Intelligent car shoppers do online and offline due diligence before pulling the trigger.
Use these 3 smart tips to buy the right car for you:
Use the Internet to Do Legwork
Leverage your knowledge and save yourself time by using the internet for car shopping. Gone are the days of working the phones or painstakingly driving from dealership to dealership to receive price quotes and haggle with people on the sales floor.
After 10 minutes on the web you can find the right price for your new car as well as other strategies for smarter haggling. The web provides you with a treasure of information as far as finding reputable dealerships and spotting the best deals. Patiently cruise the internet to make your life easier.
Do your homework online to save yourself time offline. No longer do you need to spend hours going from showroom to showroom to check stock and chat with sales people. Get as much information as you can online concerning pricing and features so you can lessen your offline research considerably.
Be Fair
Foolish car shoppers try to drive down prices to unreasonable levels. Smart dealers simply do the same dance to drive up prices. In the end you likely need a car more than they need a sale so you’ll be paying too dearly for a car which could have been a hot deal if you were a fair and honest haggler.
At the end of the day you want a car and the dealer wants to move the car off of their lot. You can have what you want and the dealer can generate a sale if both sides are reasonable in their expectations.
After doing your research online you can big a fair, reasonable price. If the asking price is close enough both parties can meet fairly quickly and you can drive off of the lot with new wheels.
Honesty is the only policy when it comes to negotiating. Stop taking a “me versus them” mentality to any haggling sessions. See both parties as working together in a mutually beneficial dance. Be fair in valuing your new ride to make both parties happy. In most cases the sales person will gladly meet you half way to generate a commission and to make you a happy camper.
No Impulse Buys
Never buy a car from the first dealership you visit. Even if you’ve extensively researched your car online and feel that you have a perfect fit visit a few dealerships to price shop and to resist an emotional buy.
Skilled sales people may have your best interests at heart but if you give off a “buy vibe” they can’t prevent you from making an impulse buy. When you’re excited and impatient you’ll likely purchase deluxe packages and other bells and whistles at the first dealership you visit because you’ll no longer be thinking logically.
Visit at least 2 or 3 dealerships before buying your new car. Compare prices and gauge whether or not you have found the perfect fit. Before you buy a new car make sure it fits your needs.