Utah Car Dealer Blog
If you’ve made a decision to shop pre owned cars, you can make your search much more effective with some organization. There are several quality used car dealerships throughout St. Louis, from West County to South County, so you can save time if you divide and conquer. Put the family to work as park of the Car Buying Team. Mom and dad can be team captains and depending on children’s ages they can assist by doing research, making notes, etc. It’s best to start by deciding what type of vehicle you want to purchase. Involve all the family in discussions about various aspects: – Size: Do you need room for six or plenty of cargo space? Would a crossover work better for your family than a SUV? Will the vehicle double as a work machine where an extended cab pickup by be a good choice? – Performance: Do you need fuel economy because of a strained budget or would you like a rugged 4wd because of weekend activities? – History: What are your limits when it comes to age of the car and mileage? – Warranties: If you’d like the security of an extended warranty you should think about buy a certified pre owned vehicle. – Personality: Do you want something cute and sporty, or spacious and durable? Should it be a neutral color or something bright and trendy? – Budget: A discussion of cost limitations is a great way to get the kids understanding budgets and financial aspects.
Once the details have been agreed upon, you can make up spreadsheets or create work sheets by hand. They should contain all the parameters of the desired vehicle and allow room for note taking. Before heading out to dealerships, do your research. The library and the Internet will give you access to great resources like Kelley’s Blue Book, Consumer Reports and Edmunds. This homework will provide terrific details on safety ratings, fuel performance, resale values, currents pricing, etc. Apply this research to the parameters of your search and you can head out as a very informed consumer. The team captains will compile a list of car dealerships and make assignments for who goes to each. Most dealers have their inventory online which will make your preliminary scouting expedition more targeted and efficient. As each team visits car lots, they should take notes on vehicles that appear to meet criteria, including mileage, color, condition, price, warranty details, etc. You should also take along a digital camera to capture visuals to share with the other team. When teams meet back up at the end of the search period, all family members can review findings and share in the critique of each vehicle. The notes and photos will greatly assist in narrowing down your choices. Next steps: Test drive, negotiate purchase price, and research financing options. This post is sponsored by: BluSolutions Dealer Websites & Automotive SEO Posted under Car Dealer SEO.
