Putting down money for anything is a big decision. One that involved a lot of weighing up of risks and rewards. And there are very few purchases that are as significant as a new car. Say you’ve decided that your next car simply has to be brand spanking, fresh off the assembly line, new. That’s great! There are tons of benefits to buying a new car. It won’t have any of the mechanical issues that start to plague even the best used cars over time. Plus you’ll often save money on your tax and MOT costs in the early years. But the flip side of that is that you’ll probably be looking at a pretty substantial financial investment. With that in mind, here are a few important things you can’t afford to forget about when buying a new car.
It doesn’t to be straight out of the factory
There’s a huge premium placed on the idea of a factory fresh car. There are plenty of people who will end up insisting on paying extra for a car that’s not even fully built when they put the money down. This is just so that they can be sure it’s the newest possible vehicle that they can get. Here’s the thing, though. How much difference do you think there is between a three-month-old car and a three-week-old car? Yeah. Not much. Don’t be suckered in by the idea of ‘factory fresh.’ If there’s a car at the dealership, that’s built, then go for that one instead. It can save you money and get you your car faster, and in the end, you’ll never notice that two month age difference.
Easier ways to pay
Yes, buying a new car involves a serious amount of money. That’s just a fact of life that you’ll need to get used to. On the other hand, there are plenty of things that you can do to mitigate the cost of purchasing your shiny new vehicle. Look at payment plans the dealership has available. This is especially good for new cars since there can often be some really good interest rate deals on them that you wouldn’t get with used cars. Speaking of used cars, do you have an old banger you need rid of? Ask about part exchange at the dealership. They might be able to take it off your hands and knock some money off too. If the car’s too knackered and the dealership won’t take it, don’t fall to your knees crying “how will I ever sell my broken car?!” There are plenty of places that will pay to take it off your hands.
Bargain carefully
Don’t just assume that the salesman is trying to rip you off. It’s important to negotiate and try to get the best deal but be sensible about it. New cars don’t have the profit margins you might think so if they’re telling you they can go any lower with the price, there’s a good chance they mean it.
