I have put together this guide on Quick Tips on Buying a New Car because of the craze that is happening right now with new cars and trade ins. It is NO doubt that dealers are offering great deals on brand new 2020 cars to move them off the lots because the 2021 model year cars are incoming. Manufactures are even offering 0% financing on many models and trims. Pick a manufacture, Ford, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Mercury, Lincoln, Honda, Toyota.. .They all have SLASHED prices. Although I would rather have your business and perform a pre-purchase inspection for you. This means it is a great time to buy a new car. Knowing how many buyers are going to be taking advantage of this opportunity in the market I thought I would best serve you all with a guide to buy a NEW car and how to get the most from your trade. Here are some great quick tips on buying a NEW car. These can also be applied to used cars but we will leave used car buying tips for another day for now.
Quick Tips on Buying a New Car – How to Save Money Upfront
Now that I am done beating that horse lets move on to buying that new 2020 or 2021 that you have been thinking about! Deals like 0% financing and $7,500 cash back haven’t been seen since the 90’s. Deals like these weren’t even this good when Cash for Clunkers was around. Manufactures are making all kinds of deals on all models trying to move them and make room for the 2021s. Here are some examples of what I have seen so far that I wanted to share in this Guide of Quick Tips on Buying a New Car.
Keep in mind with deals like this you are not likely to negotiate much off the sticker price unless you find it cheaper elsewhere and they will match it to keep your business. Dealers are already taking a huge hit and some even going very close to their invoice price to keep the volume moving and make room for the 2021 models. Even though you might not “save” on the sticker price, that doesn’t mean you won’t “save” later on down the road with your interest rate or overall payments.
So you are ready to take the plunge and take advantage of these insane new car specials here are some Quick Tips on Buying a New Car to make sure it is a good fit for you. You can also download this pointer guide on my website.
My first recommendation is to take your time if you can. I know sometimes life throws a wrench in our plans such as a car accident or a major failure and you need a car now, but try to truly shop and test drive as many brands, models and trim packages as you can.
Deciding on what fits your lifestyle and what your future might hold will help keep that investment you make today make sense for your life over the next 10 years and help you get the most out of your investment. What am I talking about? I’m saying that if you just getting married or have plans to have kids, or even pets, you might want to consider buying a 4 door full size car or SUV versus that little compact car so your 2 person family you have today can expand tomorrow or next year. This way you don’t have to purchase yet another car or trade in what you just bought. So my advice is to buy a little bigger for your future than you want today.
Years back I offered a service called “The Ultimate Test Drive Experience”. This service helped buyers go through the test driving process and helping them decide on what fits them best. In recent market changes I am bring this service back and offering it for $300 for a 4 hour session of test driving. I will meet you at the location of the vehicle, take notes, walk you through adjustments of controls and features and teach you along the way. This service will include an unlimited number of test drives within that 4 hour period. This service will NOT include any inspection of the vehicle nor will it include any guarantees but is to help you make a purchase decision on that new car. I DO NOT RECOMMEND this service for anyone buying a used car.
My next bit of advice in this guide of Quick Tips on Buying a New Car is to line up a day of test drives with NO intentions on buying. Here is the best way to do this. AFTER you have narrowed down the size of vehicle you are interested in whether that be a 2 door, 4 door and how much space you need in that vehicle such a sport utility vehicle, then it is time to start your search and decide which vehicles to test drive. I encourage you not to be brand prejudice but if you are then jump online and check out your local dealers first. I find the best way to schedule test drives is to pick up the phone and start with a sales person. Let them know your intentions is to test drive a lot of different models, sizes and trim packages. If possible have them get them lined up for you to visually look at so you can compare the differences and then test drive them all in a row.
So how do you know which one is best for you? Some of these may sound completely obvious but some might surprise you. Don’t just sit in the driver seat. Sit as a passenger too. Depending on the trim package and options the passenger seat might not be ad adjustable as the driver seat. I can tell you from the number of vehicles that I inspect a year, there is always a difference in how you sit as a passenger versus that of a driver. Sit in both seats, adjust your seat to how you want it, adjust your mirrors, steering wheel, even the pedals to how you are comfortable. Then start reaching for controls. Things like reaching the radio controls, glove box, heater and air conditioner controls. You want to feel comfortable reaching and finding them even if you are not looking for them, simply because you will be driving down the road, I realize that it will take time to learn the controls but ergonomically speaking they should be simple and well laid out. Make sure the steering wheel feels secure and comfortable in your hands how you would normally drive. Now take what I said above and put it into practice on the other models and trim packages. I urge you to feel out like models one after another moving UP in trim packages. Cloth seats will feel different in cushion compared to leather seats and some leather seats are harder than cloth seats. Additional features will mean different buttons and layout of knobs and buttons. I have also noticed that in some trim packages with panoramic roofs or sunroofs that the roofs seem a bit lower than those without.
Those trim packages which additional speakers, larger speakers or better entertainment systems have different interiors as well. You may notice larger windshield pillars, different shaped dash boards, less visibility in the rear windows and some even have different shaped seats to accommodate the subwoofers. These all make changes in how a car looks and feels. Other items which a trim package may alter how a vehicle looks and feels is advance headlamps, backup cameras, side view cameras, parking sensors, cruise control sensors and even the heads up display for the driver.
Some vehicles you might not notice much of a difference between trim packages and options. Keep in mind that when you go up in trim packages, engine and transmission choices and driveline choices you also go up in suspension control and steering controls. These can make a huge difference in how a vehicle rides and performs and feels under your seat and behind the wheel. Some people although they like the feel of an adjustable suspension might not like how it feels and handles while others do. If the vehicle is equipped with anything that is adjustable such as suspension then be sure to test drive it in all modes so you can get a feel for it. Same goes for the driveline, 2WD, 4WD and AWD.
I think you get the jest of what I am getting at. If you choose a 2020 Ford Escape as the model you find that fits your lifestyle then I recommend test driving all of the trim packages that are offered. Take some notes, think over the differences. If you are not sold on that particular make and model go check out some others and use the same principles.
