Buying a new car is a big decision. MSN Autos recently released a list of helpful tips to make sure you drive away in the right car for the right price.

Vehicle Features

Before looking at any specific car, determine the features and equipment on your must-have list. If you simply can’t live without back-up sensors or a third row seat, narrow your shopping list down to only vehicles with those features. It will save you time, and possibly keep you from falling in love with and buying car that doesn’t fit your needs, avoiding a bad case of buyer’s remorse.

Resale Value

While you are most excited about the car you want right now, chances are it won’t be the car you want to drive forever. Resale value could be as important as purchase price. This is a complicated evaluation, because the residual value will be affected by the car’s condition and mileage, which can be hard to predict. Some features, like energy-saving technology and new safety devices, can cost more up front but also add to the resale value.

Car Insurance Premiums

In addition to your monthly vehicle payment, you will also be shelling out for insurance expenses. While driving record will play a big part in your insurance costs, the type of car you purchase and the safety features it offers can affect your insurance payment as well. Larger trucks can often cost more to insure because they can cause more damage in an accident, and cars with specialized powertrains, like hybrids, can be costlier to insure because they are costlier to repair.

Find more on these and other car-buying tips at MSN Autos. Happy car shopping!

If you are shopping for a new family car, you are in luck. U.S. News and World Report recently released their list of 2013’s Best Cars for Families, and there is sure to be one on this list to fit your family size and budget.

U.S. News divided vehicles into 19 categories then scored in areas of quality, family-friendly features, and passenger space, naming a winner for each category.

Among the Best Cars, the affordable deceptively spacious 2013 Chevrolet Cruze won the Compact Car category. The Chevy Cruze offers high-quality interior materials, comfortable seating for five, and a host of standard and optional features including blind spot monitoring, rear cross-path detection, and the MyLink infotainment system. Other budget-friendly, family-friendly options include the Ford Fusion (Midsize Cars), and Subaru Outback (Wagons).

For families with bigger budgets, the 2013 Mercedes-Benz E-Class won top honors in Luxury Large Cars for its exceptional construction, elegant styling, spacious seating, and long list of enviable features, including COMAND infotainment system, navigation, rear-seat entertainment system, and panoramic moonroof.

Families who need more space for passengers or cargo might turn to the SUV and Minivan categories, where there is just as much room for individual expression. Perennial family favorites like the Chevrolet Suburban and Honda Odyssey are mentioned alongside more luxurious choices like the Audi Q5, Lincoln MKT and Cadillac Escalade.

Check out the full list of family car winners for shopping ideas, then let CarLocate.com help you find the best deal!

In auto safety news, it was recently announced that four vehicles have passed new IIHS “small overlap frontal crash tests” to earn TSP+, or Top Safety Pick “Plus”, distinction.

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety developed the new test to measure vehicle safety in collisions at 40 mph with impact to only to 25% of the front end of the car. This would predict the damage to a vehicle involved in partial head-on crash that only affected the driver’s side, or impact with a narrow object like a pole. The test is administered only after the vehicle has passed all other IIHS front, side, rear, and rollover tests.

The 2013 Honda Civic is the first compact car to pass the test, which is significant for Honda because small cars often do not perform as well as bigger vehicles. The larger Mazda6, Lincoln MKZ and Volvo XC60 all previously earned TSP+ designations during their own tests.

Honda vice president of product planning, Art St. Cyr, said of the results, "We believe this is a distinct competitive advantage, especially as more and more consumers place a premium on crash rating performance."

To research further crash ratings visit the IIHS site or the site of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, who regulates government crash testing.