When you enter the market for a car, new or used, you will soon find a lot of stories from many different people about how they managed to secure the best deals for their car. You’re also likely to become overwhelmed by the amount of advice you get when the only one you should heed is the one given by the experts at RAM Dealers in Las Cruces NM. According to them, if you want to get a great deal on a car, you need to have these two things pegged: timing and knowledge.
Buy a Car Before You Need One
In other words, replace your current vehicle before it fails. Car with problems, or even only a history of trouble, will have a limited trade-in value. Worse, you’ll be forced to purchase a new car without any time to do proper research if your old one breaks down.
To avoid this, estimate the perfect time to start looking for a replacement. Reading user experiences in online forums will give you an idea of when most of them end up facing major component failures. If your vehicle’s age is nearing that milestone, it’s better to start considering a new car sooner rather than later.
Know the Asking Price
You must already be familiar with the MSRP or Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price. You see it in ads, websites, and even on the vehicle’s window sticker. However, the MSRP is one of the most misunderstood subjects for buyers. Just like its name suggests, the MSRP is only a suggestion from the automakers to the dealers. It’s not a rule, the manufacturers cannot legally dictate the retail price, and the dealers have a substantial amount of autonomy from the manufacturers.
This is why it’s much more important for you to find out a car’s base price or invoice price. In most cases, a car’s base price is its selling price. You can see it listed as the price of the lowest trim available, free of any bells and whistles. When you’re on a budget and you want to get the most out of your money, this is a good deal. If the base price isn’t the selling price, knowing the amount will help you negotiate. This way, you’ll know when to push and when to walk away.
The Perfect Time to Visit a Dealership
Car shopping on the weekend is not a problem if you’re just browsing. But if you want to increase your chance of getting a deal, shop just before the end of the month, or a quarter, or at the end of the year. Salespeople have goals set by the dealership they work for, and you have a better chance of getting a deal when they need a few more sales to hit their target. Just remember to prepare some time on your hands to finish the deal and sign the paperwork.
There are ways to cut your expenses when you’re buying a new car. Check out Viva CDJRF for more helpful tips.
