Be strong, be informed!
Jan 23 '00
Looking for a car huh? Seems pretty simple at first glance, see nice car, buy nice car. Not so quick.
Before you ever go out to look for a car to purchase, why not just find out what kind of car you really want? Remember you will probably have this
vehicle for at least the next 4 to 5 years, so make sure you like this investment. First, know what you want. Sports car? Sedan? Coupe? Van, or maybe a SUV?
Once you know what you definitely want, the hard part starts, what kind? This is probably the hardest thing, Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Toyota or Honda? Much depends on personal preference, but always remember that more important is the performance and reliability of the vehicle. Maybe you would be willing to give up a little reliability to get that car with the great looks? Would you rather be able to go fast, or through all the snow in the world, rather than go across America on one tank of gas. These are all things that you must decide, just remember that you should be thoroughly happy with every one of those decisions.
Now comes the part that most people dread, talking with the salesman. Now, if you are shopping for a new car, there really isn't a whole lot of room for haggling the price, but there is something you can, and should, do. Go to more than two dealerships, three is usually ideal. This allows you to get a price and compare it with other dealers. Of course when you start talking you should let it slip that you were given such-and-such a price at Joe's Ford down the street. Especially with dealers that are geographically close, there is a rivalry. Maybe one guy will only match the others given price, but usually they will try to beat it.
It may take a few days, and a bit of driving to the different dealers on your part, but it is possible to save hundreds if not over a thousand dollars on a new vehicle without much of a problem. Just remember that you are the customer, and without you the dealer would have to get a real job. and he knows it.
Shopping for used cars is actually much more fun in my opinion. Not only are you going to pay a lower price, but this is where the real deals are to be had. Used car dealers are much more likely to be bartered with, which is always good for the customer. Probably the biggest thing to remember is that used car dealers almost ALWAYS overprice their cars. Therefore it takes an informed person to recognize when they are being ripped. This means that you have to do some research before you go out to seriously look at a car. If you have a certain model in mind, go to some websites on it, find out it's strengths and it's weaknesses. Many cars have websites devoted to them, some with message boards. Go there and talk to people that own that particular car already.
At the very least, go to your local library and look at the NADA book. This is often referred to as the Kelley Blue Book. It will give you a standard price for a base model car, then how much to add for ewach option that it might have. Copy all of that down, so if you find more than one car, you can price them separately. And here comes the fun part.....
Haggling. Actually I like to call it counter-pointing because all you are really doing is bringing to attention points that you see in the car that may warrant a lower price. And be sure not to let anything go unnoticed. The stain on the passenger seat? A little dirty floor carpet? These are both causes for a small price break. A slight scratch on the paint? Paint not as shiny as it used to be? Slightly more of a break.
Notice everything, mileage, exterior imperfections, smoothness of engine while it's running, any shakes or noises at all. Remember, there is nothing too small, too unimportant that it shouldn't be used as a bargaining chip.
Now, here is a simple thing that is surprisingly very often overlooked. Tires. There should be either very, very, very good used tires or a set of new tires on any car you are going to buy. If the dealer is worth anything the car will already be outfitted with a decent set. But if you don't like something about them, just tell them. It is usually a very simple thing for them to get a better set on the car. Another thing that is usually easy to get done is a tune-up. Ask if it has been done lately, if he says it has, ask him to pull a spark plug. Most dealers that are trying to get away with something will change the oil and use that as proof of tuning it up and all around checking it out, but they rarely if ever change the spark plugs. If they are new you know he told the truth. If they aren't, tell him that he lied, and leave. If he lied to you about something simple, he will lie about something important.
The bottom line is this, you can always get a better deal by knowing what you want, and being strong in your resolve to control the situation.
Be forceful, but polite. But most of all, be informed
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Epinions.com ID:
gootch
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Member: Shane
Location: Kings Mountain, North Carolina
Reviews written: 40
Trusted by: 11 members
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