Driving a new car is a lot of fun, but buying one can be a major pain. Throw in the tight credit market due to the economic crisis, and that makes shopping for a new car on a budget all the more frustrating.
But it really is possible to get into a car you will love at payments you can afford. First of all, you need to know how big a payment really fits into your budget. When you are budgeting for you car, don’t forget you also have to pay for car insurance, fuel, taxes, repairs, maintenance, tax, license, and registration. But once you know how much you can afford to pay, you can move on to step number two.
Secondly, consider how you will use your new car. Will you do mostly highway driving? City driving? Do you need room to haul luggage or equipment, or is passenger room your first priority? Your needs and your budget determine the kind of car you should shop for.
Next, decide on whether you want to purchase a new car or a used car. In the past, many people would buy new cars because used cars were considered unreliable. However, with improvements in technology, cars are better and lasting longer, making used cars a worthy choice. If you do decide to go the used car route, make sure you have access to the vehicle’s repair and maintenance history. You don’t want to purchase a used car that has had major repairs that have not been disclosed.
Then decide whether to buy or lease. If you trade cars every two or three years, then leasing may be for you. It costs less per month and requires a lower down payment. But if you drive your cars for five, seven, even ten years or more, there is no doubt you will be better off buying them outright. That’s also true if you drive a lot of miles per year, such as driving from your suburban home to a job in the city every day or using your car in outside sales. If you lease a car, you are limited to a preset number of miles per year without having to pay a stiff penalty. Drive it too much, and you may have to spend a small fortune to pay off your lease.
Whichever you decide, buy or lease, be prepared to negotiate. Get the price on the model you want from multiple dealers. Look for specials. At the end of the sales year, dealers are eager to move older models off the lot to make room for the next year’s design. Search the Internet for even more great deals and special offers.
Finally, if you plan to use financing, get your loan approval before you even go to the dealership. Getting your financing approved in advance makes you a much more desirable customer, and you are far more likely to get their best deal.
