How to Buy a New Car

The first step to buying a new car is to identify exactly where your need for a car lies. You might want to travel regularly from your home to your workplace and back. You might want it to run long distances as your lifestyle warrants; or you might want it only sporadically for special occasions and let it rest in its garage otherwise. All these factors will obviously affect your choice in make and model.

The next step is to actually pin point how much money you have to spend when buying a new car. This could be very much dependent of the first step, however. According to this budget, which should be put down only after the first step is covered, you can proceed to choose make and model.

Then you should make a list of all the dealers you have access to, who sell the particular make, or perhaps model of car, you want to buy.

Once this is done, you should look up online catalogs and prices of cars sold by these dealers and then proceed to visit them.

The thought of negotiating a deal needn’t stress you; you have an equal right to spend less money, as the seller has to earn more.

The next thing you need to do is check the stickers on the car window. There should be two of these – the first is from the manufacturers and gives a MSRP or a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price and the second is the dealer’s price. The first price includes a small percentage profit for the dealer above how much the manufacturers spend on the car. The dealer’s price is usually higher because it includes work the dealer did on the car like undercoating, interior and exterior cleanups, washing, waxing, interior and exterior treatments and the addition of extra items, like specialty wheels.

Sometimes the dealer gives a high price and throws in extra servicing in the deal. You should ask and find out about these packages the particular dealer has before making the deal.

You should then ask to test the vehicle. You should check for adequate and comfortable leg space and comfort levels within the car. Then you should take the car out for a test-drive and check its gear shift, breaks, acceleration and steering. You should also check small things like how smoothly the mirror turns or whether the radio works.

You should note down the price of the car and the contact information of the dealer and then progress to the next dealer on your list and do the same thing.

When you have looked through a sufficient number of cars and pricings, you are ready to choose a car for yourself at the price you are looking for.

You should always negotiate the price with the dealer. You should always begin at a lower price than what you are ready to pay and then work it up towards your budget as you bargain. You should keep in mind the MSRP while you negotiate and not get too carried away by the excitement of the bargaining.

Photo Credits: Ronald Lewis

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Buying and Selling, Car Tips

Posted by How To Car on September 2, 2010 in Buying and Selling, Car Tips. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.