Car Buying Tips & Information

Buying a Car Online

The Web is a hassle free place to shop for cars.  There are many advantages to shopping cars online.  First, it greatly reduces the hassle of dealing with car dealers and salesmen.  When buying a car online, you don’t have to listen to a dealer talk about the specs of a car.  You just have to read all about it in a website.  You don’t have to go to a showroom, you just to have to point and click your mouse and you could browse through different make and models of cars.  And if you want to take a second look at a car it’s very easy.

The advantage of shopping for a car online is that all transactions can be done without you having to go out of your home.  After ordering the car you want and paying the price, all you have to do is to wait for your brand new vehicle to be delivered to the nearest dealer.  Some dealers would even deliver the car right at your doorstep (or garage for that matter).

There are basically two types of online car shopping websites.  One will only get you in touch with a real car seller.  This means you have to transact the traditional way.  Then there are websites that will take care of everything.  Some websites would even deliver the car at your doorstep.  Of course this would entail a bigger amount of service fee. And deliveries are made only to nearby areas.

But before you click and buy, you must first know exactly what kind of car you want.  Determine the types of car you’re looking for and the price you are willing to pay for that car.

Below are some other tips on how to buy a car online.

1. The most important thing to do is to research.  Don’t get too excited. Check on the different packages available.

2. Make sure that the Website you go to is secure and reliable.  Most sites would let you browse by car type, by price range or both.

3. If you don’t want to make all transactions online then you could ask the dealer to meet you in person once you found him on the Internet. Upon meeting the dealer, negotiate with him as you would a normal car dealer and then sign the papers.

4. It’s not necessary to pin the model, year and make of the car you want to buy. Just a general picture would do.  Determine how you will be using your new car and the reason why you are buying a car in the first place.  Ask yourself what features are important to you.  Do you give more importance to fuel efficiency rather than speed or vice versa?  Are you more concerned about safety features than a good sound system?  After you’ve done all these, it’s time to determine your budget.  Just how much are you willing to spend for a vehicle?

5. Once you have decided on a brand and model car it would be prudent to check on the history of the particular car manufacturer.  You can easily do this by consulting consumer magazines and websites. You could also check out the website of the cart’s manufacturer (e.g. Ford, Toyota, BMW, etc.)

6. If you cannot afford new models, remember some of our previous discussion.  There are websites that sell used cars.  Popular search engines usually have an automotive section so this is a good place to shop.  If you don’t find one here you can try searching using the search string “used car.”

7. Check the background of the website of the online car dealer by clicking on the “about us” section of the site.  It is advisable to buy only from websites which have detailed information about the vehicles they are selling.  Ask if they have conducted inspections of each car in their lot through independent mechanics.  If they have, then you’ll know that that website is a good place to shop for cars. Most manufacturers' Web sites have detailed information on models, including available options, photos and MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price).

8. Read reviews about the different make, model and year of cars.  A good website must also have reviews and ratings for the cars they are selling.  But you should also cross check by visiting independent car sites or sites that do not sell cars or are connected to car companies to get a more objective review.