Collaborative post:
There is a sense when buying a car that you get what you pay for. The higher end of the market means you can usually expect a car that’s fun and easy to drive, and has a tonne of features that make it more than just a means of transport. The cheaper you get, the less you can expect, but if all you’re after is a bit of a runaround, then you’ll be happy with a no-frills purchase. You have the choice: quality or value. Whichever you choose, you’re going to make it work in the long term.
But what if you don’t want to make that choice? What if you would rather pay a lower price and still get more than the bare minimum? Is there a way of having both quality and value? Well, yes, potentially. But it’s not going to be achieved without a bit of footwork on your part. You certainly can’t have quality, value and the chance to be lazy about achieving it!
Financing your purchase
When you see people driving a flash car and there’s no outward sign that they’re a millionaire, you may wonder how they’ve afforded it. The truth is that they’ve almost certainly not paid cash in full for it – because even if they are a millionaire, buying cars on finance just makes sense. If your credit is decent and you can be flexible on repayment terms, you can drive away a new car in a higher price bracket by doing a little bit of shopping around. It makes a lot of sense to do so, as many people seek to trade their car in every few years, which will allow you to go cheaper or more expensive to suit your needs.
Buy preowned
This one is trickier, but still possible. Buying a great used car is a challenge, because if it’s that great, why is it being sold? However, much of the answer lies in the first paragraph. People buy cars on finance, and then trade them in for another car, also on finance, usually within about three years. The car that they’ve moved on from is then sold at auction to a dealership who will sell it second-hand. If you don’t mind driving a car that has had “one careful owner”, then you can find genuine quality, albeit without the very latest features. But a car from 2020 is hardly going to be Fred Flintstone material.
Get your haggle on
Unless a car dealership specifically advertises a “no haggle” selling policy, there is something to be said for asking if something can be done on the price. Selling a new car is not like other kinds of selling; it’s not going to be new for long, and the further it gets from its production date, the faster the value will fall. So car dealers are likely to be open to negotiation, especially on forecourt models that will begin to show signs of age sooner. It doesn’t mean you’re going to get a Bugatti Veyron for the price of a Tata Nano, but you can find good bargains if you know where to look.
Sarah x
