Asking for a test drive in that shiny car you see in the showroom is not exactly as simple as you think. Rather than taking the car for a ride you are asking somebody of moderate scruples to take you for a ride instead. At least that had been my experience of car dealers and car salesmen in the past. This article will give you some tips and advice on how to find the right car at the right price and without being ripped off by car dealers.
My first car was an old volkswagen that had more rust on its bodywork than metal! I, however fell in love with it when I saw it at a local second hand car dealers forecourt. it was nothing special but I remember the salesman telling me how it had previously been owned by one careful owner who was a woman in her latter years of life who only drove her car once in a while. I was sold on this car immediately, it was cheap and the salesman told me it was great. If memory serves me right the car lasted just over a month before the engine blew up. That one careful lady owner must have driven this thing into the ground.
It only took one experience of being ripped of by a car salesman to learn some valuable lessons. I have also made it my business over the years to find out other peoples horror stories in buying used cars to come to some very valuable conclusions.
1. Get advice from friends who have bought cars, especially take note of their stories of how smooth the whole car buying process was.
2. Search the internet for the name of car dealers in your area. People write on forums all the time with their experiences of buying cars.
3. When you decide on a car get it looked at by a trusted car mechanic. Get him to look at the engine especially and underneath to make sure the chassis is okay.
4. Never deal in the car dealers finance options. This may sound harsh, but all the car saesman is interested in is selling you extra warranty and bumping the price up by at least a third. You can always get credit outside if you need to and also by warranties externally also.
5. Always test drive the car you are interested in. I am constantly suprised to hear people buy second hand cars without even seeing them sometimes let alone test driving them. This is the biggest no no in my car buying book. Never do it!
6. My final tip is to always check about 10 other cars from various dealers or private sales of the same type to ensure that the price you are paying is not over the top and always offer less for the car than the asking price. Its all about haggling and never let the salesman win. They are good at it but you can beat them in the end if you are persistent.
