Buying a car can be a daunting task indeed. When you look at the whole process, buying a car is not simply securing a means of transportation, but it is also a sizeable investment. Keep in mind that at some point you will very likely be looking to sell any car that you have acquired, and as such you will want to make sure that the car you purchase does not greatly devalue over time, is in good shape, and doesn’t require a great deal of repairs and maintenance. This will not only help you to get the most out of your car while you are driving it, but it will also help you to recoup the greatest portion of your initial investment when it comes time to sell your vehicle.
Beginning with finding out if your prospective vehicle holds its value over time should be one of the first topics that you begin researching when you set out to purchase a new car. Not only will this indicate how secure your investment will be over time, but it also offers subtle indications as to the overall quality of the car itself. This is also the easiest portion of researching your prospective car, as it simply requires looking up the decreases in blue book values for the model in question over time. If the drop in price each year is fairly minimal, then this indicates a safe investment and also hints that the car is not likely to ‘fall apart’ over the years.
Once you have done your blue book research, you should also have a basic knowledge about how much the model in question should cost, so the next logical step would be to go shopping! You should begin checking the websites of local dealerships or wanted ads to find the models you are looking to purchase, and when you have found a few, be sure to actually visit the sellers for a test drive and to actually inspect the car. This is particularly important for used cars! Pre-purchase Vehicle inspections help you make smarter used car buying decisions. If the car drives strangely, makes noises, leaks oil, shows signs of rust or corrosion, then chances are that the previous owners did not take very good care of it, and a poorly cared for car is not going to make a very sound investment at all, not to mention the fact that it could also break down on you.
Be sure to have a few of the other vehicles at the front of your mind at each visit though, because nothing can gain you leverage during price negotiations like the threat of walking out and buying the other car at a better price. Your blue book research will also come in handy here as well, as pointing out that the asking price is a fair amount higher than the blue book value puts the seller in an awkward position that usually results in the concession of at least a couple hundred dollars. Knowledge will be your greatest weapon throughout the negotiation, and the more you know about the car, the better the price you will be able to haggle your way down to.
