Don’t Buy a Lemon: The Complete Guide to Buying a New Car

Did you know that one of the best times to buy a vehicle is at the end of the month?

Sales associates try to meet their monthly quotas and goals, which makes this an ideal time to make your purchase. If you are looking for a new car, there are many things to consider so that you can get the right one.

Continue reading to discover the best tips in this guide to buying a new car for you and your family! 

Know When To Buy

This guide to buying a new car begins with finding the best times to make your purchase.

It has already been mentioned that the end of the month is an excellent time to buy because sales associates are trying to meet their monthly goals. Mondays are the recommended day to head to the dealership, considering how busy the weekends can get. This will give you more time at the dealership to discuss costs and terms.

Another great time to buy a vehicle is during a three-day weekend. Many dealerships offer promotions on holiday weekends and are fully staffed. Take a look at the calendar to see what time of the month works best for you. 

Build Your Credit

One of the best pieces of car buying advice to follow is to work on your credit score.

Even before you consider buying a new vehicle, you should be improving your score to benefit you in the future. A solid credit score will make the loan approval process much easier and even get you lower interest rates.

Although some dealerships will sell to people with bad credit, this can hurt your wallet in the end. Take time to fix your score so that you aren’t stuck paying hundreds of dollars more each month. 

If you have a decent score, consider a car loan from Plenti, as they are a great company to work with. Not having any credit history will make it difficult to qualify for any loan. This is because financial institutions will show that you are a riskier individual to loan money out to.

A way to get around credit scores is by showing a document from your employer. It can review how much money you make and how much you have to put down for the downpayment. 

Have a Couple of Cars in Mind 

Next, on the car buying checklist is to think about the type of vehicle you want to buy.

Waiting to decide on the type of car until you are at the dealership can quickly become overwhelming. Think about the use of your car and how much space you require. You will also want to consider the weather conditions that you will be driving in throughout the year.

By thinking about the details, it will make it easier to find a vehicle that suits your needs. Write down a list of cars that you are highly considering so that you can talk about them further with a sales associate or do a test drive. 

Having a prepared list of vehicles that you like will also give the sales associate a better idea of what you are looking for. They will work with you to get you in the most affordable and appropriate vehicle that they have. 

Pull up Insurance Quotes 

Did you know that more than 12% of people driving on the road don’t have car insurance?

If you want to legally drive, you must obtain car insurance so that you and others involved in crashes can be covered. After writing down your list of cars that you want, take time to pull up insurance quotes on them.

You can easily get quoted through various websites when thinking about buying a new vehicle. While going through the quoting process you will get asked several questions. They will be about the type of vehicle you want to get covered and your driving history. 

Insurance quotes are not definite, but they are typically close to what you should expect if you make the purchase. The sales associate at the dealership will expect you to have insurance before driving off with the vehicle. 

After you have decided to get a vehicle, take the final steps in signing up for your insurance policy. 

Shop Around

If you have always gone to the same dealership, you might want to consider getting out of your comfort zone.

By shopping around and visiting different dealerships, you can explore different car options and deals. Although most dealerships tend to run vehicles around the same prices, many of them are willing to work with you. 

Going to different dealerships is highly recommended if you haven’t found a reliable company. If you have had a negative experience in the past at a dealership, think of another place that you can go. This often helps you learn more about the vehicle and gives you a better experience to remember. 

Another reason that you should shop around is so that you can compare prices and determine the best deals. Depending on the time of year, some dealerships might have better promotions than their competitors. 

Get Your Vehicle Inspected

Before buying a vehicle, you will want to ensure that it has been inspected for safety reasons.

Once you leave the lot, you won’t be able to return your car, or if you do, it’ll be much lower than the price you just paid. You must get the brakes, lights, and wipers inspected to ensure that they are properly working. 

Safety inspectors put a sticker on the car windshield, that has an expiration date, to show that the inspection was completed. If it is near expiration, or you have any questions, don’t be afraid to bring them up with the sales associate. 

Neglecting to have your vehicle inspected could lead to you purchasing a lemon vehicle that will quickly need repairs. Another way to inspect the vehicle yourself is by pulling up the car’s history if it has had a previous owner. This will tell you if the vehicle has been in any accidents or under any insurance claims. 

Take Care of Your Registration

Much like getting car insurance, you will need to be registered to your car before driving it off of the lot.

Sales associates at the dealership will help you get registered and handle all of the paperwork for the first time. This will save you a trip to the DMV, which can be a hassle to deal with. 

Depending on the dealership that you go to, they might already have license plates stocked up so that you are ready to drive away with no follow-up work. When they go to register you for a vehicle, they will use the title of the car, proof of insurance, and inspection papers. 

There is a registration fee that you should also expect to pay at the time of buying your vehicle. Depending on the make and model of your car, it could cost you a couple of hundred dollars. 

Keep Emotions Under Control

If you want to buy a good vehicle and build a relationship with the dealership, you must keep your emotions under control.

Whether you are excited to get your dream car or heartbroken over not being preapproved for a loan, keep your emotions regulated. If the sales associate knows how excited you are about a car, they may try to sell the car to you at a higher price, which can be very frustrating.

Another reason to control your emotions is that if things don’t go your way, there are often other avenues that can be taken. If your emotions get the best of you, take a moment to walk around and calm down. Even if you don’t get a loan approved, you can get a co-signer, look at another vehicle, or try at another time. 

The Ultimate Guide to Buying a New Car

There are many things to looking for when trying to find the best new car to buy. 

By utilizing this guide to buying a new car, you can make the best purchase on your first try. Working with a sales associate can help answer a lot of your questions, but there are many things that you can do behind the scenes to get a better deal. Do your best to be patient during the purchasing process so that you don’t cheat yourself out of your don’t vehicle. 

Don’t be afraid to shop around and look at other options on the market. Many places sell the same vehicles at cheaper prices. 

Be sure to check out our blog for more articles about how to buy a new car and what to expect!

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