My boyfriend has the intention of going to the dealer for one of these days and I will not look like a dummy on his side when he is negotiating. So what is someone for when buying a car? What are the questions to ask and things to keep in mind?
How do I buy a car?
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get a buyers guide, most magazine stands should have them.
First decide what you want to use the car for mostly, commuting? towing? around town? long hyway trips?
Then you go from there
First off, research. Decide on the basics (i.e. sedan, SUV, etc) and what features you definitely want or need (i.e. sunroof, cd player, A/C, etc.).
Second, ask for a brochure. Then go for a test drive.
When you sit down to negotiate, never answer the question “Well how much were you looking to spend?”!!!!!
Ask them what is the best price they can do for you. If you don’t like the sound of it, thank them and try another dealer. Chances are, they’ll track you down with a better offer.
Also, ask what kind of incentives, rebates and special deals they have going (i.e. low interest rates, special lease deals, etc).
Good luck and don’t be intimidated. They need the sale, not you!!!
First thing to remember: Never settle for the first price you get. They will always come down. Whether you are buying new or used, this is true.
If the payment sounds high, tell them so. They will work with you to get it down.
I recently went to a carlot and almost bought an 05 Dodge Dakota 4X4. The first payment they quoted me was nearly 500 bucks a month, plus a downpayment of $2200.
After three hours of bargaining, I had them down to a payment of $390 per month, no money down, a free tonneau cover thrown in, plus he was going to cut me a check for $500 to help cover the costs of getting the thing plated.
In the end, i walked out, because I still thought they were charging me too much for the truck.
I’ve never seen a salesman so p*ssed off. He told me I was effing stupid. Very polite indeed!
So my advice is: HOLD OUT for a lower price, be wary of overeager salesmen, and please, please DO NOT buy an ugly freaking Honda Element. It hurts me to see the hideous things on the road.
In today’s day and age the need to negotiate is unnecessary if you know what you want in a car, how you plan to pay for it (loan, lease,cash) and have done some basic homework (insurance costs, credit rating). From there you can contact a number of services that will assist you in getting the vehicles for the best price without the typical haggling and wasted time. If you use an auto search engine like autotrader, autobytel, you will get calls and emails from every dealer in the neighborhood. consider using an online broker or car buying service.
Well, you will want to know how much comparable cars cost in your specific area. I will give you a link to the Auto Evaluator. It’s a free program you and your boyfriend can look through and it has 7 checklists you can print and bring with you so you know what to look for. You can email for specific questions. Good Luck!
http://www.theautoevaluator.com