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I was looking at Facebook the other night and one of those Facebook Memories popped up from two years ago. It was me standing next to the brand new Jeep Cherokee I just bought. My caption was, “I’m so excited! I bought a new sexy SUV!” It truly was an exciting milestone in my life, but it was also scary. It was my first big purchase and I didn’t want to make any mistakes.
On my Jeep’s second birthday, I am actually shopping around for a new SUV. I am not positive that I want to buy a new one just yet, but I already know that I am more confident now than I was the first time around. Here are some tips I want to share with first time buyers to help you be a little more confident when making your purchase.
Identify Your Vehicle Preference
The funny thing is, the moment you tell family and friends that you want to buy a new vehicle, EVERYONE has an opinion about which type of vehicle you should purchase. This can become very confusing when people around you try to convince you to buy the vehicle of their choice. I knew I wanted an SUV. A larger vehicle made me feel safe. I didn’t know which one, but at least I narrowed my choices down.
Stay Within Your Budget
I loved the BMW SUV, but I knew that making payments on a vehicle like that would be a little too much for me. I actually listed out all of my expenses and calculated the amount I knew I could afford to spend on monthly payments. It’s important to be realistic when choosing a vehicle. I didn’t want to purchase a luxurious vehicle that would be a source of stress in the end.
Do A lot Of Research
Do not rely on just one source when making your final decision. Take the time to ask the opinion of your friends who drive a vehicle you may be interested in, watch video reviews on YouTube, and go to reliable car sites like cars.com. This site has been helpful with my current search for another car. It allows you to look for the vehicle type you are interested in and lists vehicles within that category. I like the price comparison tool on the site and absolutely love their article called Cars.com Best of 2018 Awards. It lists the award-winning vehicles for the year. The Jeep, by the way, is the winner of the People’s Vote Award for 2018. I feel pretty good about that!
Test Drive The Vehicle
Once you have identified the vehicle you want to purchase, make sure you take it for a test drive. Don’t just drive it by yourself with the car salesman. Bring along some friends to ride in the back and passenger seat. Ask your friend to drive the car and you should test sitting in the other seats as well. I saw a vehicle I just loved, but when I actually drove it, I realized the nose of the SUV was just too long and I didn’t feel like I could see very well.
Be Prepared When Financing Your Vehicle
You will probably be beyond excited once you have found the vehicle of your dreams. I know I was over the moon, but it is important to know your credit score before you go to the dealership to finally make the purchase. With this information you will be able to determine if you can qualify for the best car loan rates. Ensure you do not inadvertently finance the other fees that go along with the purchase such as warranties, registration fees or sales tax. If possible, pay for this with cash. You do not want to unnecessarily add this to the loan amount which only means it may take you much longer to pay off.
Buying a vehicle is a major purchase, but it doesn’t have to be a scary one. Do your research, follow these tips and I am sure it will be a fun adventure!
Thank you for the advice! I’ve been dying to get a new car. So sick of driving my bomb 😂
Oh no haha. I hope you find the car of your dreams soon!
I don’t have a car so this is helpful for if I ever decide to get a car.
Useful tips here. Going to bookmark as I’m saving up to buy a car very soon and will surely find this useful.
I’ll have to keep this in mind next time we go to get a new car. We’ve been talking about it! 🙂
This really helps sine I plan on buying my car in the next year. I never thought about sitting in the passenger seat while someone else drives. I think that is a great idea.
Sharing the tips you take from your own experience is an excellent idea and I’m sure it will help a lot of people making their first car purchase!
I am actually on a hunt for the perfect car, as I just passed my driving test. I am eyeing either a WV Polo or a Ford Fiesta, but if I find a convertible Mini in my budget I’ll definitely go for it. Great tips, it’s important to feel right behind the wheel.
Huge funds are involved in buying a car so it is always good to have different options. Your tips are certainly useful for first time buyers of car.
These are some great tips on buying a new car. I think I need to share this with my brother who is planning to buy their new car. It will help them for sure.
These are some great points to keep in mind before purchasing your first vehicle, definitely going to be helpful for me. Knowing the need and requirement is the starting point, which helps in deciding and doing the research on that vehicle.
yes so true!
Buying a car is one of those things I’ll be really nervous about when the time comes. I know that it’s comfortable and practical to have a car, but there are so many things to pay attention to – and I’m such an unexperienced driver (to state it in a less self-derogatory way XD). I’ll keep your tips in mind!
Haha you can do it!
I’ve bought one new car in my life and made payments, but I’ll never do it again. I’m still driving it after 11 years, 130,000 miles and it still looks good. I’m saving up for my next car and pay cash.
Cash is king! if you have the means, that’s definitely the way to go!
You gave some really great tips for anyone looking to buy a new car. It is such an investment it is best to be prepared.
That’s for sure. It was definitely my first, big purchase and being as prepared as possible was key.
Research is key when it comes to buying a car. It’s also good to read reviews of those who have bought the models that you’re looking out for. Cars.com is definitely a good resource and I’ve heard so many good things about them!
Most definitely! They have great resources to help you find the perfect car.
Buying a new car is such an investment. Thank you for sharing these great tips!
You’re most welcome!
This is great tips for me as I am planning to buy a car in these two years time. Your tips just come in handy and I shall follow the steps to do research in the market now.
Fantastic! Good luck! 🙂
Most definitely – it’s priceless to do some serious researching. No way around it. BTW – I’d always go for an SUV:D
Right? ! SUVs are the best! 🙂
I don’t drive and I’ve never had a car but I can imagine the research before deciding which one to get, I tend to do research on any larger purchases I make, spending the amount of money on a car it should be an investment and well looked into!
Oh my. I can’t imagine not driving 🙂 Thanks for reading!
We desperately need a new vehicle, but alas, a new one is well out of our budget. We’ll have to go with second hand.
There are some great second hand cars out there!
First, let me say I love the Jeep Grand Cherokee! It’s one of my favorite SUV’s. Good choice! Lol. I enjoyed reading through this. All of your points were really good. I most agree with test driving a vehicle prior to purchase. For me, knowing that a car drives smooth and fits my level of comfort settles most of my uneasiness. Thanks for the tips!
I couldn’t agree more and I love my Jeep!! 🙂
I am so far from buying my first car but when it will happen, I need to remember that post coz I would have no clue otherwise! Buying a car is a big investment so we really need to know what we are getting into ! xx corinne
Nice article. I really learnt a lot from this post. I knew is was essential to make sure you take it for a test drive. But not to just drive it by yourself with the car salesman.
Buying something that huge is definitely nerve wracking! It’s great to go into it prepared and ready to make big decisions. This is a great checklist for people who are on that journey now!
Agreed! It’s major especially when it’s your first time! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
These are all great tips and tricks for someone looking to buy themselves a new car! My brother just bought a car recently — it’s too bad I didn’t see this article before he did.
Thank you! Have a lovely weekend! 🙂