Seven Steps to Selecting the Best Automobile for You
Provided By: CarInsurance.com
There are a number of questions you should ask yourself or your family before buying a new automobile. Answering these questions will allow you and your family to be more than happy with your choice.Here are the steps which can help you with your selection of the new vehicle.
For each of the steps you will probably want to keep a list of the questions and answers. This way at the end you will have a list of your likes and needs. This list will help then with the pros and cons of the vehicles on your short list.
Step One - Figure out how much you can spend on the vehicle.
Before going any further you need to go through your finances and decide what amount you can spend on your purchase.When figuring out the amount, remember to calculate in the additional costs above the vehicle purchase price.These extra costs will include taxes, title, registration fees and insurance.As you go about choosing your vehicle you can try to look for options, such as safely features, that will bring down the insurance costs.
If you plan to finance the expense of the vehicle decide on how much you can put down and how much you will need to finance. Once this is done it is best if you go through the paperwork to get pre-approved so you know at what percentage rate your loan will be at. Once this is done you should have an idea of what monthly payment amount you can afford.
Step Two: What type of automobile will match your needs?
To figure out what kind of vehicle will work for you and your family there are a number of questions to ask yourself.These questions include:
How many people will the vehicle need to carry? Is it just one or two people or a whole family?
What size do you want the vehicle to be? Is an SUV too big? Is a sedan too small?
Does gas mileage matter? Will a station wagon or SUV guzzle up too much gas? Do you need a hybrid car?
Do you need an automatic or manual vehicle? Can everyone in your family drive a manual transmission automobile?
Do safety features matter to you? Will having the features add to the safety of your family? Can you get insurance rates reductions due to these options?
Step Three: Narrow down the choices
Once you have asked yourself the questions about the type of vehicle you want it should help you narrow down your choices. You should have decided on the type of vehicle you want - sports car, sedan or minivan. Once the type of car is chosen it is time to narrow the choices down to a few car models.
Step Four: Research the vehicle’s available options
When you have narrowed down your car model choices to two or three it is time to do research. Look online and find out what the choices have for options. Look up simple items, such as does the car come painted in your favorite color. Does the car come in leather?
See if the sunroof, you are just dying for, is an option you can choose. Is there a sports package that can be purchased? Can you make an upgrade to the stereo system? Are there different types of rims you can chose from?
You need to decide which options you just have to have and which ones you can live without. Price out the different options as well and see if one particular vehicle is more price effective.
Step Five: Research the MSRP and invoice price.
While online pricing out the available options continue to research so that it includes the price of not only the individual options but the price of the whole vehicle. There are many websites out there that not only give you the breakdown of what the main car components should cost but also allows you to add and delete sports packages or certain options so that you can see the how the pricing goes up or down due to each choice.
Part of the pricing you can look up includes what the manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) is compare to the dealer’s invoice price. The invoice price will always be cheaper and the amount you want to bargain down to as closely as possible.
Step Six: Visit dealerships and test drive your choices.
Once you have figured out the couple of cars you are very interested in purchasing and researched the prices and options it is time to see the vehicle in person. Visit the various dealerships in your area and try to test drive the vehicle with the options you would want if you purchase it. This lets you see if what you enjoyed seeing in pictures is as exciting to see and drive in person.
Test out the handling of the vehicle. See how the braking feels when you stop suddenly. Drive the car on as many road surfaces as the dealer allows you to. Listen to the road noise and try out all the buttons. Also check out the functionality of the interior. Are there cup holders and an outlet where you need them?
Step Seven: Negotiate with a dealer and drive home
Part of selecting the best vehicle for you is to get the best price. You have a fixed amount in your mind that you want to spend and need to follow that. If you got pre-approved for financing you even know what amount you will get from the bank and what amount you hand over for a down payment. This all comes together at the negotiation table.
The dealer might seem in control of the negotiations but really you are. You can stand up and walk away at any time. Once the dealer knows what vehicle you want with the options you want let them start talking about the price. Once they do, and it is too high as all first offers are, pull out your research and show them you know what the automobile is really worth.
The result of the back and forth with the dealer should be to get the price of the vehicle down to about 5 or 6 percent over invoice. If you are able to get down to this amount and are happy with it then close the deal with the salesman. This will include filling out paperwork and finally getting the keys to the car. Once you are given the keys all you need to do now is drive home in the perfect vehicle for you.
Very Quick and Easy. Very Satisfied. It is a time saver.
Blanco O.
Los Angeles, CA
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