These 4 Steps Will Make Car Buying Easy For You Even If You Know Nothing About Cars
Today, car manufacturers have literally flooded the automobile market. Deciding which car to buy seems a daunting task especially if you haven’t made a purchase in a long time or if you are buying your first car.
Don’t worry. Buying a car becomes easy and simple when you are equipped with the right knowledge.
Today, we will discuss a few steps which will make the car buying process easy! So, let’s begin.
Carefully Analyse Your Transportation Needs
The first step is to assess your needs logically. With so many tempting and luxurious cars out there, you can make the wrong decision. Hold your nerve because buying the wrong vehicle can be one of the worst decisions of your life.
If you are young and energetic, the salesman may entice you into buying a stylish coupe which will enhance your social status. But don’t fall for it.
Here are some practical questions you need to ask yourself:
- What seating capacity do you need?
- On what type of surfaces do you usually drive on? Do you go off-road or is it highways primarily?
- Do you regularly commute long distances?
- Does fuel-economy matter to you a lot?
- Do you need an AWD?
- What type of features do you require in your new vehicle like Apple CarPay, parking camera, heated seats?
- How many safety features do you want in your car? Is emergency braking important for you or do you need a lane assist system?
- Do you need a lot of cargo space?
- Will you use a child’s car seat?
- How much parking space do you have?
Set Your Budget
Setting the right budget is the next crucial step. How much can you take out each month to finance your car purchase? Financial advisors suggest that your monthly car payment should not go over 15% of your monthly income. This rule even applies to the purchase of a used vehicle. And, when you want to lease a car, try to fix a budget that takes 10% of your monthly income. Don’t forget the monthly fuel cost and the maintenance cost which comes with the machine.
Being conscious of the total budget will aid you in making the right decision.
Decide If You Want to Lease or Buy
Leasing and buying are two different ways to have a car. However, both come with their own set of pros and cons.
For instance, a lease has no or very little down payment, but it can cost you more in the long run and you have to leave the car as the contract ends. When you purchase a car, you might have to pay heavy initially but ultimately you are going to own that car.
Leasing
- You don’t have to worry about the depreciation in car value
- You can enjoy new cars with modern features and state-of-the-art technology
- If you are leasing from a car rental company, you will get roadside assistance and maintenance charges will be covered under the contract. Also, the car rental company will take care of maintenance and repairs.
Buying
- You can modify the vehicle as per your taste
- You can sell it whenever you want
- It is cheaper than leasing in most cases
- You are not answerable to anyone and there are no mileage restrictions
Set Up a Test Drive
Now that you have shortlisted a few cars after analysing your needs as discussed in step 1, you now need to set up a test drive after talking to the dealership department.
For example, you are looking to buying a Honda City 2020. You can call the Honda Car Dealer and inform them of your intentions. They will then schedule a car test drive for you. This way you can save a lot of time. We will recommend you to take at least 3 test drives of different cars before making the final decision.
By following these simple steps, you can make your car buying journey easy and hassle-free. If you are not content after testing several cars, don’t stop your car hunt. It is always better to spend more time researching rather than ending buy the wrong vehicle in a hurry and then regret it later on.
Buying cars for sale can be difficult, but with these steps, it will make the process easier.
