The Car
Shopping Guide
It's time now
for the nuts and bolts of this car shopping guide.
You've studied
this web site with a furor never seen in mortal humans before now
and you're ready to get out amongst the predators now are ya?
So,
let's get started.
One of the
strongest positions you can have when going to the automobile
negotiating table is to have a real good understanding of what the
dealer's cost is in the vehicle that you have your eye on. It's like
playing poker with a mirror behind your opponent.
Not to
mention the leverage it gives you during the bargaining process, but
the confidence factor goes way up as well.
Not so many
years ago, obtaining the dealer cost on a vehicle wasn't nearly as
easy as it is in today's internet wrapped world. So, there is really
no excuse for not getting your arms around this one... right? You
are on the web looking at this site.
On average the
dealer cost will be about 90% of the MSRP. During your research I
hope you organized your notes or created a spreadsheet to help you
keep all the information on dealer cost organized by make, model,
trim and option packages. If not, consider taking a step back and do
so before you head out to buy that car. This is knowledge well worth
obtaining.
There's no doubt
in my mind (or probably yours either) that shortly after arriving at
the dealership you'll be greeted by a sales person.
Right up front
the best advice is to politely hold them at bay for a while, while
you have a chance to look around. There'll be plenty of time to
schmooze with the sales person later.
The key here is don't rush and
don't let yourself allowed to be rushed. Not only is this a good
time look and touch the vehicles on your list but, what do you think
about the salesperson? What was your first impression? Did they
honor your request for space? I'll talk more about salesperson
personality a bit later. But, believe it or not, a good salesperson
that appreciates working on putting a good car deal together and not
just selling you a car is a valuable asset.
O.K back to the
car...
Look
closely at it. Check the paint, look for paint pimples, scratches.
Look closely at the gaps around the doors, hood, and trunk, are they
straight and spaced evenly? Now you might be thinking a couple of
things. First, hey dude, the car will be under warranty... why
worry? Well, more than likely yes... but do you really want that
hassle right off the bat with a new car?
Secondly, wouldn't this
type of scrutiny apply more to looking at a used car? Perhaps so.
So, I will get into used car buying later. But this is still very
relevant advice.
At this
point, unless the car is unlocked you are probably ready to hail the
salesperson to get you a key so you can check out the inside.
If you still want some more alone time once the salesperson comes
back with the key, let them know. If you are there car shopping with
someone else or your spouse, you may want that alone time so you can
freely converse about the car without the ears of a salesperson
involved.
You're in the
car. Get behind the wheel. No, we're not test driving yet. How does
the seat fit and feel. Right now, let me tell you something... it
may be the exact car you think you want, but when you're behind the
wheel and the seat isn't comfortable don't rationalize to yourself
that you'll get used to it. You never will (at least completely).
And it will eventually become a sore spot with you (no pun
intended).
Does the seat offer support? Does it adjust easily? Were
you able to even readily find the adjustment knobs? From the seat,
make sure you can reach all of the controls comfortably. How is the
instrumentation laid out? Can you see all of the controls at a
glance? Can you easily see out all of the windows? Blind spots? Very
important here... are there any?
Sit in all of the seats. Are they
comfortable? Do the back seats fit your lifestyle? Check out all of
the storage compartments, cup holders, all the amenities. Do they
fit your driving lifestyle? Be brutally honest with yourself about
the car. And, oh yeah, take notes! If you don't, you'll never
remember what you liked and didn't like about the car by the day's
end of new car shopping.
- Get Free price quotes and vehicle information.
- Get multiple local dealer
selling prices!
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