Well, REALLY obvious is to take a long test drive, and make sure you can live with the car in all the conditions you expect to drive. Some vehicles seem really nice on the prescribed routes the salesperson would have you take on the test drive, then turn out to not work all that well in the "real world". If possible, try to rent the make and model you are interested in for a week.
Most of the advice I have, though, has more about the purchase/financing. Buy the last week of the month. Dealers are always trying to make a sales quota, and the last week of the month is crunch time. Best time of the year to buy is November to January, when foot traffic drops off considerably. Any time of the year, don't forget to ask about any sales incentives, rebates, etc. Even if you want to pay cash, go ahead and negotiate the sale with their financing. You can often get a better price on the vehicle if the dealer thinks he can make up his margins through the sale of the loan. Then, just pay off the loan in one or two months. Don't discount the idea of using a trade-in. The trade-in value applied to the new car price is not taxed in most states, so you could make up or even exceed the value of your old car on the private market in tax savings. And never, EVER buy any after-market/extended warranty. Those warranty companies will look for any excuse to get out of paying out a claim. ("No, we're not going to cover the blown transmission on your car. The owner's manual clearly states you must change the washer fluid every 6-months. Have you ever changed the washer fluid?") And don't be afraid to simply walk away from a deal if you're not satisfied.
Mark in Centennial, CO
On July 21, 2018 at 6:57 PM "jasperezra@gmail.com [diesel_mercedes]" <diesel_mercedes@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
I have a question for seasoned new car buyers. I have never bought a new car, until now. So outside of the obvious stuff, like walking around the car looking for scratches and dings and dents, what to know? What to look for? This might seem stupid, but I'm always surprised by stuff I never thought of. So any advice? Thanks in advance. Max
Posted by: MARK BRAUER <beeser@comcast.net>
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