When it comes time to buy a car, there are a lot of factors that come into play and that you need to consider. These factors can make or break your car buying experience when buying either a new or used car, though some of the factors change depending on which market you’re in, of course. As buying a car is of the utmost importance in modern life, you’re going to come face to face with this issue sooner or later, if you haven’t already, so it’s best to be kept abreast of the potential pitfalls involved. Here are some things to watch out for.
First and foremost, when buying a used car, never take the owner’s word for it, even if you know them personally. The gamble inherent to buying used is that cars break down and are both difficult and expensive to repair, so while repair costs may pale in comparison to the cost of the car, itself, especially with a new car purchase, you’re still stacking up the still costly repair cost on top of the purchase cost if you’re not careful, and that can derail your life temporarily. So, always test drive a potential purchase, whether new or used, but especially used for this very reason.
Another thing to take into account when buying new is the sort of tactics that a sales person will employ in order to get you to buy. Sales people are constantly trying to upsell. That is, they’re trying to get you to buy something for a higher price or with unnecessary features to make more money out of the deal. So, be aware of this. In addition, one of the most crucial tricks of the trade is to be as affable as possible to charm their way into making a sale, so meet them on their own turf with some fresh duds from Kohl’s for an extra edge.