Most people dread car shopping. It is hard to understand what the best car prices are, the best negotiation tactics and the amount of options that are available to you. These tips will help you make your shopping experience a lot more pleasant.
Monthly Price
When negotiating cost, think about the entire price, rather than the monthly payment. Salesmen can virtually give you any monthly price you want; however, a very low monthly price will result in you paying this amount for many years. As a result, your final cost will be extremely high. Rather, concentrate on getting the lowest overall cost for the car. Once you have done that, determine what the monthly payments will be.
Prior to purchasing a used car, ask an independent mechanic to have a look. If a dealer refuses, shop somewhere else. To the untrained eye, it’s almost impossible to determine whether a vehicle has been damaged in a flood, wreck or fire. A mechanic can identify these and other issues before you agree to buy the car.
Bring a friend with you to buy your car. This individual can be another pair of eyes and ears, and they just might save you from a bad deal by nudging you to walk away when you should. This person can be a friend, relative or spouse.
Be sure to always test drive a car before buying it. While you may know which car you want, a test is imperative. The dealer may have a silver tongue, but your own experience and judgment is what matters. Maybe you’ll find out that the ride isn’t that great, or the handling isn’t up to par.
When you shop for a car, try taking a friend with you that does not wish to purchase a car. A good friend can steer you away from making an emotional or impulsive decision. Whenever you test drive the vehicle, have this person with you and encourage him or her to let you know of anything bad they see in the car.
Before going to a dealership, have a firm number in mind. This number should be based on how much you are willing to spend as well as market research on the general value of the car model that you are looking at buying.
When you are shopping for a car, don’t let the dealer know up front that you have a trade in. Only reveal this after the negotiation process is complete. If you tell them about your trade-in too early, you may get an even worse deal on that, so you have to be careful.
Search the web if you want to buy a used car. There is no reason to visit a car dealer these days. You should look on Craigslist.com and eBay, or look in the newspaper. Doing this can get you a cheaper car and skip out on having to put up with dealership pressure tactics.
Always do your research when buying a used car. You can even learn online about a car’s value. Blue book websites are great for finding out about a car’s value. If your dealer is attempting to sell you a car for a larger price than these two sources say it’s worth, then walk away.
When shopping for a car, target the end of the month. Salespeople are anxious to meet their monthly quotas, and your sale may be just what they need. Stop in a few days before the month’s end, and you may be able to negotiate a better deal.
Prior to negotiation, figure out what incentives are available. Research and understand what incentives may be offered. These may include rebates, trade-in values, warranties and many other offers. It will be easier to negotiate if you are knowledgeable about car shopping and come across as an educated customer.
Have an insurance agent estimate the cost of covering a car before you buy it. A car you think is reasonably priced may appear otherwise after you take the cost of insurance into consideration. Your ideal vehicle should have an affordable price and insurance premiums should not be too high.
If the salesperson takes your offer to their manager, they won’t come back with the lowest offer just yet. Give them another counteroffer and when they give that one to the manager, you’ll know the next offer is the lowest. They want to sell you the car, so they won’t keep you waiting any longer.
Though you should present yourself respectably when shopping for cars, try not to project excessive wealth. If you dress like you are rich, you will have a hard time convincing a dealer that you need a good rate.
Do your homework before you set foot at a dealership. There are online vehicle comparison sites and print publications that can help. This also can give you information about features available, options and information on what things cost. This lets you save money and time prior to going to the car dealer and looking over the cars.
Do not let salespeople trick you. Sometimes they seem friendly on the outside, but they just want your trust. However, don’t be fooled into getting something that you don’t really want.
You can get a car you are happy with cheap. By educating yourself beforehand, you can make the process go more smoothly. Keep this information in mind as you shop. You should be able to negotiate some good deals in the showroom.