Shopping for a new car can be a really exciting experience, especially if it’s a bit overdue. However, you need to keep in mind that with the excitement of looking at listings and promotions, it’s easy to overlook important details and leave a few crucial questions unanswered. What exactly are you getting out of all these deals, and what features or add-ons should be prioritised? Read on to make sure your new ride is ticking all the necessary boxes.
Make a run-down of desired features
While looking through car offers and promotions, make a list of what you’re looking for in your new car. This will greatly simplify the process of selecting and accepting your chosen deal. Consider how important it is for you to have premium features like in-car navigation, touch-displays, collision or parking sensors, and intuitive driver alerts. Alongside this, there are also safety features that should absolutely be prioritised in any car you’re looking at, namely dual airbags, forward collision warning, and emergency braking.
Here’s an extensive list of must-have features to help you on your way, but definitely draw from all the resources available to you, including your own list. Be sure to do all the necessary research and make sure that the model or models you’ve selected come equipped with all these outlined features prior to entering any dealership. You will definitely reap the benefits of all this preliminary work when you end up driving out of the dealership with total confidence that you’ve secured yourself your perfect ride.
Calculate true costs of ownership
Different cars require different levels of upkeep, and many first-time car owners usually end up feeling totally surprised by the added costs that arise further down the line, particularly with larger cars like SUVs and even foreign cars with parts that are only available through special order. Before you even think about closing any deals right now, you need to calculate the true costs of ownership of your selected vehicle. This means factoring in the costs of annual registration, servicing, costs per mileage, insurance costs, and other relevant maintenance expenses, alongside your loan repayments (be sure to include any added interest). All of this information should be easy enough to find online and by using a reliable car ownership cost calculator, but we encourage you to communicate with your dealer if you’re looking for extra resources.
Trade-in value
Finally, if you’re genuinely considering buying a brand new car, it pays to look at the trade-in value of both the new model as well as your current ride. Knowing these two values will provide you with an overall understanding of the costs of your pending purchase, as well as aid you in estimating your new ride’s lifespan. It’s also important to understand that depreciation values aren’t always indicative of your new car’s trade-in value, so be sure to get second and third quotes for the sake of comparing and assessing when it comes to car valuations. If you’re able to successfully trade in your current car at its correct market value, you’ll also be able to use these extra profits to fund the purchase of your new car. In this sense, understanding trade-in values can be a major win.
Making the most of your car offer is all about doing the heavy lifting prior to purchasing. You want to be as confident and prepared as possible to ensure that you’re getting the best possible deal. And if you ever feel like you’re drowning in numbers, take a second to picture yourself roaring down a rural highway in your shiny, new ride without a care in the world. All that’s just around the corner.
