If you’ve been thinking of replacing your current vehicle or adding another car to your household, summer is among the best times for doing so. With an abundance of perfect driving weather and dealership sales events, summer is a great season for car-buyers. Given what a massive investment a decent vehicle represents, it’s only natural that you’d want to save as much money as possible on any summertime auto purchases. Fortunately, with the help of the following pointers, getting a good deal on a good car should be well within your abilities.
Be Open to the Idea of Buying Used
Many car buyers refuse to even entertain the idea of buying used. In many respects, this is understandable, given the comically bad rap used vehicles tend to get across popular media. In actuality, however, a preowned vehicle is likely to be a cost-effective investment that serves your needs just fine. So, if you’ve closed yourself off to purchasing used cars, you’re severely limiting the number of options at your disposal.
As many dealerships can attest, there are numerous benefits to going the pre-owned route. For starters, used cars tend to depreciate in value at a slower rate than brand-new vehicles, since many of them have already lost the bulk of their value by the time they’re traded in. Secondly, buying used can dramatically expand your options. For example, a vehicle that may have been out of your price range just a few years ago is liable to be comfortably affordable pre-owned.
Of course, this isn’t to say that all pre-owned vehicles are created equal. To help ensure that you don’t get stuck with a lemon, take care to request a detailed history of any used car you’re interested in purchasing. If a dealership doesn’t have these records on hand, simply seek them out on sites like CARFAX. Additionally, when buying used, look for vehicles that qualify as “certified pre-owned,” as these often come with convenient limited warranties from their respective manufacturers. Furthermore, some pre-owned vehicles also come with dealership-based warranties, which can provide anyone with reservations about buying used with peace of mind.
Pay the Entire Cost of the Vehicle Instead of Financing
The desire to save money – especially on a purchase as large as a new vehicle – is perfectly understandable. Since many car buyers are unable to pay the entire cost up front, they often opt for car loans and financing. And if paying a car off immediately simply isn’t feasible for you, there’s nothing wrong with going this route. However, if you have the resources to comfortably pay off a vehicle immediately, you should strongly consider doing so.
While it’s easy to see why you’d seek to spend as little as possible up front, this approach may result in you spending more money over time, especially if you take out a car loan. Furthermore, some dealerships provide special discounts to customers who pay for their vehicles in cash, as it saves them the trouble of dealing with financing.
Do Business with Highly-Rated Dealerships
When buying something as expensive as a car, it’s important to do business with people you trust. After all, few things sting worse than overpaying for a vehicle and being taken advantage of by unscrupulous salespeople. So, before proceeding to give your business to a dealership, make sure to do some online research.
Reading customer reviews can provide you with a solid sense of a dealership’s sales practices and approach to customer service. When reviewing customer feedback, keep in mind that most dealerships are bound to have a few dissatisfied clients. However, if you find that negative reviews far outnumber positive ones, you may want to think twice before doing business with a certain dealership. Magic City car buyers on the hunt for dealerships they can trust should get in touch with Midway Ford Miami.
With so many dealerships and auto manufacturers promoting summer sales events, this can be the perfect season to purchase a new vehicle. However, considering how much money is at stake with the average auto purchase, you’d do well to cross your t’s and dot your i’s. Luckily, getting the best possible deal on a car you’ve had your eye on isn’t quite as daunting as you may think, especially with the advice outlined above.