Consumer advice

              How to take the stress out of car buying Add to ...

   JUSTIN PRITCHARD
--
   Sierra Fiacconi recently bought her first car. Exciting stuff, right?
   For Fiacconi, not so much – she hated it, finding herself overwhelmed
   and stressed by the process.

   “It was a frustrating few weeks,” Fiacconi says. “I was bombarded with
--

   The 17-year-old student from Sudbury, Ont., endured weeks of
   contemplation, stress and second-guessing before deciding on a white
   2015 Volkswagen Jetta.

--
   Dealers’ sales staff witness and bear the brunt of those anxieties.

   “Customers often seem stressed about shopping for a new car,” says
   Meredith Morris, president and general manager of Sudbury Hyundai, and
   a board member of the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council (OMVIC).
--
   Leasing versus buying

   Deciding whether to lease or buy a vehicle can cause stress, too, as
   the best choice depends on a multitude of factors.

--
   sales representative to trim a few dollars from the price, or taking
   the final price from one dealer to others to seek out additional
   savings – to elevate the stress level.

   According to Unhaggle’s research, the negotiating process can be a
   major cause of stress, especially for women.

   “Stats have shown that women on average can overpay for the same