5 dealer options to skip when buying a car

"A lot of dealers will also eagerly pitch you fabric protection, which is basically a spray that they will put on -- a spray that costs them almost nothing and that's applied by a person who's making minimum wage -- but for which they might then charge you $100 or more," Quincy says of this dealer option. "Again, it's something your car doesn't need -- and it's certainly something your body doesn't need either, because it's just more chemicals for you to be in contact with inside the car."

John Nielsen, national director of auto repair and buying at AAA, in Heathrow, Fla., adds that automakers now provide cars with high-quality interiors that incorporate materials and fabrics that shouldn't have stain-related issues if consumers exercise a modicum of care. "If you have a spill and wipe it up right away, you're really not going to have a problem," he says."If you really need additional fabric protection, all you have to do is buy a bottle of Scotchgard."