When you’re in the market for a new car, the probability of being able to negotiate the price down significantly is not very high. When you are in the market for a used car, however, you have a lot more room to negotiate the price and, if done well, you can get a great car at a great price. If you are a first-time buyer on the hunt to purchase a car from local dealers, here is how much you should haggle for a used car and how you can do it successfully.
Before You Negotiate
If you are buying a car for the first time, it can be easy to believe that you can simply go in, haggle with the seller for a bit, and get the car that you are looking for. Unfortunately, negotiations don’t work like this. In order to successfully get the car at the price that you are looking for, you first have to do your research to better understand what an appropriate price for your car is, whether you are looking at an electric car or a gas-powered car like a Subaru Outback.
Look at how much your car is selling for, what others have paid for it, and what may be a fair price based on its condition (note any imperfections that you may see online or in-person). Once you have a fair price in mind, you will be better positioned to bargain with the seller without wasting time and causing an inconvenience for the two of you.
Learning About the Car Dealership
No two car dealerships are the same. For example, if you are out of the country and are looking for used cars for sale in Nigeria, the pricing of the cars combined with exporting costs, monthly payments, and other related expenses may not be the same as your local dealership, which means that you will want to see how much your car will cost, in addition to the costs of getting your car conveniently shipped to you.
If you going with a local dealership like a Subaru dealership in Hadley, MA, check in with the Subaru dealer to learn more about how much the average car costs, if they have any special offers, and what their sales staff reputation is like. The more you know about the dealer you plan on going to, the better you will be able to plan accordingly for negotiations.
Take Into Account the Final Price of the Sale
While the price of the car is one major area of focus you will want to look into when you are negotiating, you should also consider focusing on negotiating the final sale price of the car. When you focus on negotiating this price, it will include all of the additional fees and expenses that will be added to the price tag of the car. If you forget to negotiate the entire deal, you may end up with the price you wanted but have to pay extra in costs that you didn’t anticipate.
Negotiating the price of a car can be a new and scary experience, but with the right knowledge and research backing up your negotiations, you can find the car you are looking for at your ideal price. If you plan on haggling for a car in the near future, use the tips above to find the right options for you and prepare to talk to local dealers about the car that you are interested in.
