5 of the biggest mistakes people make when buying a car
Buying a car, whether it’s your first or your tenth, can be emotional and exciting. It’s also probably going to be one of the most expensive purchases of your life - second only to your home. So, it’s important you have all the information you'll need before making this large, expensive purchase. If you prepare for the car-buying process ahead of time, you’ll avoid making these common mistakes.
We focus too much on the price
The good news when searching for a new car, or maybe even one of the many used Audis for sale, is that you’ll be able to easily find out what price it should be selling for. There are plenty of these cars available for sale and you should quickly see what price you should be paying. More important than the price though is whether you’re buying the right car for your needs and not buying more car than you can afford. If finances are a concern, you should consider a used car rather than a new one. That’ll save you far more money than you’d be able to negotiate off the price of a new one. Of course, if you feel strongly that you need a new car, go ahead and buy it if you can afford to. But, remember, as soon as you drive it away from the showroom, it’s a used car.
Not being prepared to negotiate
Speaking of negotiating, you need to be prepared to have a conversation about what you’ll pay. The sticker price is rarely the price you’ll actually pay, typically there is some room to negotiate. Often, it pays for you to know what the dealer actually paid for the car. When you have this information, it’ll be easier for you to negotiate. Remember, their price is just a suggestion. You need to make them an offer and negotiate your way toward a price toward the middle.
We fail to research cars
In can be hard to know exactly what you want in a new-to-you car. If you step onto a showroom floor without knowing exactly what you’re looking for, you can easily quickly become overwhelmed. You could even leave with a car the dealer wanted to sell rather than one you really wanted to buy. Rather, do your research online and find out the details of the different models. You’ll soon find one that checks all your car buying boxes.
We set our expectations too high
You’re probably never going to find the perfect car. And in a world where the options are almost limitless, it can be easy to become overwhelmed. The pressure to choose the right car can lead to us feeling anxious. And if the car we choose doesn't live up to our expectations, we’re disappointed. The only solution is to lower your expectations. Of course, you don’t want to power them too much. And, luckily, when you’re buying the most-loved car in South Africa, there’s not much chance you’re ever going to feel disappointment.
We underestimate the total cost of car ownership
And, finally, it’s easy to underestimate how much it really costs to own a car. Have you budgeted for all the additional expenses that will come your way? Some of these are obvious, like filling up your car with fuel. Others might come as a surprise like yearly licensing costs and services. Then there are the monthly insurance payments. Be sure to carefully weigh up the insurance offerings and make a number of inquiries and phone calls to find the best deal.
So, those are some of the biggest mistakes you could make when buying a car. But now you know so much better and you’ll be able to buy your next car easily.
