid for the car, but in most cases the lowest profit a dealer makes is on the car itself. The big money is in back-end charges: extras you may not really need, such as an extended warranty, an anti-theft system, rustproofing, undercoating, paint sealant, a power sunroof, or servicing and parts sales. When a particular model is very popular, the dealer will add labels such as ‘market availability’ and ‘acquisition fee.’

“• The spread between what a dealer pays for a car and the ‘suggested’ price slapped on the window by the manufacturer runs from a low of 6% for an economy model all the way up to 18% for a luxury car. That sticker price (MSRP) is total fantasyland!

• Another common trick: A dealer might leave out options on the list price and make you think the price includes a fully equipped car, then surprise you with the extras only after you’ve made it clear that this is the car of your dreams.

• The invoice price overstates the true dealer’s cost. It doesn’t account for the ‘hold-backs’ that dealers often get from the manufacturer. These payments usually equal 2% to 3% of the cost of the car.

• The best time to buy a car is at the end of the month (they want to make their quota) or midweek or on rainy days (when business is slow).”