The process of narrowing down to the car of your dreams, securing the right deal and getting the documentation done can be quite challenging, except for those who know how to make the right decisions. Buying a car, whether new or second-hand cars in India, involves a significant expense, and you would want to do your homework ahead of time to avoid spending more.
Here’s what you must avoid.
10 mistakes to avoid when buying a car
Lack of proper research
People often rush to buy cars and forget to do thorough research, leading to some of the most common mistakes. There are a lot of different cars in the market, and you would obviously not jump to buy the first car you see. Will you?
So, take the time out to plan the process. Make a list of the vehicles you’d want to purchase. Read up on the mileage and learn about its depreciation and other upcoming models. When you know what to buy and why you want it, you should splurge on it.
Stuck to a specific model
Does it sound familiar? We often make the mistake of clinging on to a particular car model. This welcomes two particular problems, they are:
- You miss out on the other options
- The salesman will immediately catch on to your idea and become less flexible
However, some dealers genuinely help customers looking for a particular car model. But it is always better to keep an eye out and avoid letting the salesman know what you’re interested in. Remember, there’s always a fine line between overenthusiasm and being interested.
Saying no to a test drive
The excitement of owning a car often compels us to commit a mistake we otherwise would have avoided. For instance, skipping that test drive. Most reputed dealers already have a planned test drive route for the buyers to thoroughly check before buying. You must familiarize yourself with the various directions, turns, controls, knobs, and buttons.
Adjust your seat for comfortable seating as well. Drive around various terrains and check the visibility to ensure the vehicle works fine.
Accepting the sticker price
When you buy a pair of jeans, you pay the sticker price. But, the same is not applicable when buying a car. Whether you’re purchasing a new car or second-hand cars in India, you must emphasize the ‘Suggested’ price and not the M.S.R.P, which is the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price. Start negotiating from the Suggested price and avoid overpaying.
People often fall into the trap of overpaying due to a lack of proper information or guidance. The best way to deal with this is to search for free price quotes online. This way, you can find dealers ready to be more flexible and offer discounts on their vehicles.
Putting a major focus on monthly installments
A dealer lowers your monthly payment and increases the tenure, making you feel elated (temporarily) but tricking you into paying additional interest charges. Another thing they do is to increase the size of the down payment, which again costs down the monthly payment but will make you pay more in total. Remember, what matters is the price of the car, and most often, the dealers intend to steer your attention away from that.
No matter what he says, keep coming back to the price of your car and then think about the payment terms convenient for you.
Rely on the dealer’s financing scheme
No dealer will do any help or favour for FREE. The sooner you understand that, the better. When he says he will arrange the financing for you, remember the authority is paying him for that. Moreover, he not only gets a certain extra amount for the car he will sell to you but also claims more profit, originating the finance for you. To avoid such scenarios, look around for auto financing before finalizing a car.
You can also seek a pre-approved auto loan to avoid falling into the pit. After all, it assures you that the salesman can’t get you any further lower interest than the one you already have.
Not buying at the right time
Did you know that there’s a right time to buy a car? Yes! There are several occasions around the year when companies give big car discounts. For instance, the festive season or the year’s ends are the best times to secure big offers from the manufacturers. Apart from this, month ends or quarter ends can also be a good time to get your dream car at a dream cost. All you have to do is follow the announcements, and who knows, you might land a pretty big discount.
Petrol or Diesel?
A common dilemma is choosing between a diesel car’s fuel efficiency and the performance of petrol. One of the best ways to sort this out is to seek proper guidance. Do not opt for a diesel-powered vehicle if you drive less. If you’re buying a car to drive around regularly for commuting, petrol is what you should go for. Moreover, going by the reports, 80% of the people in India choose to buy petrol cars.
Saying yes to dealer add-ons
Once everything gets done, you’ll find the dealers putting forward various offers. For example, they will propose an anti-corrosion finish, apply some coating, etc. All these add-ons pile up on the overall price quoted by the dealers. Just so that you know, most companies include anti-corrosion-coating while manufacturing. Moreover, you could do the coating and other aesthetic enhancements cheaper across any city garage.
Always question yourself if or not the add-on will be useful or helpful to the physical functioning of the vehicle before spending on it.
Not inspecting the used car
For those choosing to buy used cars in India, don’t forget to inspect the car thoroughly before making any form of payment. Most of us aren’t skilled technicians and are probably unaware of the bigger problems. That’s why you must purchase from a reputed used car seller and inspect a little history about the car because used cars get sold as seen.
FINAL WORDS
There’s a lot that goes into purchasing a car. Car buying mistakes are very much prevalent, and most people keep shut even after committing them. However, once educated about the various car-buying problems, you can act smartly to purchase your dream car with 100% satisfaction.
Also, did you know that the number of used cars for sale in India is more than the number of new ones? The reason is the skyrocketing prices of brand-new automobiles.
Whether you’re planning to buy second-hand cars in India or a new one, you must make an informed decision. Browse through Adycart’s to explore a wide range of resale cars in India.
