Buying Your Dream Car

Having made-up your mind to buy a new car, having the funds available should not turn on the green light to proceed with the purchase.  Stop and take a look at the things that you should do before walking up to the dealer’s doorstep.

**Visit the car manufacturer’s website for the latest info on your desired car.  Doing so, you will have a resource for comprehensive information about the vehicle like the following:

-Downloadable specifications for your own file and thorough review. 

-Interactive menu, which can allow you to change options in the car, say, colors or trims

-In some cases, the purchase price and options for payment terms are available for the buyer.

**After having a thorough knowledge of the intended vehicle, look for the other vehicles that are in the same class as the one you intend to buy.  Using an Internet search engine, you may key in the class of the car and see the different manufacturers that produce cars in such a class.  Have the patience to go through each of them, as in the first tip, so your have all the options at hand.

**After reviewing the other cars in the same class, you will have an idea of what car suits you best.  Narrow down your options into 3 models/makers that you will seriously look into. 

**Of the 3 cars in the shortlist, search the Internet for reviews on the vehicles.  Make sure to read up on both professional, independent reviewers (those that are not affiliated with the car manufacturer) and of real consumers.  Make sure to note their comments so you are aware of what to look for, when you have a chance to finally see the car.

**You are now ready to do a side-by-side comparison of the 3 in the shortlist.  Though some review sites offer to do the comparison for you, most of their comparison are geared towards a general overview of the vehicles.  This may not be enough for you, since you may focus on specific features that the website review may not fully discuss.  Thus, it is best to draw up your own criteria and use that to compare the 3.

**When creating your criteria, be very specific.  Write down the features that you need in the vehicle you intend to buy and rate each feature for its importance.  Have 5 to 7 (at the most) items that you consider are required in a new vehicle that you will purchase.  Rate each criteria depending on how important it is to you.  Later, when it is time to compare the vehicles on the shortlist, you can see which vehicle scores high on the most important feature for you, and sure enough, this can garner the higher score.  With the specifications downloaded from the manufacturer’s website, create your side-by-side comparison, per criteria. 

**After doing the paper exercise, it is time for you to interact with the vehicle.  Visit the nearest dealer and schedule a test drive.  On or before the test drive, spend at least 30 minutes with the display unit to scrutinize all the things written on the specifications.  It will be handy if you have your criteria sheet on-hand to know the features that you will focus on, in assessing the vehicle.  Affirm the rating on your criteria sheet, after having personally experienced the features.

**Moving on to testing the vehicle, have 1 to 2 criteria in mind while you are doing the test drive.  Ideally, this is the criterion that you would not have fully gauged by just looking at the spec sheet and the display unit.  Comfort for example, is one criterion that should be assessed after having the test drive. 

**Lastly, talk to the agent and understand their warranty and after-sales service.  In purchasing a vehicle, your relationship with the manufacturer should not end with every sale.  As long as you own the vehicle you purchased, there is some amount of responsibility on their part to make sure that your investment lasts for the long term.  Things to look for in after-sales assessment:

-Vehicle warranty.  This is typically expressed in number of years or number of miles.  It is worthy to note the extent of the warranty, if it includes the wheels and accessories, or limited to the engine and chassis only.  This is important because after 1 to 2 years of using your car, you might want to upgrade its looks by buying new accessories or changing wheels.  The last thing you want to happen is to void the warranty for aesthetics.

-Service.  Most manufacturers will have their own service center for their vehicle.  This ensures that only qualified personnel and genuine parts are installed on the vehicle.  Understand what services are free for the first few years of your vehicle.  Some manufacturers offer to maintain the vehicle for the life of the warranty, which will be a big bonus for the car buyer.  Know also the consequences of not opting for their service and be prepared for the risks that it will entail.

-Response.  Most car dealers and manufacturers want to improve their relationship with their customers.  They offer hotline numbers, 24-hour response teams, highway assistance to all those who purchase their vehicles.  They usually get the owner’s feedback on the vehicle and their service every time there is a transaction with the dealer or manufacturer.  It is important that you dealer will have this system set-up for your convenience in times of need.

With the above tips in mind, you have the Go to buy a new car.