You should enjoy your car shopping experience. Driving it once you own it is fun, after all. Most people will say that car buying is quite stressful, but you can easily change that. Use these tips to have a positive shopping experience.
Before you leave to buy a car, you have to know certain things about what you need. Do you know what you can afford? How many seats do you need? What are you looking for in gas mileage? Do you want a car with two or four doors? Get it all down on paper, and bring it with you when shopping so that you don’t forget.
When negotiating, focus on the price of the car overall, not just the monthly payment. Any dealer can find a way to get you the monthly price you want to pay, but you’ll be paying that price for years because of tons of interest. Then your total car price will be extremely expensive. Negotiate the best overall deal for the course of your lease. Then, you can negotiate the terms.
Sticker Price
Don’t take it for granted that the sticker price is the lowest you’ll pay. Sticker price is an over-inflated amount they don’t think anyone will pay. If you aren’t a good negotiator, bring a good negotiator with you. You can determine the most you’re willing to pay by researching the value of the cars you are interested in ahead of time.
A test drive needs to be taken. It doesn’t matter that you may already have decided on the car. You should still take a test drive regardless. There’s nothing that will allow you get a feel for the car like a hands-on demonstration. You may find yourself unpleasantly surprised by a rough ride or coarse handling.
Many salesmen have monthly quotas. Take advantage of this system by car shopping during the last days of the month. Due to their quota, salesmen become a lot more friendly at the end of the month in most cases. This can help give you some wiggle room with your negotiating.
You should consider renting the type of car you want to buy to try it out. Renting a car from a local rental agency is a great way to get a personal feel for a specific car over a test drive of a day or more. Hit the road and really test the car to see if it is right for your needs. It’s a cheap way to make sure that you’re getting the right car before you purchase and make a commitment to it.
Do not give out your SS number haphazardly. Many dealers will ask for your social security number before negotiations even start. They will use this information to pull a credit report. You have to realize that the process of checking your credit can ultimately damage your score, so be careful in this respect. No one needs your personal information till you’re absolutely ready to buy.
A lot of people bristle at the thought of buying a car, but as you can see, you do not have to stress out about it. A few simple steps can make the process go more smoothly. Get started and give yourself enough time to find the ideal vehicle.