Don’t let the myth of car dealerships spoil your experience. You don’t have to be force-fed a car you don’t want for a price you can’t handle. In fact, in many cases, you can walk away from a car dealership with the car you want for the price you crave, be it a used or new car. How is that possible?
You just have to know how to buy a car from a dealership. Here’s the way to do it.
Your Guide to Buying a Car from a Dealership
Nail Down the Vehicle You Want
Car shopping isn’t like dress shopping: where you walk into a store hoping to find something that might stand out for you. You need to know what you want in a car first before anything else. This will help streamline your search, minimize hassles with the dealer and help you manage your budget.
Remember to think logically about which car best suits your lifestyle and personal needs. Don’t get emotional about it; if you do, you’ll end up with a car that won’t make you happy.
Do Your Research Beforehand
Knowing the car dealership you’re walking into helps prepare you for any situation. The more information you have about the dealership, the cars they sell, their customer experience, and their track record will guide you in dealing with them.
Make sure you do your research, including looking up ratings online (Facebook, Google, Yelp and BBB offer great insight with reviews and ratings), speak to people in the industry about them, and finally speak to them directly, preferably over the phone. You’ll get a sense of what to expect when you walk in.
Use a Car Buying Service to Your Benefit
A situation might arise where you can’t find the car you want in a dealership, and you’re struck driving aimlessly looking for that particular car in a dealership. There is a way around that: using a car buying service.
Like a concierge service, this process involves a company (like Carismo!) to search for cars in a local area, that fits your preferences and budget. They’ll do the hard yards looking for a vehicle before a dealership reaches out to you with the car you want. Now, all that is left is a test drive.
Don’t Let the Salesperson Steer You to a Vehicle You Don’t Want
Typically, a car dealership will try to sell you any car in their stock. It’s your job to avoid that. Stick to the car you want for the price that you can afford. The salesperson might offer you an alternative option, but don’t get swayed by the prospect of a new deal. You know the car you and why you want it.
Test Drive
Now comes the fun part: test driving the car. There are specific things you should keep an eye out for when you test drive the car, such as how it moves, the brakes, suspension and steering and how you feel driving it.
It goes without saying that if you don’t enjoy driving it or if it doesn’t feel right (which might indicate repairs that you have to pay for), then don’t buy it. Move onto the next vehicle.
If you would like more information on what to look for when test driving a car, take a read of our blog post here.
Negotiate Hard & Play Hardball
Stick to your budget and play it cool are the best ways to negotiate with the dealership. They might sway you here and there, offering you promos and deals, but sticking to your guns will help you win out in the long term. Before you know it, you’ll be driving off with a new car – right from the dealership!
Carismo is the deal-finding car buying service bringing back the excitement of buying the right car at the right price. By combining the thrill of car finding with the ease of online shopping, we’ve made it easier, stress-free and more personalized to finding and buying a new car. Learn how buying a car is fun, simple and stress-free with Carismo – sign up today! Your new car awaits!
