I’ve been having car problems: first with my poor, old Honda Civic and now with my boyfriend’s Camaro is having some bad problems with the water pump, radiator and engine block. Boo. 🙁
So when we took a day trip to Albuquerque to get the final verdict on my knee, we decided to take a look around and see what sorts of cars Albuquerque had to offer me. I currently live in Clovis, which is a small town that sells their cars at extremely expensive prices. I think that the local dealers think people have no other choices so they’ll just have to settle. However, this city is situated in a way that a day trip can take you to either El Paso, TX, Lubbock, TX or Albuquerque, NM which are all very large cities and have extremely competitive prices.
1. The first thing you need to do is research, research, research. Don’t just go on a trip to the car dealer expecting to walk on the lot and browse. Many car dealers nowadays have (and should) have websites that allow you to virtually browse their stock. This is SUPER useful because you can make a list of the cars you want to see. This also avoid you falling into the inevitable trap of falling for a car that the dealer wants to sell you rather than the one you want to buy.
With your list, you now have prospects and more than likely, the lots you will be visiting may have another comparable cars at a comparable prices that you can evaluate.
Here were my two original prospects (these links may not work once the cars are sold) and they are actual pictures of the cars I tested:
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2. Through your research you will find that you will gravitate towards a certain type of car. For me, it was 2 door coupes. They have always worked very well for me. Have a list of the features you want most and keep this list in your mind or in your Moleskine or planner. This is important so that you aren’t test driving cars that you really aren’t loving. You don’t want to be going into the dealership intending on testing a Scion and then taking home a Cube.
2. Always test drive! It is a very stupid and old belief that once you’ve driven one of the same type, say I tested a Beetle here in Clovis, that ALL other Beetles will drive the same. SO NOT TRUE. Different models have different engines and capabilities. A prime example: I tested that Mustang (such an awesome car) but there was a very weird clicking noise in the engine, originating from one of the belts. The dealer blamed it on a recent detail, but I beg to differ. Although I tested that car out for quite a while, the noise did not go away.
3. Never buy a car with something wrong with it! We made this grave mistake twice (idiots, aren’t we?) with the Honda and the Camaro. We figured we would ‘fix it later’. No, no, no! When a car has a number of (small) things wrong with it, more than likely there are other things wrong with it too. We have learned this the hard way and hope that maybe you’ll learn from our mistakes.
4. Aim high. Don’t be discouraged by the shinyness and newness of the cars in the lot. That’s all for show. What matters is the age, the mileage and the way it runs. Looks also matter, at least to me they do. You don’t want to be stuck with something you will be unhappy with 5 years down the line. When you buy a car, it’s very much like a relationship or finding a new boyfriend.
5. Shout your budget out from the rooftops! Don’t waste the dealer’s time and don’t have him waste yours. I went to 4 different dealerships and the first thing I would say was: ‘I’m looking for a used car under $13k. I will also consider new cars in that range.’
6. Be confident about this. This is your money and this is going to be your new car. Don’t have reservations about this. The dealer is not going to be the one making the payments, he’s the one that will reap the benefits on selling you a more expensive car.
Part Two : ‘How To Haggle For the Perfect Car’, plus the reveal as to which car I bought will be up soon, so stay tuned!