Holiday Shopping Is Your Best Friend (Pt.1)
SHOPSMART AUTOS – CUSTOMER INFORMATION – SEPTEMBER 5, 2020 Holiday Shopping Is Your Best Friend (Pt.1) Drawn by offers of screaming deals and with free time on their hands, many people shop for cars on long holiday weekends such as Labor Day. Car dealers are motivated to sell and the discounts are plentiful — if you’re willing to put up with the crowds. Many busy people will use the long weekends to find and buy a car, not realizing just how intensely busy dealerships will be. Expect to see roughly double the number of people, which means that everything from the test drive to the contract signing could take twice as long. It doesn’t have to be that way.Although the holiday advertisements usually focus on the extended weekend time frames, some manufacturer- and dealer-sponsored incentives are often in effect at the beginning of the month and before the long weekend. Some will continue for a day or so after it. This is where our plan comes in. You should try to do most of the work earlier in the week. Then, by the time the weekend rolls around, you should already know what car you can afford, whether you are leasing or buying, and have narrowed your car list to about three models at most. Here’s how the plan works. Expect to see about twice as many people at dealerships on a holiday weekend. To avoid the crowds, try to handle most aspects of your car purchase at home. The salesperson will be able to devote more time to showing off the car during the week before the busy weekend. Get a Head Start at Home
Before you even set foot in the dealership, you’ll want to know how you’ll be paying for the car and what you can afford. You also should create a short list of cars you’re interested in. Tackle financing questions first and the rest of the process will be much easier. Do this at home and, if possible, well ahead of the weekend.
Choose your purchase method: Ask yourself if you want to lease or buy a new car. Or would you prefer to buy a used car? In either case, it is a good idea to get a copy of your credit report and, if you plan on financing, get preapproved for a car loan. Set your budget: A good rule of thumb is that your monthly payment (whether buying or leasing) should not be more than 10 to 15 percent of your monthly take-home pay. Keep in mind that you also need to pay for fuel and insurance. Read reviews: If you already have a car in mind, check consumer reviews of the car you are considering. Then take a moment to see what other cars compete with the one you have selected. If you don’t yet know what you want to buy, build a list of three “target cars” to test drive. Locate your car and set up a test drive: You’ll want to test-drive a car that’s configured the way you want it and ideally in the color you like. That means you’ll need to locate that car near you. Alternatively, you can check dealership websites to see what cars they have on hand. Once you’ve found the car you want to test-drive, either call the dealership. This will not only get you an upfront price on the car, but it will also get you in touch with a dealer representative to schedule a test-drive appointment. Verify that the car you want is still available. Then try to schedule a test drive before the weekend, if at all possible. Here’s why you should jump-start the test drive: Because there are so many shoppers on the holiday, you cannot expect to get the same level of assistance from a salesperson, who might be juggling multiple customers at once. Do your drive ahead of time and you’ll avoid the crowds. Your salesperson will be able to dedicate more time to showing you the car.
Early-Bird Strategy If the weekend is your only option for the test drive, just know that the dealership may be swamped with shoppers by the middle of the day. Beat the rush and set your test-drive appointment for the early morning. Arrange to drive your chosen models back-to-back so differences will become apparent and you can make an informed decision. Explain that you’ll be making a purchase decision later in the weekend. It sets the expectations and should reduce a bit of the pressure. If you are absolutely sure you’ve found the right car, you can proceed to the deal-making process on the spot. But many people will want to sleep on a big decision. If you like the way you’ve been treated, tell the salesperson you’ll be back if you decide to buy the car. Make It A Champion Day!
Tags: 2019 Subaru Forester Touring, 2020 BMW iX3, 2020 Chevrolet Suburban, 2020 dodge charger, 2020 EQC, 2020 Ford Super Duty, 2020 Honda Pilot, 2020 Kia Optima, 2020 Kia Soul, 2020 Lincoln Aviator, Honda Pilot
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