Written by Menswear Style in Cars on the 28th June 2021

When you want to get yourself a new car, and you want to save money and a bit of your carbon footprint by shopping second hand, you’ve got to walk into that dealership with your head held high and the absolute confidence that you’re going to find what you want. After all, plenty of dealers have their own tips and tricks to squeeze more money out of you, and you’ve got to play them at their own game! And to do so, you need to have the non-negotiables in mind at all times. For your convenience, we’ve listed the top 3 to never try and shake your stance on.

The Condition of the Car 

Obviously, the car’s condition is the first non-negotiable to take into account. Whilst you can add your own accessories later, for now, you just need to be sure the car is in good, working shape. It’s a used car, yes, but it needs to meet your expectations, and it shouldn’t seem suspicious at all. It needs to have as low a mileage count as possible, as well as a good frame and paintwork, and you should feel comfortable sitting in it, using the wheel, and sometimes you’ll even be able to take it for a test drive. If you get the chance to do the latter, always take the dealer up on the offer, as you’ll have some time to really get to know the car and how it handles.

The Price You’re Willing to Pay 

Then we come to the budgeting issues you may face when going through Car Sales. You want to try and keep your original price point in mind at all times - it should have a bit of wiggle room on both sides of the equation, but you should never be willing to part with more than 5% in an increase. If a dealer notices that you immediately settle for a car within this range, they’ll know what you’re mostly willing to pay, and may just mention they’ve got a few more (slightly more expensive) cars for you to take a look at. 

The Time You Decide to Shop 

The time of year you want to buy a car also matters, and you should always be careful to shop at peak manufacturing times - this is usually during the months of March and September. Used car lots will be full, and many dealers will want to shift these vehicles as soon as possible. This means you’ll have a lot of room to talk down the price and/or get a few accessories thrown in for free. You can also shop quite successfully during the later summer months e.g. July onwards, as many new models will be hitting the market during this period. 

If you’re about to buy a new car, make sure you know how to work that dealership, and what you really need to look for in a car model before signing on the dotted line.

Condition of the Car, Price You’re Willing to Pay, and Time You Decide to Shop are discussed in this blog post on The Non-Negotiables When Visiting a Car Dealership.