Steps to Buy A Used Luxury Car

Following these easy steps in buying a luxury car wii save you time but most importantly, money! You need a game plan just like making any big purchase! You don’t go to the mini-mart to buy all your deli meats do you? I think not! You know where you like to grocery shop and then you go…pretty simple. You need some basic guidelines to help refine your search so that you fell comfortable before you start your search!

These are some basic, but very important steps to prepare your selves before you start your search!

1. Determine what you want to spend. Luxury cars start at about $20,000, and prices can go into the stratosphere. Most fall within the entry price of $22,000 to $65,000.
2. Decide what’s most important to you: safety, performance, value, handling, comfort, reliability, dealer service, looks, interior room, options,quietness, prestige. Get a good feel for your driving style as this will help you with this step!
3. Make a short list of the makes and models you want to consider. Do some research to determine how they stack up in terms of your priorities. Mostluxury cars today excel in most if not all areas. However, some place comfort over handling and performance, or vice versa. Read magazine reviews to get a clearer picture.
4. Review the crash-test data for various cars. Check the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) vehicle ratings (see hwysafety.org). Other sites such as JDPower and Edmonds.com are also VERY helpful!
5. Consider resale value. You may be surprised to find quite a bit of variation here. In general, German and Japanese luxury cars have the highest resale values. Check the Kelley Blue Book values of the various models over time (see kbb.com). Edmonds.com and NADA.com should be checked too.
6. Talk to friends who own similar cars. They may have some good advice. Friends can recommend dealers who have been of value to them too. This is a simple but overlooked step!
7. Compare insurance premiums for different cars you are considering. Your Insurance salesperson is a great deal of knowledge too; don’t be affraid to ask!
8. Go test-drive the two or three cars on your short list. Don’t worry about the dealers now. Focus on the cars. Do you feel comfortable in the car? Does it drive the way you want it to? Don’t commit to any car or salesperson yet. Go home and think about it.
9. Rank the cars according to your priorities. Then rank them in terms of price, value and what you like! You should be able to narrow the choice down to one or two cars. If the choice still isn’t clear, test-drive the cars again. Ask questions! A good dealer will KNOW there product and know others to….Don’t let a dealer sell you on a specific car. Let the dealer help you make the best choice for you, not there pocket book!
10. Collect pricing information for the car you want, decide on colors and option packages, and get your loan together.
11. Return to the dealer and tell a salesperson what you want. Deal with the owner of the dealership if you can! If you can’t thats ok but you can always ask! Some dealers you can always deal with them and get the best possible price!

In the end, the decision on whether to buy a used luxury car comes down, as it does with so much else, to making an informed decision.