The news of owning a car would excite anyone, I included. Besides being a luxury, a car brings a high level of convenience, which we cannot find in taxis and public transport services. It’s no surprise that millions of people opt for driving lessons in Manchester, Liverpool, London, or any other city in the UK so that they can have the total freedom a car provides. That said, car buying should be an exercise that results in happiness, not regrets. Who amongst us would want to purchase a car only to find out later that it was a raw deal? Getting it right is something all of us strive for as far as buying a car is concerned, whether it is a brand new car or a used machine. So, what mistakes should we avoid?
Skipping Window Shopping
We can only land the best deals after window shopping. Car dealers and showrooms seem to be everywhere in this day and age. In fact, it is no longer surprising to find especially used cars being sold by the roadside like groundnuts. That is because cars are now more affordable than before, and the car dealership is a lucrative venture. The dealers are so many that we can easily be overwhelmed when it comes to who to buy from. But we don’t have to fall into their trap. Taking our time to shop for the best deal will help us a great deal. It doesn’t matter how many dealers we have to visit, we should not get tired of window shopping. Do we want to pay more than we ought to? Definitely no.
Buying a Car Because It Is the Cheapest
The cheapest car is not necessarily the best deal. This is especially true when it comes to used cars. Yes, window shopping can lead us to the cheapest cars, but we should not be carried away with low price tags as there could be something behind that low price. One thing we should not forget is that car sellers won’t sell their machines at a loss, so an overly cheap car should be a red flag. I know of people who got cars on the cheap only to realize that those vehicles have lots of mechanical problems. They end up spending more money than they imagined just to fix the problems.
Failure to Test Drive
Test driving can reveal lots of things about the car, and it gives us the opportunity to know if the car is in good condition or not. I once wanted to buy a car which appeared to be in good shape. When I took it on a test drive, however, the engine stopped after I had covered 15 miles, and a mechanic had to take a couple of hours working on the car engine. I later realized that it was only a matter of days before the engine ground to a halt. That is how I escaped the scam. For those of us who still don’t have experience with cars, going on the test drive with a mechanic could be essential. This engine expert will easily spot a mechanical problem, something which most of us may not be able to do. A mechanic can also assess the condition of the car and give us advice on how much it should cost, on approximate, that is.
Focusing on the Small Monthly Installments
Let us say the cash price of a car is $20,000, but there is an option of buying the car on hire purchase, where I can pay a monthly installment of $1000 for three years. If I choose the latter option just because it is easier for me to part with $1000 a month than paying $20,000 at once, I will end up paying $36,000 for the car. That is only $4000 less than double the cash price (market value) of the car. Let no one lie to us, this difference is actually huge. The hire purchase option is not pocket friendly at all.
Buying Through a Broker
Brokers are in the business to make money; they are not doing some charity work. So, if we choose to buy our cars via these people, we end up spending more money on the car that we should. That is because brokers tend to quote prices which are inclusive of their fee, and it is usually some good amount. It is no surprise to find a broker walking home with more that a quarter the money we pay for the car. Thus, we must have the courage to face car sellers and buy from them directly.
