I'd target 1-2 vehicles for starters and make contact or visit a handful of dealers.I'm ready to get a new car. My paid-off 2015 Audi has had a great run, but it has a couple of issues that bug me but don't seem worth fixing on a car that is worth ~$6-7k (most A/C vents don't blow, which I was quoted >$1k just to diagnose, and there is a fairly large dent on the fender that would be >$1k to repair, among other issues), in a good year costs ~$2-3k just for ordinary maintenance, and is reaching the point where it could start needing very expensive repairs. This is all starting to feel particularly silly since this car, which is a small sedan, doesn't really fit my current needs.
Not settled on a model yet, but likely a CPO or very low mileage/recent year car. Budgeting $40-50k, not sure whether I'll pay cash/finance/how much I'll finance.
Since I haven't bought a car since 2016, and didn't have a great experience then, I'm a bit nervous to reenter the market. I'm curious for people who've bought cars in the last couple of years what's worked for them. Did you reach out to dealers online before going in person, or just show up on the lot? Did you find there is a better time of year to buy? How did you make a decision between buy vs. lease, if you did? Do folks think the ease and lack of negotiation on a platform like CarMax or Carvana is worth the price premium you might pay? Any other thoughts?
Try to figure out which vehicle works for you while getting out-the-door prices for each.
Get contact information from those that you talk to so that you can contact them again. Maybe ask about their favored contact method, their work days, and their backup person. It's good to start a working and trusting relationship.
When you finish, you'll have a good feel for the market and you'll be ready for the next phase.
When they ask me how I'll pay, or when I'm going to buy, I give them an honest answer.
When I go out to buy, I tell them that I'm a serious buyer who is ready to buy in say 5 days if I can find a good deal.
Statistics: Posted by hudson — Sun Feb 25, 2024 2:16 pm — Replies 33 — Views 3776