By Heather Listhartke
Buying a new car might feel like you’re jumping into something you’re not ready for or maybe it was a decision you rushed into out of necessity, but it doesn’t have to be. When you’re in the market for a new car, the first step shouldn’t be to go to the dealer. It makes it easier on you and your salesperson to instead answer these 5 questions first.
1.What is your budget?
This is perhaps the most important. Figuring out how much you can afford either buying outright or paying monthly will help you figure out the vehicles that you can consider. There’s several options out there for estimating the amount that you would pay monthly on a loan. To be on the safe side, choose a 4 or 5% apr and add about $1000 for taxes and fees to your final wanted price.
2.Is it reliable?
Once you’ve figured out what cars you can afford, you may have several that were good ideas for you. To narrow down your choices or just to make sure the car is the right option for you, do some research on the manufacturer and the vehicle. Are both known for their reliability and safety? If so, it stays; if not, it goes. Some great places to start when looking at reliability include Consumer Reports or any of the value sites like KBB or Edmunds.
3.Do you love the car?
Like most people, you’re probably going to be driving your car every day, multiple times a day. If you have a family, you may spend a quite a lot of time in the car, so it’s important you really like it. Once you’ve narrowed your car choices down to a few, you should ask yourself if you really love it. Do you want a specific color? Is the car equipped with safety features like a rear view camera or hands-free that is a must for you? Does the car have the technology that you would want? All of these things add into whether you would love the car or not.
4.Is the dealership friendly and trust-worthy?
Deciding where to buy your is important. Do some research on whether it’s reputable and trusted. Ask around about people’s experiences with the dealership. When buying new, it’s also better to go to the dealership that matches the manufacturer of the vehicle. They are more likely to give you a better deal on the car you’re interested in.
5.Is the car priced reasonably?
So, you’ve finally narrowed down to one car and you’ve also found a reputable dealer. Now it’s time to negotiate the price. Hopefully, you kept track of average pricing for the cars as you were researching them, but if not, go back to KBB or Edmunds and look at what is a reasonable price for the car. Use this to get a good deal. You should also factor in the length of the warranty and the how long its maintenance would be covered. When negotiation, don’t include any down payments or trade-ins until the price is negotiated down. While signing the final paperwork, once the full purchase price is negotiated, then add in the down payment and trade in. This will help you get the lowest purchase price as well as the lowest monthly payment.
Once you’ve worked through these five things, you’ll have a car you love that you can trust for the best price available. So when you’re looking for a new car, you can stop worrying and get shopping.
This information is brought to you by Infiniti of Cool Springs, offering a variety of stylish New and Pre-owned vehicles at its Cool Springs. Visit their showroom in person or see their vehicles online. Call today to make an appointment, 888-356-6427.
