5 Tips to Enjoying Your Car Shopping Experience

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5 Tips to Enjoying Your Car Shopping Experience

Dealerships sell vehicles for a living and know what their cars are worth. Private sellers have usually owned the vehicle for a while and know what issues it has, they have the advantage but a little research and a couple test drives can ensure you are not buying a future regret and headache.

1. Do research: There are so many options when you choose to buy, even if you know the exact make and model you are after, it is no wonder people say they hate car shopping and car salesmen even more! With a little internet research
you can quickly narrow down not only the features you want but what price it should be “Out the door” , how many miles is good and what it should sound and feel like when you drive. If you use a “one stop shop” like cars.com then you are ahead of the game and you need to look up a couple things: What the prices are in the area you are willing to drive to , NOT in different states, If you are not willing to go get it the “Good deal” way over there it means nothing. The history of
that car, a mechanic that is willing to do a safety inspection for you and a review or two on the vehicle.

2. Drive: When you are buying a house or clothes do you buy online and have a breath of relief that you just made the perfect purchase? I know I don’t. Wheny ou are buying a vehicle take time to know what you really want then drive vehicles that have it. Use neighbors, friends, private sellers and dealerships tomake sure you are getting the feeling you want and you will get the right feel every time you get into your vehicle.

3. Budget: I know you want to skip this but if you did skip over this it may be an indicator of why you never have enough money at the end of the month. People that know how much they are willing to pay each month (including insurance) and
what they are willing to pay out the door will NEVER be taken advantage of and will NEVER be able to say “I paid way too much”. Know what you should pay and do not go over the line. Dealerships will either be integritous and respect your limits or disrespectful and try to push you limits. It’s a quick indicator of when you should walk away. YOU are the boss in this interaction. You have the money they want.

4. Check it out: Take the vehicle to a mechanic that is willing to do a pre-purchase inspection or a safety inspection before you buy. If you don’t have a mechanic check out Cars.com the mechanic will be able to point out warnings and check fluids to get an idea of the care, or abuse, that vehicle has enjoyed.

5. Read reviews: Most reviews are done by customers that are seconds away from purchasing their car that they are totally in love with. That is why you are looking for reviews that are written after the buyer has driven away and reviewed without the sales person over their shoulder. Also look to see if the Dealership has replied to help. I have seen dealerships bend over backwards to satisfy and even try to undo the purchase only to have the customer leave nasty comments and
ignore all attempts to make them happy. Reviews are a tricky minefield but if you read a few you will get a gut feeling that can help a lot in avoiding the smooth talker.