Perform thorough due diligence to find a reliable automobile. Too many car buyers impatiently dive into the process without doing much research. Savvy sales people can detect an impulse buyer from a mile away.
Take your prospective car for a test drive. Conduct a thorough walk around to find signs of wear and tear. Use these tips to find the right car for you.
Take the Car for a Test Drive
Before investing in an auto understand what you’ll be driving. Take the car for a thorough test run to get a feel for the automobile. You can’t take a ride through its paces with a 20 minute drive through the local community. Drive the car on highways. Cruise through the town center. Buy a car after getting a feel for what the auto can do.
Don’t feel rushed by a sales person. If you are planning to drive the car for the next 5 years spend 60 minutes getting acclimated to the ride. Accelerate onto the closest highway. Does the car move as it should? Or do you feel a slight hesitation when you need power? Answering these questions honestly helps you to find the match you need to get you from point A to point B in one piece.
Cruise through the neighborhood. Assess how the car handles in stop and go traffic. Observe if you’re experiencing any play in the wheel when you turn left or right.
Practice parallel parking. Perform K turns on quiet side streets. Become intimate with the car to find the right match.
Conduct a Thorough Walk Around
Whether you’re buying new or used you must scour the auto for any warning signs. Even new cars may reveal dings, scratches or other signs of use. Prior customers who took the car for test drives and sales people may have damaged the auto through careless driving. Mark down each imperfection. When it comes time for bargaining you can point out any dings or other signs of damage to lower the asking price by a bit.
Look under the hood. If you’re buying new you’ll likely see an engine in almost perfect condition. Used car buyers should be keenly aware of any warning signs. Look for evidence of wear and tear under the hood. If the engine parts look old and dated you may be upgrading these parts soon after you purchase the car.
Unless you want to be saddled with expensive repair bills only buy a used car with few signs of wear and tear.
Watch the Sales Pitch
Honest, transparent sales people won’t use pressurized selling tactics to scare you into buying a car. Force negates. This means that although a car sales person may appear to be confident they secretly fear missing out on a sale and are trying to force you to buy quickly with competitive, time sensitive, low energy ploys.
The most confident sales person is kind and engaging but they don’t need your business. Observe the sales pitch you receive at any dealership before deciding to negotiate or to visit the next dealership.