Buying a New Car

From LoveToKnow Buy


Purchasing a new car is a big investment. It’s something that a person should spend time giving a lot of thought. Since there are so many cars to choose from, where do you begin? First, know your budget. If you are not fortunate to have a large salary, it is important. You also need to consider how you are going to pay for the car. Will you finance, go through a credit union or buy it outright?

buying a new car - Corvette

Think about how much time you spend driving. Do you have a large commute, go out of town a lot etc? Gas mileage can be a big factor if you do a lot of driving. Do you like to drive with an automatic or manual transmission? Manual transmission vehicles are usually lower in price and better in gas mileage, while automatics are more expensive and worse on gas.

Where to look for New Cars

Whether it’s a Coupe, Hatchback, 4-door Luxury Sedan or Sports Car, choosing can sometimes be an overwhelming experience. Are you practical, conservative or flashy? A car says a lot about a person. So where do you find what you want? Let’s look at the options.

Hyundai Sonata

Car Dealerships

Brand new cars are easily found at a car dealership. Before going, make sure you did your homework. Get an idea of how much the car you want is worth by going to the brand’s corporate website. The majority of these sites will give you a lot of information about features, colors and links to your local dealer’s websites.


Chevy HHR

Next, look out for any special rebates and financing rates that may be applicable during the time of purchasing. The best time to buy is when you see a lot of deep discounts on car prices. Another good tip is to purchase a new car when a new line is released. Since the new line cars will be coming to the dealership in truckloads, they like to get rid of the other new cars from the previous release. Also, cars from a previous year usually have bigger rebates, and can save you money.

When you arrive at the dealership, prepare yourself for salespeople. At some locations, they can be very pushy. Others have a stand off approach, and will let you look around without bothering you. Once you see something you are interested in, ask the salesperson lots of questions (they usually have good product knowledge), and then request a test drive. This will give you a chance to see the interior of the car, and see how well it performs on the road.

Does the car interest you? Now for the hard part, price negotiation. Remember, you are the customer, and they want your business. If you are interested in purchasing, the next step will be talking to a Sales Manager. The salesperson is usually involved, and may actually talk to the Sales Manager for you about pricing while you wait. Many dealerships are flexible and will work to negotiate a good price for you. If the quote they give you doesn’t meet your satisfaction, you can always walk away and look elsewhere.

If the pricing is acceptable, you then are taken to see a Finance Manager who will check your credit background, prepare your paperwork, find appropriate financing for you (if applicable), and tell you about service contract options, accessories etc.

So you’ve purchased the car, now what? Usually, the dealership will have your car prepped for you by checking and detailing it. Most of the time you can pick up your car within a day or two. Your car will have a temporary registration permit, which will be displayed on your dashboard. Then, after a few weeks (to a couple months, depending on the DMV), you will get your plates mailed to your home. Some dealerships have a new program where you can pick up your plates at their location. It is usually a little faster this way, since many people worry about plates getting lost in the mail or stolen.

The Internet

Chevy Aveo

Many dealerships are now putting their vehicle inventories online through their own site, or through a third party auto ad website like AutoTrader and Cars.com. This is a very useful tool for the consumer. Most of these sites will allow you to search by model and year. It will show photos and a description. A link to contact the company listing the car by email will usually be available, along with a phone number. A good example of a car dealership with online inventory is Team Automotive, located in Pasadena, CA.

You can find a lot of good deals by surfing these sites. Internet Sales are usually a separate department at a car dealership (you still have to go there to buy it), but some may incorporate them with their regular sales crew and have special Internet pricing.

Hyundai Accent

Newspapers and Magazines

Printed ads through the newspaper or magazine are not always the best place to look for a new car. The best you can get out of them is finding out if there is a sale on the car you are looking for. Otherwise, specific car listings in a printed ad may already be sold by the time you read it!! Most ads in the paper have to be sent in a week or two in advance before it is actually released. By that time, many of the specials listed may actually be sold!! So, if you see something interesting in an ad, be sure to call ahead before making that trip over.

Last Words

Buying a new car can be an overwhelming task. With so many makes and models to choose from, it can be a tough decision. Take your time, research, look at your budget, and find out as much as you can so you can get the best deal..

By Sheila Robinson


 


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