Buying your first car be challenging if you don’t know what to look for or what types of questions to ask the salesman. There are various vital things you might want to do to prepare for checking out your first car. First, ask someone who has purchased different cars. See how they liked different carmakers.
Compare the specifications
Do some research into carmakers. Here, go online compare the specifications of the car brands. You might think that this is tedious and you could be spending time doing more fun things, but it’s important. You’ll see in the long run how important it is.
Go to the dealerships and get a hands-on feel for the cars. Sit in them check the quality of the cars. Feel the seats, are they comfortable? Check the paint job, check the rims and tires. See how well done it is or if it has flaws. When you do all this you are actually gathering ammo for negotiating a price for the car you want to buy.
Take a person with you that have purchased cars before. You should resist the temptation of buying solely on the looks and feel of the car. Just because the car is shiny and new try not to buy the car based on this fact. The car might have a bad safety rating.
So you don’t want to buy based on looks. Make the dealerships compete for your money. Take your negotiating tools with you. You’ll realize that you will have a much better time with getting a good deal. You will also get a better car for your money.
New car vs used
The new car sells easier than used. This is due to the fact that they can be financed at a lower interest rate and the car will come with a better warranty. They are some really good used cars. Just make sure you ask around about certainly used car dealerships in your area. See if they have a good reputation. Use sources of information that are reliable for both new and used cars.
Warranty
If you find a car with warranty and all the other perks that are included are good then you’re ready to deal with the salesman. They will tell you what they want or the sticker price. But before you dig in to the negotiation clear any doubts you have about extended car warranty . When they tell this rest assured they can go lower in price. It’s almost like a duel. Offers and counter offer.
Negotiate
Be willing to haggle. It will benefit you in the long run. So yes the price negotiation goes on for a while. The salesman wants to sell you a car because he gets a commission. However, he will hold out so get the highest price. Here is a tactic that a friend of mine used.
He haggled for hours with the salesman. Offer and counteroffer were presented. He ended up going home to wait out the salesman. Before he went home he casually left his number. Sure enough about 8:30 pm just before closing the salesman called and accepted my friend’s offer. My friend played the waiting game. It paid off.
Final thoughts
Just remember they are a lot of dealerships out there selling cars. You can look at it this way. They need your business. They need your money.
You really do have the upper hand. Make sure you do your research into the different things offered by the dealerships. Make them compete. Also, remember that you will have the upper hand in the game of buying a car. Also, remember to take a seasoned car buyer. This may be the single most important thing you can do.
