Buying a car could be one of the most important things that you do. Whether you go for reliable used cars or a brand new vehicle with zero mileage, the critical consideration is that it works for you. No one can tell you the best way to buy a car. It depends on what kind of car you think is going to be best for you. There’s an old saying that says, “There’re three things you should never let anyone borrow: your boyfriend, your toothbrush and your car.” That car is yours. How you buy it is up to you. Here are a few option to get you started in the ‘buying a car’ game.
Pre-Owned Car Dealerships
Visiting a pre-owned car dealership will give you access to affordable used cars. Pre-owned cars get a bad wrap. Everyone says that if you buy a car that was previously owned by someone else than you’ll never know exactly what happened to that car. While that might be true of a private sale, pre-owned car dealerships will keep all of the records of the cars they are selling to make sure that everything is legitimate. You can take cars for test runs, negotiate price and find out about free services just like you can at a new car dealership, which we will talk about next.
New Car Dealerships
New car dealerships is where most people are going to tell you to go to get your car. This is because the idea is that no one has messed up your vehicle before you get it. This is true. Having a new car can ensure that you are getting a reliable vehicle that is going to last a long time. You can make sure that you are taking good care of the maintenance and services on your car right from it’s first mile. However, keep in mind that the price is going to be much higher and you are going to be required to have full coverage insurance, which is also more expensive, until you pay off the vehicle. However, if you can afford this, then a new car may be the way to go.
Private Sales
This is when you buy a used car from a friend or from a website like Craig’s List or Offer Up. These ones can be a little tricky. They aren’t like pre-owned car dealerships who have to answer to IRS and federal standards for their sales and services. Private sellers can lie about their vehicles and then disappear without any kind of consequence while you are stuck with a pile of junk that you thought was a good deal. There are plenty of scams on these websites as well which end with you sending money and receiving no vehicle so you have to watch out for them to. However, there are definitely some honest deals out there. One of the best feelings in the world is having a car paid off. No monthly car payments and being able to go down to liability coverage insurance can hack a whole bunch of money off of your bills every month. If this is the most important thing for you, then make sure you bring a mechanic with you that you trust to check out the trucks. You’ll likely walk away with a screaming deal and have nothing to regret.
Auto Auction
There are auto auctions that are only open to dealers and then there are those that are open to the public. These cars are usually put up because there are defects but sometimes they are such small problems that the price that you bid for the car is worth it. If you want to go to an auction, it is recommended that you take a seasoned goer with you so that you can tell if you are getting a good deal or not. Get there early so that you can take a look under the hoods of the various models available in order to prepare yourself for the bidding war.
These are the four main ways of buying a car. There’re things like buying online, etc, but for the every day person this is it.
