How To Buy A Car

We just bought our first brand new car. It's pretty exciting since neither Matthew or I have ever bought any vehicle that didn't languish on Craigslist for a few months. Since we're coming so late to new car ownership we needed to do a lot of research before we were able to pull the trigger. I thought that I would share some tips that we learned from the experience, in case any of you are in the market.

1. First, figure out what you can spend on new car. Don't bother actually drawing up a budget or anything. Just find the car of your dreams, figure out what the price is fully loaded, cut that price in half and that's about what you'll be able to afford. (A third if you're a public school teacher.)

2. Now that you know about what you can afford, research what kinds of rebates and offers are available out there. It's especially helpful if you can find out what offers have just expired the day before you started looking. That helps give you an extra whiff of bitterness during any negotiations.

3. Now comes the fun part, test drives! When you go to the dealerships make sure they know that you've never bought a car before. Oh my gosh, the are so nice to you! And say yes when they offer you coffee. Yum.

4. After test driving a bunch of cars you should be able to narrow it down now to the one that is going to work best for your situation. Sometimes the car you choose can come as a surprise. Like, say, a Mini Cooper could totally work for a family of four that carpools regularly. TOTALLY WORK. See also: leaving your practical spouse at home.

5. Now you should get quotes on the car you've picked from a few dealerships. If the lowest quote is not from your preferred dealership take it to them and see if they'll come down. They usually will. Unless you're us. And you're not us, so, awesome!

6. If you're trading in your current vehicle it's a good idea to make sure it's in the best possible shape before you get it appraised. Don't worry about getting the paperwork is in order though. Nothing brings the magic back to a marriage like a late-night search for a missing title right before you trade your car in.

7. Now that you've negotiated the best possible price and gotten to the point where you never wanted those stupid options that you dreamed about only a week ago anyway, it's time to fork over the cash and sign the loan papers. Obviously I don't have to tell you that you should read everything and have it explained to you before you sign it. But for fun, and extra challenge, if you have kids be sure to bring them with you for this part. Kids LOVE sitting around for hours listening to legal-ese. And signing something while one child screams in your ear and the other rolls around on the floor really helps you write faster.

8. Congratulations! You did it. Now you have a brand new car. Drive it home and enjoy that "brand new debt" smell.

Comments

[juliloquy]

Oh dear. Thanks for writing this up. (Making notes to check which cars are languishing on Craigslist.)

[Ann Farnam Lagory]

So, what did you get?

[LetterB]

We got a Toyota RAV4. And we are thrilled with it. The only problem is that I can't believe it's actually ours. I keep looking out the window and wondering who the hell is parking in our driveway.

[claudia]

What color? Ours is red!

[LetterB]

Silver. Like my hair. Under the "brown."

[Jake Doyle]

You may also wish to consider the environmental impact of your vehicle. Start with the total footprint in terms of carbon and environmental damage wrought during its lifetime, as well as that of its manufacture. Then there's the fact that cars are the leading killers, polluters, and wastes of space the world has ever known. Then consider the landscape devastation wrought by the roads and highways carved out for that car of yours. So if you're comfortable being an accomplice to all this, if you're comfortable with this kind of karma, think a bit about the petroleum industry you're supporting. That's right, an industry that shackles world governments with its addictive tax revenue and empowers despots at the expense of their tyrannized populations. Consider your support for all that. Then consider options: walking, biking, public transportation, carpooling, hitching. If you've found you're comfortable with your purchase, consider your place on this Earth, the generations that have come before you, their struggles, and the generations to come. Think about all this . . .Consider the opportunity you have to set a better precedent for yourself and example for others . . .

[LetterB]

Holy crap, Jake. I did forget to include this step! Thanks, man.

[Jake Doyle]

Sorry to be crabby. I may have been in a foul mood for the past few years.

[Intraocular lenses]

I intend to buy a car next month, I save money for some time ad just now I can afford one, I found your tips very useful , is good to know what to do and look when you wanna buy a car, especially for someone who's not so well informed.

[used cars cardiff]

These are great tips when buying a car. I'll ask about rebates and offers next time I buy a car.

[Linda Sidani]

We bought a Mini Cooper. Then got pregnant with our second child, guess what? It totally works! Just kidding.