When you’re looking to buy a used car, you’ve got a lot of factors to take into consideration. We all want to get a good deal on a used car, but we don’t want to end up with a non-reliable vehicle as a result of that.
Negotiating prices and talking about technical features can be daunting for many of us, especially if we’re not massively interested in cars. For this reason, we’ve put together some tips on how to get a good deal on a used car.
Let’s get to it!
Set A Maximum Budget
First things first, set your budget. This needs to be something realistic that you can actually afford without crippling yourself financially. Ideally, it should be something that you can pay in cash so you’re not relying on lines of credit to finance your driving.
Also, be sure to think about maintenance costs in the future. The more advanced the car you buy, the more it may cost to run and repair going forward. However, it could also be that buying the more expensive car is cheaper in the long run because it runs better.
Set a maximum budget and use it wisely!
Look Through Local Sellers & Dealerships
Look through a list of used car dealerships and sellers in your local area, keeping your maximum budget and the vehicles you’re thinking about in mind. Soon enough, you should be able to compile a shortlist of sellers and dealers who you’re thinking about buying from.
Start calling up these sellers and dealers to enquire about the cars and ask any questions you want the answers to.
Bring A Person Who Knows About Cars
If you’re not someone who is interested in cars, there’s only so much you can learn about them in a few days without losing your mind. Sometimes, it’s just easier to bring a friend or family member who knows stuff about cars and can keep your best interests in mind when talking to salespeople and inspecting vehicles.
For many people, this is usually their father or another family member. Let them handle the difficult questions that you don’t understand. If they know how you plan to use the car, they can ask relevant technical questions that you wouldn’t have the knowledge or expertise to ask the salesperson.
Make The Salesperson Give The First Price
The first rule of negotiating? Make the other person go first.
If you go first in a negotiation, the salesperson can react tactically to try and secure the price they’re going for. However, if you make them quote you first, then you can automatically drop to 20-30% lower than their quote and then get a negotiation going that’s probably better for you.
When in doubt, you have the sticker price and your own research of the market for reference.
Don’t Set Your Heart On One Car
If you’ve got your eye on multiple vehicles, then you always enter negotiations from a place of power… you can just walk away and leave the offer if you don’t like the price you’re getting from a seller.
This is intimidating to sellers, especially if you’re not willing to bend on price because you can “go somewhere else”.
On the flip side, if a seller senses that you’re really in love with a vehicle, they’re more likely to drive up the price in order to squeeze the pennies out of you for profit.
With these tips, you should be able to get yourself a great deal on a used car without getting swindled in the process!
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