In 2016, there were about 17.6 million cars sold.
Purchasing a car can be a big deal and a financial commitment, so it’s important you do your research beforehand.
Well, you need to make sure it’s exactly what you’re looking for. Learn which questions to ask when buying a car!
1. What Kind of Technology Does the Car Come With?
When you’re buying a new car, make sure that you ask about some of the technology that comes with the car.
If you’re buying a brand new car, you want to make sure it has some of the updated technology. This will also help you get more information on what kind of upgrades and packages the car can come with.
While driving the car, you may not even realize all of the technology the car is capable of, like cruise control, cameras, and sensors that warn you when you cross a lane without signaling.
You should also ask about safety systems. Car crashes happen too often, so you want to make sure that your car has the best kind of safety technology possible. See if there are emergency breaks and blindspot detectors, which are some of the newest safety technology.
2. Is There a Warranty?
Before you buy a car, you should ask if it comes with a warranty, and for how long your coverage lasts.
All warranties will cover something different, including repairs, rust damage, and other problems if the vehicle’s parts start to break.
You should know what is and isn’t covered before you buy the car. If a car is known for breaking down, you’ll want to make sure that you have a good warranty.
You can also ask if there are extended warranties, and if so, how much? It could be worth investing in extra protection.
3. Why Should I Buy Your Car?
This is a great question to ask because it doesn’t get asked very often. When you ask most salesmen this question, they may not have a good answer at first.
Many of them may try to tell you that you should buy the car from them because it is a good price or because they offer the best service. However, this really doesn’t mean much to you.
Yes, getting a lower price on your car is important, but a car salesman can’t always guarantee that they will be able to give you the lowest price. Chances are likely that you will find a car that is similarly priced at another dealership.
If the car salesperson is offering you a price that seems too low and too good to be true, it probably is. You may end up paying even more money in other additional fees or interest that you don’t know about yet.
Having good service is another bad answer. Every company is supposed to have good service. It shouldn’t be looked at as an added bonus. When asking this question, you should listen for answers that are actually helpful to you making a selection to buy the car.
4. Can I Test Drive This on the Highway?
Most companies will let you take the car you’re interested in for a test drive, but you should ask them if they’ll let you drive it on the highway.
You want to test the car in a place you normally drive. A car may drive differently on the highway than in a busy downtown. If you will be doing a lot of driving on the highway, it’s important to make sure you try and drive it on that road.
The car may seem fine in stop-and-go traffic, but what if the accelerator doesn’t go as fast as you want it to or has problems when you try and speed up on the highway?
5. Are There Any Incentives?
You should also ask about incentives. This could be another reason that you may want to purchase a car. Sometimes there are extra incentives if you lease a car or use their finance company.
A dealership doesn’t always advertise their incentives, so it’s important to ask for them. You may end up walking out of the dealership with a better deal than you thought you would’ve gotten, or features added on to your vehicle.
6. Can You Help With Financing?
Most people aren’t able to pay for the entire car at once, which is why they have to finance a car. Some dealerships have an agreement with specific banks or lenders to finance your car. However, if they don’t, they may be able to point you in the direction of a company that can help.
You want to find a dealer who is willing to work with you and get you the best financing possible. If a dealership has relationships with certain companies, you may have a better chance of getting a lower interest rate.
7. What is the Final Cost?
This is probably the most important question. After you’ve negotiated with the salesperson, you need to figure out what the cost will be after all of the fees and taxes.
Don’t assume the price on the tag is going to be what you end up paying.
When they give you a contract, make sure that you read and understand it all before you sign anything.
If this is your first time buying a car, you should read this article to learn more about what you shouldn’t and shouldn’t do.
Figure Out More Questions to Ask When Buying a Car
These are all important questions to ask when buying a car, but they’re not the only ones out there.
Buying a car can be a big commitment, and you want to make sure you do your research before buying one.
To continue your research, make sure you check out some of our other blog posts!
