Where should one start when he or she decides to make that change in their means of transport, and especially in the case of a car? A new one? The latest model you may have seen on the roads as of late? A second hand vehicle? Is it for a growing family? Or where the children have now left the nest, making a smaller one more desirable?
When buying a new or pre-owned car, there is an important list of things to look out for and do. Let’s take a look at them.
- Budget is of course a vital factor as one looks at getting a new car. There are many resources available online to help out. Some sites offer free online calculators that are designed to help in working out the amount of monthly payments based on an estimated total loan amount; the length of the loan, and a projected interest rate. So, make sure to check out the best car finance in NZ out there available and do yourself a favour.
- Take along with you a professional vehicle inspector for any car inspections who can look the car over and give an open and honest opinion. Just having a professional vehicle inspector there to check things of importance, from a visual inspection, under the boot inspection, computer system scan and a test drive will provide you with some peace of mind. An inspector will also tell you more things about the car, than the one doing the selling, be that for used or new cars.
- Before purchasing, make sure to think about any extra expenses you will have after the new car has been bought. After buying a new car, there will be insurance, registration, maintenance, and repairs. Even having the additional expense of a warranty may be part of the deal, check all of this out with the dealership or the person you are buying it from.
- Recourse is also of importance and if anything happens to go wrong with a vehicle, the dealers will normally repair it without any fuss. But just make sure to check out a dealership’s reviews on-line, and make note of any negative comments.
- A lot of people get somewhat excited about purchasing that nice new car and buy on impulse. Don’t do that and think ahead!
- Don’t let any salesperson lead you into anything, but still be polite to them as they will control any sale later on. Their negotiating skills are usually better than yours as they do it nearly every day, and it’s their livelihood. Everyone knows the reputation of used car dealers, even though luckily there are good ones out there too!
After your test drive is completed and the inspector gives the thumbs-up, ask to see all the records on the vehicle (if it’s a used one), like service reports and inspections. Apart from that, good luck and drive carefully!