3 Tips to Smart Car Buying

Car buying can be a very fun experience, unless of course you make one of 3 key mistakes. Here is a quick description of each mistake and how to avoid.

1. Use the Internet to find the car of your dreams. In other words, do your research before you go physically shopping at a car dealer. Narrow down the make and model and also the year. Manufacturers make major and minor changes to models and you need to understand how this impacts your decision (and budget). US News Car Reports (https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks) is an excellent website to learn about different makes and models and how they compare.

2. Go and physically see the car. There is no better way to determine the condition of the car without a physical visit and test drive. Check the exterior for scratches and dents. Review the CARFAX report for any history of accidents or damage. Do not necessarily decline a car because it was in a accident or rear end "bump". Have your local mechanic inspect the car to make sure any past issues were properly repaired. Check the interior for any odors, tears or stains. Do all the windows, locks, radio, etc. work? Electronics and upholstery are expensive to repair, so beware.

3. Beware of high mileage cars. No dealer can guarantee that your car will not have a problem "down the road". Cars with high mileage, say more than 60,000 miles, are more prone to having major problems with tires, brakes, battery, engine, suspension, steering, transmission, etc. Repairs like this cost 100's of dollars to fix. If your budget is limited, then focus your search on lower cost makes (e.g. Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Kia) where you can afford a more recent year model. An excellent strategy is to target "lease return" vehicles from all leading manufacturers. These cars return after 2 or 3 years with less than 36,000 miles. They are well maintained and often still have factory warranty remaining. Save 40-50% over the price of New when you buy a 2-3 year old lease return from BMW, Honda, MINI, MBZ, Lexus and more.

Follow these three simple steps and your cars shopping experience will be both fun and rewarding.