Don't Get A Raw Deal On Your Next Car

This is a Partnered post.

When you’re a mother, you start to look at a lot of things differently, and the car you drive is one such thing. While you might have been able to choose based on just what looked good, felt safe, and fit in your garage previously, now you have to consider whether it can fit all your kids, packing all of your necessities for a family trip to Disneyland, as well as how it fits into the family budget. On that last point, you need to make sure that you’re not spending too much on any new (or used) car, and here are a few tips to help you do that.

Take it for a test drive

First things first, you should be able to get hands-on with the car to see how you like it. Sites like Progressive can give you a good idea of how to thoroughly test drive a car and what to pay attention to. Keep a checklist in mind and make sure it ticks all the boxes, ignoring the dealership employees if they’re in the car with you, distracting. Remember that they will be trying to sell you on the vehicle, likely during the entire trip, so you might need to block them out a little bit. Ask if you can have your mechanic take a look at the car before you make a decision to buy it, too, as you want a good idea of what you’re really paying for.

Do some research

Of course, while getting a good idea of the condition of the car itself is all well and good, you should have the right context for it as well. In particular, you should get an idea of what the car might cost in other places, as well as how it tends to perform and hold up over time, with sites like Edmunds that are able to offer plenty of information that you can take into account when making your decision. If the car is being sold cheaper by other deals and there’s no discernable reason for it, then you might want to avoid that dealer, as it seems likely they’re jacking the prices up in more ways than one.

Don’t get caught with the extras

One of the ways that dealers like to try and get a little extra money out of you is to try and get you to sign up for the extras that can come with the car. Things like rust-proofing, fabric protection, and paint protection might sound vital, but most cars already have properties to prevent these things from happening and, if it’s a used car, you don’t want to invest more into protecting the car than it is worth. Have an idea of what extras might be on offer, and make your decision as to whether or not you want them before the dealer offers them so that you can be firm in saying ‘no thanks.’

When you’re buying a car, you have to be sure to be vigilant. This might mean doing a little homework, but the tips above should make that much easier.