​7​ ​Things To​ ​Know​ ​Before​ ​Visiting​ ​The​ ​Car Dealership

As someone who’s been living in a major city for the past nine years — Boston, now New York — the concept of owning a car is completely foreign to me. Sure, I know how to drive, but my transportation habits typically consist of schlepping to and from the subway or bus on the regular. And while there are many great things about public transit, there are also many frustrating things about it, too — like having little to no control of anything that happens, from the route you take, to the number of stops and/or delays you encounter along the way, to the temperature inside the vehicle. And don’t even get me started on the potential of encountering inconsiderate passengers along the way!

That’s why more recently, I’ve been dreaming of owning my own car. Not only would I be able to go on a weekend getaway at a moment’s notice, but I’d be able to dictate the soundtrack to my road trip. The possibilities! The only problem? I know nothing about car-buying.

To help other Bustle readers like myself who may need a little help when it comes to making what quite possibly may be their biggest (and most important!) purchase to date, we partnered with Ford to create the ultimate car-buying dictionary. Together, we’ve decoded some of the industry-specific terms to make your visit to the car dealership experience easier — and better informed.

1. GAP

2. FICO Score

3. EcoBoost®

4. Doc Fee

5. Commission

6. APR

7. Intelligent 4WD System

This article is sponsored by Ford.

Main image: Martina Ferrari / Westend61