What to do When Your Car is Costing You too Much Money
Gina
The last thing you need at any point is to lose faith in your car; whether it is because of clattering noises from under the engine, horrific gas mileage, the inability to start or stay running, or a constant stress to replace failing parts, no one loves hearing the unexpected news that their car needs to retire. Hopefully, you reach this revelation before your vehicle leaves you stranded somewhere you do not want to be. However, purchasing a brand new vehicle has a high cost (the price tag) with not as high of a return (the new car smell being one). For this reason, trading in the used for the less used is a much more viable option for most people in the car market. Here are a few important facts to remember about used cars if you are looking for some new to you wheels.
1. Compare a private sale and a dealership sale. There are ups and downs to how you choose to purchase a car. In a dealership, you get to enjoy high quality customer service, financing optiThe last thing you need at any point is to lose faith in your car; whether it is because of clattering noises from under the engine, horrific gas mileage, the inability to start or stay running, or a constant stress to replace failing parts, no one loves hearing the unexpected news that their car needs to retire. Hopefully, you reach this revelation before your vehicle leaves you stranded somewhere you do not want to be. However, purchasing a brand new vehicle has a high cost (the price tag) with not as high of a return (the new car smell being one). For this reason, trading in the used for the less used is a much more viable option for most people in the car market. Here are a few important facts to remember about used cars if you are looking for some new to you wheels.
1. Compare a private sale and a dealership sale. There are ups and downs to how you choose to purchase a car. In a dealership, you get to enjoy high quality customer service, financing options, warranties, and quality assurance of used cars. Flexible financing options are a large factor in choosing a dealership: many car salesman can offer a credit based leasing option for those that have the credit scores to support it, or an income or down payment based leasing option for those that are still repairing their credit.
Unfortunately, a private sale usually does not offer that kind of flexibility. In the event of a purchase through Craigslist, Facebook, or any other sale where a dealership or professional car salesman is not involved, cash is most likely required up front for the car sale, which may make the purchase of a newer vehicle through private sale unrealistic for many. Additionally, be cautious of purchasing your new car through private platforms if you are not confident of the car’s integrity; private sellers are generally under no obligation to have the car up to date and mechanically sound for the next buyer, whereas a dealer’s reputation would be at stake.
2. Keep an eye on your dealership’s inventory. If you are going to trade your vehicle in at a dealership, it is smart to time your trade in with the ideal season of inventory for the dealership. Car lots enter a window of time annually when they want to flush out their inventory in preparation for the influx of that year’s new models. You will know when this season arrives by the dealership’s boost in advertisement, and you’ll likely hear promises of great discounts of the cars that are still in the way of the new inventory. If you can keep your ride from retiring until that point, you will score some great savings on your new car.
3.Consider making money off of your car. If your car is costing you too much money, you may be able to offset a little bit of that expense by investing in car wraps. Car wraps, also known as car decals or car stickers, are a form of vehicle advertising in which a business advertises by being displayed on your car. These car wraps earn you money, too, since your vehicle is technically paid advertisement space. Consider signing up for car wraps if you want to make money by simply being a driving venue for store signs.
There are many factors that may affect your decision to trade in your vehicle for another used one, from credit, to dealership availability, to the model of car you desire. If you live in a rural area and long for a luxury sports car, you might have to find yourself traveling several hours to a lot that has the brands you like. Regardless, make sure to do plenty of research to find the type of sale that is right for you, and that you get the trade in value of your current vehicle that you deserve.
