In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. A little bit after that, somebody invented car dealerships and people have been buying their motors there ever since.
At least, that was, until very recently. It used to be that when the time came to buy a new car, you waltzed into a dealership, picked something that you liked the look of and then sat down for a long game of financial cat-and-mouse with the dealer.
Nowadays, largely thanks to the influence of the internet, the buying process is no longer written in stone. There’s so much more transparency and scope for buyers to get the great deals they should have been getting all along.
In an age of painless online shopping, when you can buy everything from shoes to mortgages via keystroke, the rules have changed. Here are the Ten Commandments of car buying, updated for the 21st century.
1. Thou shalt know what thou wants
It might seem like a bit of an obvious one, but understanding exactly what you want and why you want it when buying a new car is crucial.
For example, if you’re a young student, a brand new Jaguar F-TYPE is probably off the cards. Likewise, if you’re a parent with a growing family, it won’t make much sense to go for a small two-seater roadster.
If you have genuinely no clue as to what you want beforehand, a handy tip is to make a list of your typical weekly routine. If you spend a lot of time travelling or commuting, you’ll want something with decent mileage per gallon.
On the other hand, if you use your car mostly for scooting around the city and across short distances, a city car or supermini is most likely the best choice. If you’re a regular on the school run, meanwhile, you’ll want something with enough space for all the family.
Once you figure out what it is that you need from a car, then you can start to narrow down your search to find something that you want.
2. Thou shalt always do thine research
It’s impossible to stress this enough; in order to make sure that you’re 100 per cent happy with your purchase, make sure that you always do your research beforehand. Also, remember that there’s no such thing as knowing too much.
When it comes to buying a car, the internet is your friend. Back in the days that people wrote things on stone tablets, you had to make do with whatever your local dealer told you. Nowadays, a quick swap of the stone tablet for a tablet computer means it’s never been easier to swot up on information.
Starting on manufacturer’s websites, you can get a clear picture of exactly which models and options are available and what seems like the best for you. You can then visit dealership sites to see who can offer the best deals for the car and options that you want, in order to find the best overall price.
Read up on the models you’ve chosen as much as possible and check various internet sites for a second, third or even fourth opinion.
Whatever research method you choose, remember to always be vigilant and always read the fine print as some less reputable sellers may not be as honest as you would like them to be. Likewise, for used cars, it’s always worthwhile checking the service history as you could potentially save thousands of pounds in the long run.
To start your research off, the Car Keys site has a wealth of information on all the new, latest and greatest models, so check out our in-house guides and reviews here.
3. Thou shalt decide on a budget
At the end of the day, whichever car you decide to choose, your options will always be limited by how much money you have to spend on it. After deciding what type of car you’d like to buy, you’ll then have to decide on a budget for it.
Also bear in mind that the list price of a car is only the beginning. Particularly beware second hand cars, or vehicles which seem to be priced too well to be legitimate.
Even if the vehicle says “Only £1,700” on the windscreen, you’ll need to take a step back and factor in things like running costs, plus taxation and servicing charges.
4. Thou shalt not be afraid of last year’s models
Now that the forecourts are full of 65-plate cars, dealers will be cutting prices on their leftover stock from last year, and will also be more open to negotiation in order to get them off their lots.
So long as you’re not too fussy about what numbers are on your registration plate, this can be a great way to get a better deal on your car. You’re still buying a brand-new car, after all, but just not new new.
5. Thou shalt always factor in insurance costs
Aside from buying the car itself and any necessary repairs that it’ll need over its lifespan, the largest sum of money that you’re likely to spend on your vehicle is insurance costs.
Before making an offer or committing to buy a car, you should get a car insurance quote in order to have a rough idea of how much your premiums will cost for the car that you want. That 300bhp hyper hatch might seem a good idea in theory, but it won’t look so fun when you can’t afford to eat for a week.
You might find that the cost of insurance could be so steep that you’ll be forced to rethink your decision. However, it’s always better to be informed ahead of time before your put your name, and your hard-earned cash, to any agreements.
6. Thou shalt ask for deals, but not buy extras you don’t need
Asking the sales person in a dealership for a deal on servicing and maintenance for your car may mean that you could end up getting numerous extras. These can include free oil changes for a year, or discounted routine maintenance costs.
By the same coin, though, don’t be pressured into buying extras that you don’t want or need. Most dealers work on commission, so the more that you pay, the more that they make. Add-ons, aftercare packages and the like make up a large portion of dealers’ commission.
As a result, you’ll more than likely be asked if you’d like to purchase things like extended warranties, road servicing and rust protection. Make sure that you know you’re going to need them before you agree to anything.
7. Thou shalt always use price comparison sites
If the process all seems a little hard to get your head around or a bit too much work, there are a wealth of price comparison options available that you can use to take the guesswork out of it.
Not only is it handier, there are figures to back it up to; a study from Insurance.com last year showed that for every minute a buyer spent researching prices on a comparison site, they saved £0.77 on the cost of their new vehicle.
It mightn’t sound like a lot, but add that up with the average browsing time of 13.6 hours, and customers could get up to £625 one-time savings.
Sites like Car Keys make things even easier, showing you the best prices available for you in your area, alongside information on depreciation values and ownership costs. We even save our buyers thousands of pounds on average on every purchase!
8. Thou shalt part-exchange, but keep quiet about it
Trading in your old banger can be a great way to take a decent chunk out of the price of a new one, but if you are planning on part-exchanging keep schtum about it for as long as possible.
Ideally the best thing to do is wait until you’ve decided upon a final price for your new car before telling the salesperson that you want to trade in.
Also, make sure that you keep the two transactions separate. Otherwise, more crafty dealers may mix the two up and you could end up overpaying without realising it.
9. Thou shalt always go for a ride
At the end of the day, the only way you can ever know whether a car is in order and is right for you is by taking it for a test drive and inspecting it up close.
Just like a new outfit doesn’t always fit as advertised, your potential new car mightn’t turn out to be just how you thought in the metal. If that’s the case, don’t worry about it and move on to the next option; the important thing is that you’ve tried and found out for yourself.
You’re also going to be spending a significant amount of dosh on your motor, so don’t feel pressured into buying one just because you’ve gone to see it. If something isn’t right, do the right thing and walk away. Even little niggles can become serious headaches three years down the line.
Get inside, get a feel for it and take it out on the road, ideally across as many different road types as possible. Also make sure that you inspect the car both inside and out, and get into all the nooks and crannies to check for anything not listed in the description.
Taking a family member or a friend who knows about cars if you’re not confident is also ways a worthwhile tip. Even if you are a car nut, having someone as moral support can go a long way when checking for damages or discussing a deal.
10. Thou shalt enjoy thyself
It might seem like a lot of things to look out for and worry about, but the most important thing is to try and relax. Most people enjoy shopping, so why not enjoy shopping for your next car?
Taking your time, exploring all the options where possible and getting to know what’s on the market can go a long way to easing your worries, and thanks to the magic of the internet, walking into a dealership is no longer the potential nightmare it once was.
No matter where you live in the country, Car Keys can help you get the best deal on the right car for you. Why not get in touch today and see what we have to offer?
