Buying a Car SUCKS!
Let’s just get this out of the way. No one likes to drop a load of cash on a car, or get locked into a terrible financing deal that lasts 5-6 years. Those who do like it generally have more money than they know what to do with. I’m in college, and I have owned 3 cars in 3 years. No they weren’t crashed, well one was. This may be because I’m impulsive and picky, but I’d like to think it took me a few tries to find the right fit. In doing this, I have learned may tricks within the car sales industry, and I wanted to share with y’all my “professional” opinions.
Basic Rules to Follow
- Only look if you are ready to buy then and there.Sales people are there to sell, going to a dealership not ready to buy wastes your time and the time of your salesperson. It sounds redundant, but the dealership is there to make a sale out of you. Yes they want to develop a customer relationship, but lets be honest here, you’re always a number in their system.
- Make the biggest down payment you can! The ideal situation is that you can pay in full, ideal is the key word here. Make yourself follow the 25% rule. Have enough in pocket to pay for 25% of the car you want. $5,000=$1,250 / $10,000=$2,500 / $15,000=$3,750
- If possible, do all your negotiations via email.I have had the most success when I negotiate my price and options over emails with a salesperson. This can be done through basically any dealer website. Reach out when you find the one, ask what deal they can make you, and NEVER give them a price. You will be asked, “what do you want to pay” you answer should be “not that”.
So you have $5,000
Any car person will tell you, buy a Camry or an Accord, and they have a point. When your not working with a large sum of money, you need to consider cost or ownership and reliability. The Camry and Accord will check both of those boxes. However, they’re boring, and who likes boring. Here are three options that I have found on CarGurus which I think are good all round choices.
Author’s Note
Notice you don’t see any European car. Cars from Europe are, in most cases, feats of engineering. That engineering costs money to maintain. Do yourself a favor, stick to American or Japanese, parts run cheaper on average, and they are much easier to service.
What About $10,000?
Let’s Go for the Big Money! $15,000
Be Smart
A car is the worst thing you will ever buy, period, but most of us need one. Don’t get bullied into payments you cant afford, and don’t look until you are absolutely ready. Make sure that you know what you want, you know what is going to suit your needs, and it is something you can afford. Most importantly, when in doubt, get an Accord or a Camry. 😉
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