Great advice, Andrew. It is smart to protect your regular e-mail and phone numbers, to get a quote from Carmax, to use TrueCar for pricing, and to use the manufacturer website for researching specs, colors, trim differences, etc.

You also made the right choice between the Escape and CX-5. Ever check out IIHS crash-test scores on that Ford? Yikes. Your Mazda does better, especially if you bought one after the mid-year structural strengthening that the company undertook during the 2014 model year.

If you’re buying a new car and you’re going to be carrying kids, whether they’re yours, your grandkids, etc., you need to research crashworthiness. Use IIHS.org and SaferCar.gov. Buy the safest car that you can afford, and remember that curb weight plays a role in frontal-impact ratings. Bigger and heavier wins.

By the way, your tow hitch would have been a dealer-installed accessory, not factory-installed equipment. Most, if not all, crossover SUVs take this approach, while vehicles with greater tow ratings frequently offer a factory-installed trailer hitch as standard or optional equipment.

Finally, when using TrueCar pricing to negotiate with a dealer, don’t forget that in most cases you get to choose between the big cash rebate OR the low-interest financing deal. You don’t get both. Sometimes the car company will offer a smaller rebate in conjunction with the cheap financing.