Buying your first car can be both an exciting and a terrifying experience. There’s plenty on the line financially, and it’s easy to make the wrong decision. Here, we’ll provide a few tips about shopping for your first car to help you make sure stay in control of the situation.
First Things First
Before you visit the lot or start your search for cars for sale by their owners, it’s important for you to decide where your interests lie. What body style are you looking for? Is make important to you? Some are die-hard fans of Chevrolet (as name-dropped by Jay Z, Kid Rock, and Mariah Carey), the American auto giant that has produced more than 200 million cars and trucks since 1912 and that sells a car somewhere in the world every 6.5 seconds. Others are fans of smaller, foreign cars like those made by Subaru, a Japanese automaker with practical offerings that are also fun to drive. Before deciding against foreign makes, it’s important to consider that there are plants all over the world. In fact, Subaru’s plant in Lafayette, Indiana was the first auto assembly plant to achieve zero landfill status. Once you’ve narrowed down your choices, it’s time to start shopping.
Time to Shop
There are a few things to keep in mind when you make this big, and often expensive, decision.
- Take your time. Rushing into a decision as big as this one is never a good idea. Have a little hesitancy and always be prepared to walk away. There are always other options. Never buy on your first visit to local Subaru dealers.
- Educate yourself. Local Subaru dealers and vehicle financers love to try to “educate” you about their businesses. It’s important to know that everything they’re saying is designed to talk you into a purchase. You’re your own best teacher.
- Be smart about price. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Most very cheap cars are junk, even if they look nice on the outside.
- Research the extras. Sure, that eight-cylinder two-door sports car looks snazzy zipping down the interstate, but it costs five times as much to insure as an identical one with only four cylinders.
- Remember your credit. If this is your first major credit experience, there’s a lot on the line. Don’t finance without comparing the dealer’s contract to other options.
- Don’t fall for “spot” delivery.” Sending you home with your car as soon as you sign the paperwork is a favorite sales tactic for many Subaru car dealers. If you find that you’re purchasing largely because of that feature, rethink your decision. It probably came from your emotions and not your brain.
- Visit a mechanic first. If you buy from used Subaru dealers, have a mechanic take a look first.
- Explore financing options. Ask for a copy of the finance contract from the dealer, and bring it with you to a credit union or other financing location. You won’t know if you don’t compare.
- Don’t fall for add-ons. Most local Subaru dealers don’t make their profits on the price of their Subaru inventory, but on add-on charges. Be wary of those extras.
Before scouting local Subaru dealers, make sure you’re prepared to exercise those tips. The only one who can stop you from making a bad decision is you! Links like this: doyleauto.com