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Buying a teen’s first car can be a slightly traumatic experience for most parents. It seems like you just got done buying them their first pair of shoes and now they have a driver’s license; and are chomping at the bit to get on the road. But the stress of buying a teen’s first car goes beyond just making you feel old, although that’s bad enough.
There’s also the worry. Teenagers are, well, teenagers and therefore not the most responsible of creatures. When they move into having their own car, there is going to be a great deal of stress about what they are doing and whether or not they are being safe. These are genuine fears, but they can be at least somewhat alleviated by making the choices when buying a teen’s first car.
The first thing you need to consider, obviously, is safety. You want to buy the safest car possible for your teen and this means buying a car with the habits of a teenager in mind. So when buying a teen’s first car, look for a car that has an adequate but not too powerful engine. You don’t want them in a car that will go from 0 to 60 in four seconds, because that’s just too much temptation.
Don’t be fooled by things that seem safe but actually aren’t. An SUV may make you feel safer, but study after study has shown that they are nowhere near as safe as smaller cars. Another benefit of having a small car is that they use less fuel, which will keep your teen from constantly hitting you up for gas money.
When buying a teen’s first car, let them have some say in what they buy. A car that a teen helps pick out is a car that the teen is going to have a personal investment in. This means that they will be more responsible in the care and use of the car. The key here is the phrase ‘some say’; you don’t want the teen to make the entire decision.
You should also involve your teen in the buying process, even if they aren’t paying for the car themselves. They need to understand the ins and outs of negotiating for a good deal and it will be great for them to take part. This too increases their sense of ownership, which leads to a better first car experience.
When buying a first car for your teenager, you also need to keep insurance in mind. Insurance for teens is sky high, and this is another reason for buying a smaller cheaper car. Actually, given how expensive insurance is and how hard teens are on cars, it might be a good idea to get your teen a small, safe used car with minimal insurance.
Buying a teen’s first car doesn’t have to be a stressful experience or at least it doesn’t have to be as stressful. You just need to go in knowing exactly what you want out of the car and what you’re prepared to pay; and you’ll be fine.
By: Shane Smith. If you are looking for landscape or backyard lights then check out: http://makevoltz.com
If you’re asking yourself “what should I consider when buying a used car” then you’re asking the right question. Buying a car is rarely an experience that people enjoy. Oh, sure, we might enjoy having a new car, but roaming from car lot to car lot dodging the salespeople is not generally considered a fun time.
But knowing the answer to the above question can make the whole process a lot easier. By asking the question and knowing what the answers are, you can go into the car buying process; knowing exactly what you need. This will allow you to make the process go as smoothly as humanly possible and save money while you do it.
Type of Dealership
Your first question on your list is the dealership. If you want to get the best deal, you’re usually going to want to go to a larger dealership. Because they deal in high volume, they usually have access to better cars and, even more importantly, they don’t need to make as much on each car.
Smaller dealerships, by their very nature, need a higher profit margin on each car. This means that you’re less likely to get a good deal at these smaller dealerships, and more likely to get cars that have seen a lot of use.
What Kind of Car
The next thing you need to consider is the kind of car you want to purchase. Most of us just look for a car that we like and don’t give a heck of a lot of thought; to the matter beyond that. But when buying a used car, you should probably give it more thought than that.
However, the truth is, some cars hold up better than others. In fact certain types of cars hold their value and last well beyond the norm of most automobiles. Vans and minivans, for example, tend to have a much longer useful life than other cars. It's possible you could buy an older model with more mileage and still have a good vehicle. Likewise, Honda's and Toyota's are famous for holding up over the years.
What Kind of Financing
One of the things that rarely makes it on to a person’s "things to consider when purchasing a previously owned vehicle" list is the kind of financing you’re going to need. The typical method used to be to go the local bank and take a car loan. If you credit was good, then you got the loan and started paying.
These days, with the economy in shambles and many of us underemployed or even unemployed, it isn’t that easy. Banks have become far more picky and selective, and getting a car loan has never been harder. If you don’t have perfect credit, you may need to consider looking for your car at a buy here pay here lot. These dealerships arrange financing on their own and can be much more flexible in their financing.
Now that you know the answer to the "what should I consider when buying a used car" question, you should be fully prepared to go out and get a great deal.
By: Shane Smith. If you are looking for landscape or backyard lights then check out: http://makevoltz.com
There are four things to check when buying a used car that can save you time and frustration. Truth be told, there are dozens of things that you could check when you’re looking at used cars, but that would take far more time than most of us have. Looking at the four things to check when buying a used car listed in this article will take a fraction of the time and give you a good idea what kind of car you’re about to buy.
1. Vehicle History
This is actually one of the easiest things to check when buying a used car. Services like the constantly advertised, Carfax, exist to make this as easy as possible, and any decent, reputable dealer will be able to provide a vehicle history.
If they don’t, you should probably walk away, but you can run your own history with the VIN number. In either case, what you’re looking for is a car that hasn’t been in any accidents or needed major work done.
2. Exhaust Smoke
You need to have the dealer start the car up for you while you watch the exhaust pipe. What you want to happen is for there to be maybe a little white steam coming out of the car. You shouldn’t get smoke out of the exhaust, unless you’re looking at a diesel, in which case a little black smoke initially is acceptable.
White smoke is usually an indicator of engine problems. Blue smoke means the car is burning oil, which is very bad news. Black smoke means there is something wrong with the way the car is burning gasoline. In any event, if the car smokes, you don’t want to buy it.
3. Brakes
Another one of the crucial things to check on a used car is the brakes. You’re going to need to take the car on a test drive to check this one. What you want to do is to take the car to an area without traffic, then go around 30 mph and press down hard on the brakes.
You don’t want to do this hard enough to slide, but you do want a quick deceleration. If the brakes vibrate or make any strange noises, they need replaced. If there are any problems with the brakes, you should probably walk away; although these are easily repaired, they usually indicate a car that hasn’t been properly maintained.
4. Interior
As far as things to check when purchasing a used car go, this one that doesn’t get as much thought as it should. What you are looking for here is a disparity between the interior of the car and the mileage.
If the car has low mileage and a really beat up interior, this is a sign of either poor maintenance or odometer fraud. On the other hand, if it has high miles and a like new interior, this can be a sign the car was owned by somebody who really took car of it.
These four things to check when buying a used car will give you a good picture of the quality of car you’re buying, and this will save you big money. This should only take a few minutes, so make sure you follow the steps and get a car you can rely on.
By: Shane Smith. If you are looking for landscape or backyard lights then check out: http://makevoltz.com
Should I pay invoice when buying a car is a pretty common question when you’re looking at buying anew car. The answer is no, you should not pay invoice for a new car. You also need to remember that the concept of an invoice only applies to new cars, despite what many dealers would have you believe. Used cars don’t have the kind of invoice that we’re talking about.
In theory, the factory invoice is what the dealership pays for the car itself. The key word in that sentence is theory. Because in practical terms, the dealership often gets rebates and other cash back offers that affect the answer to the should I pay invoice when buying a car question.
One of the biggest ones is dealer incentives, which are essentially rebates that are paid to the dealer. So, if they pay $25,000 for the car, they may get a dealer incentive payment of $5,000. The reason they do this is to allow the dealer to claim that they paid $25,000 for the car, which is absolutely true. What it doesn’t tell you is that they receive a big rebate back from the factory, so that they are actually making a good chunk of change when they sell the car at invoice.
There is also something called a factory hold back, which is another type of rebate. Unlike dealer incentives, which they get when they buy the car, the dealer only receives the factory hold back when they sell the car. So if the dealer sells the car to you, at the very least they will get back around 3% of the manufacturer’s suggested retail price.
Unless you want the answer to the "should I pay dealer invoice when purchasing a car" question to be yes, you’re going to have to do a little homework. Your key to getting a good deal on a new car is to have all the facts available to you; so that you can make a plan for buying your car.
First things first! You need to know what kind of incentives, hold backs and other rebates are being offered to the dealers in your area for the kind of car you’re interested in buying. This aspect of the should I pay invoice when buying a car question isn’t one that can be answered in this article, but a quick internet search can show you the answers. The most popular of these sites is called Edmund’s, but there are others. When you know this, you have an idea of what a fair price on the car actually is, which will allow you to negotiate successfully.
Surprisingly, the next thing you really need to know is when to buy a new car. Car dealerships receive monthly bonuses for meeting their sales numbers, and this gives you an opportunity to make a great deal. Because these bonuses can be tens of thousands of dollars, if they are short of their numbers at the end of the month, they may be willing to lose money on a deal to get the big bucks.
Should I pay invoice when buying a car? No, you shouldn’t. You should always strive to get the best possible deal and you can definitely do better than invoice with the right planning and the right timing.
By: Shane Smith. If you are looking for landscape or backyard lights then check out: http://makevoltz.com
Knowing the right tips for buying a new car can make a difference when it comes times to pay. Most of us look at buying a new car with a certain amount of justified dread. People don’t generally like confrontation and this is what we tend to view negotiation as. At the same time, we have to negotiate because we are afraid of getting taken for a ride when it comes to price.
Fortunately if you follow these five tips for buying a new car, you’ll be able to approach your next car purchase with confidence. You will have the information you need to find the right car. In addition you will have the information, which will allow you to get the right price, without feeling like you’re in a slug fest with the salesman.
Do Your Research
This is probably the most important of the tips when buying a new vehicle that this article will show you. When you are ready to buy a new car, you should have a solid idea of what kind of car you want. Furthermore you should know, what the average cost of the car is you like.
In particular, you’re going to want to know how much the invoice is, and what kind of rebates and incentives the dealer is receiving. When you know this, you’ll be able to tell the dealer exactly what you’re willing to pay, putting you in a position of power when it comes time to negotiate.
Go at the Right Time
Believe it or not, when you go the auto dealership can actually make a big difference in the price you have to pay. Because bonuses are awarded monthly, if you catch the dealer towards the end of the month and their numbers are short, you can a great deal. If at all possible go to the dealership on the last business day of the month.
Use the Internet!
If you’ve followed the first of the five tips for purchasing a new car in this article, you should have already been on the internet. But you also need to use it to do some comparison shopping. Typically, we only look in our area, when a two hour drive might save you thousands of dollars. So use the Internet to search for good deals in a larger area.
Shop Around
Don’t just go to one dealership. You need to go to multiple dealerships to get a range of prices, so that you can use that information in your negotiations. If you don’t follow this tip, you are almost certain to pay more money than you need to for your new .
Be Prepared to Bargain
Probably the most difficult of the five tips for buying a new car is the negotiating the price; but it’s incredibly important. The first part of this is the research you’ve done, but you need to prepare yourself mentally as well. When you go to buy a new car, make sure that you are calm and relaxed and as well rested as you can be. Stay calm and focused and you will get the car of your dreams; for a price you never dreamed of.
Car leasing vs. car buying is an increasingly common situation most people have to deal with when trying to get a new car. Despite what you might have heard, buying isn’t inherently superior to leasing and leasing is not the work of the devil. Well, not all the time.
What makes the real difference when looking at car leasing vs. car buying is you. People have different needs and different styles. This means that the decision you make has to be right for you. There are situations when leasing might be the right option and the one that saves you money in the long run.
Generally speaking, if you’re leasing because it’s the only way you can afford a car, you’re leasing for the wrong reason. While leasing can easily allow you to drive a lot more car, than you could afford to buy, this is only a stop gap measure. The only time this makes sense is if you’re going to be getting a big pay raise in the intervening time, in which case it might make sense.
On the other side of the leasing vs. buying equation, if you are cash rich, credit poor and would like to drive a luxury car; then leasing might be an option to pursue. Especially if you know most banks won’t loan you more than thirty grand or so.
One of the best reasons to lease a car is if you’re a person who likes to get a new car every few years and you don’t want to bother with maintenance; then a lease could be a good idea. In this situation, you’re essentially using the lease to rent the car, while it’s in its prime, and getting rid of it when it starts to get old. To take advantage of this, you need to turn the car in at the end.
If, on the other hand, you want to eventually own a car, you should look towards buying the car straight from the get go. When you’re looking to get a car for the long term, then you absolutely need to be buying. In this case, car leasing vs. car buying isn’t even a contest. Leasing a car that you want long term, will only cost you more money in the long term.
One thing you need to consider before leasing is how you’re going to be using your car. If you’re planning on running it like you stole it or putting a ton of miles on your car, a lease is a bad idea. You will get charged for all the extra wear and tear at the end and this can end up being a huge cost. So if you have a long commute through bad neighborhoods, you should probably look into buying your own car.
So when it comes to car leasing vs. car buying, the winner is going to be the choice that fit’s into your life. If you don’t mind making payments forever, leasing new cars every few years can be a good choice. But if you want maximum freedom and the hope of not paying, year after year for a car, then you should definitely buy.
By: Shane Smith. If you are looking for landscape or backyard lights then check out: http://makevoltz.com
