Car Buying Tips

When buying a Car follow these simple tips to save yourself a money

Low Purchase price
Shop around for the lowest car price be it other dealers or on the Internet. Never pay the list price.
A low car purchase price mean you will be able to sell it privately more easily rather than having to trade the car in to a dealer who is going to give you a lower price. Think, would you buy a used car from a dealer with some type of warranty or a person you have never met before, when you are talking thousands of dollars I know which one I would pick.

Rate of depreciation
Check the rate of depreciation on the car as they will impact on how much the car will be worth when you come sell it. Consider buying a car just over a year old as you can still get the warranty benefits but at a substantial saving.

Car Financing
Look at different options and compare interest rates with different companies, there may be a subsidy available for certain types of car.

Cost of Insurance
Consider the cost of insurance rating for the car and also think who will be driving it as well as you. Remember the cost of insurance usually bears direct relation to the type of people which drive the car and its likely hood of being stolen. Just think insurance people never undercover themselves!!!

Costs of Maintenance
This is basically how much it will cost to keep the car running, check out the warranty of the car and what it covers, and if available does it come with servicing. Think about this, if a car company is offering a free servicing they already know its going to be very cheap or they wouldn’t do it. Consider wear and tear items such as tires basically those low profile tires are going to cost up to 3 times as much as standard steel rimmed tires. Consider the size of the dealership network lot of garages means lower prices and less costly parts.

Types of Fuel
Consider alternative fuels such as diesel and hybrid electric cars. Usually you may have to pay a premium for these; you will need to consider the type of driving and how much driving you do before going for an alternative fuel car. For example if you do a lot of freeway driving then a hybrid electrical car may not be for you since the electricity is only used when driving at lower speeds. Or there may be savings based on the level of CO2 emissions of your car

Trade In
If you are considering a car trade in don’t tell the dealer until you have agreed on a price otherwise your bargaining power has gone, he or she will just deduct any discount from you trade in. Try to sell your car privately as you will get more money for it. If you do decide to trade you car in make sure it is clean through out and in as this will affect the price you are offered for the car.

Beverages
Never accept beverages especially hot ones as this is a trick dealers use to keep you in the sales rooms to sell.  Be in control it’s your money!

Test Drive
Always test drive the car, try and use it for a normal day so you can see if you like the car and its able to carry the items such as push chairs, bikes, pets etc. for example when I was purchasing a car I tried the diesel version first and it didn’t agree with my style of driving so I went for the petrol version.

I think that sums up the my top tips for buying a car.