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FastFind Auto™ is your fast and easy resource for learning about car dealers for your next auto purchase. Whether you are looking for a luxury car with all the extras, sports utility vehicle (SUV) with plenty of trunk space, sports car with plenty of horsepower or a compact car that gets great gas mileage, FastFind™ can help you buy a car for your needs. FastFind Auto™ provides answers to questions about financing, auto purchase vs. lease and first steps. To get a price quote for a new car Click Here. If you found this page through a search engine, click on our logo above or Click Here to get to our main site.
What are Some Steps to Help You Buy the Car You Want? 1.What type of car do you need? Think about what you need in an automobile.
How do you use your car?
- How many people do you transport in your car?
- What is the length of your commute?
- Is good gas mileage a high priority for your new car?
- Would you prefer manual or automatic transmission?
- Do you need four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive?
- What safety features would you prefer?
- How much cargo space do you need?
- What are your current parking conditions?
- Will you be parking your vehicle on the street?
- How much space do you have in your garage?
2. What can you afford? Whether you lease or buy a new car, it’s important to determine what monthly payments you can afford before getting a car quote. The general rule is that the payments for your auto purchase shouldn’t be more than 20% of your monthly paycheck. However, you should do a budget to see what payments are right for you. When you make your monthly budget, not only account for standard payments like rent or mortgage payments, but variable payments like credit cards or education. 3. Do you want to buy a new car or lease a car?
In today’s market, you have more options to drive off in a new car than ever.
Leasing a new car doesn’t require a large down payment and often lets you make lower monthly payments than a car purchase. However, when the lease is up, you will need to replace your car.
A new auto purchase can be more expensive in the beginning, with higher monthly payments, but you don’t have to worry about replacing your car at the end of the loan.
Some important points to consider are:
Advantages of Leasing a Car:
- Allows you to drive a better car for less money
- Supports driving a new car every few years
- You aren’t tied to an asset that can lose value depending on the make and model
- It’s easy to trade in your old car for a new model at the end of the lease
Advantages of Buying a Car:
- When interest rates are low, the monthly cost on a car payment isn’t that different than the amount on a car lease
- No matter how much you drive, there are no car mileage penalties or fees for normal wear and tear
- There are no hidden fees that may show up after you get your final car quote and buy a new car
- You can sell your car whenever you want
4. What will buying a new car really cost?
When you buy a new car, you not only need to think about how much the car will cost, but how much that car will be worth once you drive it off the lot.
- Car Depreciation – Different types of cars lose their value at different rates. For example, one brand of sports utility vehicle (SUV) may lose 50% of its purchase value the within the first year, while another SUV may retain its value.
- Gas Mileage – The costs of gas consumption can add up. You should calculate the cost of gas when figuring your monthly budget when you buy a new car. While it goes without saying that buying a compact car will get you better gas mileage than if you buy a sports car, there are differences in gas mileage between cars in the same class. Also, your choices for automatic or manual transmission, air conditioning, 4 wheel drive, etc., will all affect your car’s mileage.
- Maintenance Frequency – Different cars have different maintenance needs. While some compact cars car run up to 7000 miles between the manufacturer’s recommended oil changes, other cars need a little more care and handling.
- Maintenance Cost – Not all cars cost the same to maintain. It may be obvious that buying an obscure foreign import car will cost more to maintain than if you buy a more common new car, but even popular cars can have hidden maintenance costs. For example, that hybrid truck may save you money in gas mileage, but the cost to replace a hybrid’s battery is significantly higher than replacing the battery on a gas vehicle.
- Insurance – Different types of vehicles, even within the same class, have different costs to insure. One type of sports car may have a much higher insurance rate than another make and model of sports car. Before buying a new car, shop around and get some car quotes.
Why Should You Test Drive? Buying a car is a big step; don’t be afraid to explore your options. Once you’ve done your basic research on the car you want, go to a car dealer, schedule a test drive and get a car quote. Test driving a car can help you get a real feel for how that car handles in the real world, not just around the block. Drive the car in the same conditions you would in real life. If you drive in commute traffic, then be sure to test the car during rush hour both on surface and on the freeway. If you drive in a mountainous area, test how the car handles on hills. Be sure to test the car in parking lots, how it handles turns, bumps; basically, test it in with all the things you’re going to have to live with if you buy the car. Test driving can also help you determine the comfort level of the car, not just for the driver, but for passengers. When test driving, be sure to sit in all the passenger seats. Test how adjustable each car seat is. Also, don’t go to the car dealership alone. Bring at least one of the family and friends that are going to be sitting in those seats on that next road trip. Test driving can give you a better sense of how well your new car can meet your requirements. For example, if you travel a lot, then bring a suitcase stuffed with sheets to see how well the trunk will work for you. When going to a car dealer, don’t be distracted by the salesperson’s pitch to get you to buy a car. Remember, when you go to a car dealer for a test drive in a new car, you"re not wasting the salesperson’s time; you’re making good use of your own time and money.
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