Buying a Car in 2019: What You Need to Know

Buying a car in 2019 is much different than twenty years ago. You have double, even triple the options available to you in terms of features, type of car you’d like and even the way you can pay for your car. Regardless of the vehicle you choose to buy, there are a couple things you need to keep in mind when looking for a car.

Use apps

Right now, everyone has a smartphone and is connected to the internet. Back in the day, you would have had to read magazines just to get a decent understanding of a car you had in mind. However, now with smartphones, you can simply use an app to help you narrow down your options. Whether you’re opting for a used or new car, there are a variety of apps which will help you look at different financing options and will help you pick the car of your dreams based on the features you’d like. No need to listen to car salesman/women coax you into a deal that you’re not sure about.

Look at different financing options

If you have a suitcase of cash that you’re planning to take to the dealership to buy your new car, then that’s great. But for most of us, we’re going to have to finance the car through other means. It’s important that you look at the different options available and which would suit your needs the best. Are you interested in buying your car or leasing it? Novated lease, direct financing, simple interest loans - these are some of the different ways you can pay for your car.

Going electric?

If you’re not interested in a gasoline engine due to unstable gas prices or you’re looking to decrease your carbon footprint, then you may want to consider going electric. As the world is looking to improve global emissions, governments around the world are jumping on the bandwagon and prohibiting the sales of petrol and diesel vehicles. Whether you’re interested in going electric or not, it’s important to think about the future and whether your car will be drivable in the foreseeable years. Might as well get yourself an electric car now and save yourself the hassle of having to buy a new car in a couple years.

Know when to buy

You probably didn’t know but there is a wrong and right time to buy a new car. If you’re going to be buying a new car, aim to do so at the end of the month. Why? Well, if you’re purchasing from a car dealership, they’re under pressure to make their numbers, which means it’s likely that you’re going to get a better deal. In addition, the time and day of the week is also important. Focus on going to the dealership on days which aren’t busy, like Monday or Tuesday and aim for the late afternoon. By just doing this, you could potentially save yourself a couple dollars. These are small moves but they quickly add up.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes.