Buying a car is the second biggest purchase most of us make in our lives. National Car Brokers have compiled some car buying tips to assist you avoid some of the common traps and mistakes when buying a new car.
New Car Buying Tips
Lack of Research
The first of our new car buying tips is to do your research. If you are going out to select a car, then you need to have a good idea what you are looking for. Car magazines or websites such as www.redbook.com.au with car comparisons can provide detailed information for you to consider.
Forgetting to Do Your Sums
The lure of a brand new car can be intoxicating. Many people have a real love affair with cars, sticking to a strict budget is one of the main car buying tips that will help save you money so you don’t get suckered in to spending more than you have to. Sleek designs, spoilers and tinted windows take cars from being mere vehicles of transport to beautiful works of art. It is easy to get caught up in this love affair. While there’s nothing wrong with owning a smart car, it’s worthwhile sitting down to ensure that the car is affordable. It is important to calculate how much all the factory extras you might want add up to. Make sure you also include any on road costs into your calculations.
Buying a Car that’s Impractical
A small, fuel efficient hatchback might be perfect for occasional trips to the local shops or picking up the kids from school nearby. It might not be the best choice if regular long distance driving holidays are on the cards. A 4WD might be the perfect weekend escape vehicle, but if these are only going to be very occasional trips, its’ heavier fuel usage during more common city driving and commuting might not be able to be justified.
Not Taking a Test Drive
This is one of the most important car buying tips. How a car handles is vitally important. No compromises can be put on driver safety. We recommend using websites such as ANCAP to check a vehicles safety rating. Organising a test drive ensures that blatant running problems can be picked up immediately. This is particularly important for second hand cars, but also ensures that new cars are running as they should. Besides driver safety, taking a few different types of cars for test drives ensures that you can choose a car that provides the most comfortable drive for you.
Not Considering Supplementary Charges
Government taxes, car registration, vehicle inspections, green slips and motor insurance. Additional car purchase charges can begin to add up. Factor these into your figures to ensure you don’t blow your budget.
Disregarding Ongoing Running Costs
Cars that are expensive to fix, expensive to run, use excessive fuel or attract high insurance rates can start to bite into monthly household budgets. These considerations should also be covered during the initial car research phase, and should be taken into account when deciding if a certain car is affordable.
Dealer Tricks, Bait and Switch Advertising
As the old expression goes – if it sounds too good to be true it probably is. I know a lot of people who have found an unbeatable deal advertised online or in the paper at a very low price. Some dealers use this tactic to generate enquiry into their dealership. Once there, the vehicle has suddenly been sold and attention is drawn to a similar vehicle at a much higher price. Be careful of these hidden tricks and traps. Some dealers also offer ridiculously low interest rates well below the current market rates. Some offer over the odds trade in prices which are loaded up in profit at the other end. These sales tricks are smoke and mirrors designed to convince you that the deal you are getting is unbeatable. At the end of the day, it all comes down to the changeover figure or a monthly repayment that meets your budget.
Used Car Buying Tips
Not Ordering or Ignoring Safety Checks
There is no point skimping on a safety check in order to make the cheapest car purchase possible. A safety check may cost a little extra, but gives a little extra comfort that the good deal you just got doesn’t quickly turn sour with a big repair bill. Ignoring a safety check is even worse. While an attractive car might be just what you are looking for, don’t ignore the mechanical dangers within!
Order a REVS Check
It is always advised to purchase a REVS certificate from your state or territory before finalising the purchase of a used car. This may tell you whether the car has previously been a repaired write-off or if the vehicle is encumbered. There may be a fee involved but it is worthwhile doing to ensure you don’t get ripped off. Click either of the links below for more information per state of the available REVS certificates.
Car Buying Tips – Saving On A Car Purchase!
When purchasing a new or used vehicle, the above car buying tips can assist you become more aware of some of the tricks and traps associated with car buying. However, a reputable car broker may be able to do all the leg work for you and achieve fleet discounts even if you are a private buyer. The right car broker can also assist with any advice on vehicle selection and offer more independent and reliable car buying tips.