Here Are Tips When Shopping For A New Car

Buying a car is a big commitment, usually made after hours of research. It’s important to feel confident while making the purchase and to remain satisfied with your decision years later. Online research and test driving are both necessary for comparing vehicles and eliminating buyer’s remorse.

That’s why we wanted to help you get started on this journey, so you can make an informed and confident decision. This article is full of tips when shopping for a new car.

NEW VS USED CAR

There are pros and cons to both and the decision is often dictated by budget. However, there are additional things to lookout for when buying a used vehicle:

• PANEL GAPS: look for dents, loose panels, or gaps that are larger than others. If something is out of place with the panels, it could be a sign the vehicle was involved in an accident.
• RUST, SCRATCHES AND CHIPS: inspecting the body panels, and inside the doors and trunk are especially important.
• EXHAUST AREA: check for dark or oily stains, they are often a sign of excess smoke which could mean a problem with the exhaust.
• HEAD AND TAIL LIGHTS: check your high and low beams, all the turn signals and ensure the plastic isn’t cracked either.
• BATTERY: look for debris or rust around the terminals.
• Undercarriage: again, looking for rust as well as fluids dripping from possible leaks.

Purchasing a certified pre-owned vehicle can also help save you time during the research process, because you know the vehicle has met our high standards.

TIPS FOR YOUR TEST DRIVE

When you’ve reached the test-driving phase of your research, you can breathe a sigh of relief for two reasons: (1) You’ve done most of the preliminary research and (2) you’re on to the fun part.

Start by reading reviews. Learning what other people didn’t like about their drive can help you focus on those characteristics to see if they’ll bother you too.

Bring someone with you. A second set of ears and eyes is always helpful, but having the perspective of a passenger is important as well.

Before leaving the lot, get familiar with the interior. Do you feel comfortable in your space? Get to know the controls and dash, not only will that help make the test drive safer, you want to ensure everything (turn indicator, radio knobs, etc) is in a sensible, intuitive location. You also want to collapse all the folding seats and try out any other convenience or entertainment features, including climate control.

Start driving. Drive like you would any other day plus, take it on the highway for a few minutes. Things you want to testinclude:

• SPEED AND ACCELERATION. How fast does it take to accelerate on the highway?
• MANEUVERABILITY: if you take the car to a parking lot to try parking, u-turns, etc does it handle well and feel comfortable?
• BUMPS AND COMFORT: when driving down an older road, does it feel awkward and bumpy or smooth?
• ELECTRONICS: does the GPS, radio, Bluetooth and cruise control work properly?

Rose City Chrysler is happy to arrange a test drive for you on any of our new, or certified pre-owned vehicles and assist with any questions or concerns you may have.