My first car was a gem; so old, so broken and so loved. It bought it for $500 used after looking at local Subaru car dealers and a million other places. I was a young adult and barely was starting to build up my credit so the interest rates were so high on the cars, I couldn’t possibly afford a payment while going to school. There are a number of places that you can look for a new car, when the time comes. Of all the cars for sale, my little Chevy was the winner. She lasted me a about a year and a half which was about a year longer than I had anticipated. Then it was time to look for another one. Back to local Subaru car dealers I went…
Between local Subaru car dealers and used Chevy dealers and more, there’s so many places that you can go to look for a car and it’s hard to know where the best deals are going to be. Here are some great things that you should know before settling on a decision.
- Utilize Your Smartphone
We have so much information at our fingers with smartphones these days. Once you find out information from a dealer, you can then look it up online and find out what they paid for the car, how much the mark up is, how long ago they bottom it and plenty of other useful information. This helps you to hold some of the cards and have something to negotiate with. - Ad Match Your Quote
Ad matching is typically done as somewhere like Walmart, not really at local Subaru car dealers, right? Well, actually, if you take a quote from another dealer, the dealership you are currently at will generally try to match that quote. That means that you could use the internet to get 53 quotes and pick the lowest one and take that to any dealership you want. - Don’t Talk it Over
A salesman will often leave you to talk it over with whoever you came with. They’ll get a phone call or something that leads them off to the side. However, chances are they are still listening to your conversation to find out what your bottom line is. If this happens and you do feel the need to talk with your partner, make sure that the salesmen doesn’t hear what you have to say. - Trade ins Aren’t Always Best
If you already have a car that you want to trade in, make sure that you know the Kelley Blue Book trade in value. You can compare this to the National Automobile Dealers Association which is what dealers will use more than KBB. Your best bet may be to sell privately and use the cash for a down payment rather than your actual car. Chances are you will make a little more money that way. - Don’t Settle for the Sticker Price
The sticker price includes all the little extras that are included but you don’t have to have all of those fluffy things that you could do at home such as fabric sealants, etc. Usually, if you ask, the dealer will let you see the original invoice so that you can see what you are paying for. If they don’t want to show you that, it may be time to go somewhere else. - Walking is Scary
When you decide to walk away from a sale, it scares a car salesman. They’ll do anything in their power to keep you on the lot. If you aren’t comfortable with a sale or just know you can’t afford it, walk away. If the salesman doesn’t follow, you may have dodged a bullet but usually he will try to entice you with lower prices at that point. - The Fight isn’t Over in the Lot
Once you decide to buy the car, you’ll be taken to a back office where the deal will be finalized. The salesman will try and up sell you with every service available. You should know before going what amenities you want and what kinds of things you are looking for as well as exactly how much you are willing to spend. This will help you resist unnecessary costs.
These tips should help you buy at a reasonable price.
