Tips to help you buy a car at the best price

There are car selling tactics that no car dealer wants to reveal to you.

To be able to buy a car at a good price, you should follow these 5 tips.

1. Do your research before going to the car dealership.

Do your research on the car you want to buy before you walk into the dealership, including all the car's options, price, color, engine specs, and even the size of the cabin and interior.

If you show that you know more than the salesperson does (many car salespeople are new, or have to sell multiple cars at once and can't remember every specific feature of each car), you immediately have an advantage.

Along with knowledge, confidence is the key to any successful negotiation. Keep your head up, ask for a cup of coffee, and be comfortable talking to the salesperson.

2. Negotiate directly with the manager instead of the salesperson

The sales staff in the dealership is just the intermediary between the customer and the dealer floor manager. If possible, you should ask to meet directly with the manager because this is the person who can quickly decide on discounts without wasting much of your time.

They are also the ones who provide more useful information if you intend to buy another car in the future.

3. Don't buy additional warranty packages

Extended warranties are one of the most profitable items for auto dealers because they make money from maintenance, wear and tear, and other warranties.

Most cars come with a standard warranty and you rarely, if ever, need to use the extended warranty.

Meanwhile, most dealers charge between $2,000 and $5,000 for each warranty package, or they may even discount these warranty packages to convince customers to buy more. Therefore, do not be tempted by these warranty package discounts because it only benefits the dealers.

4. Don't get bogged down in extra options or features

Add-ons are what dealers make money on. Most options, like Bluetooth and sunroofs, come standard on every car.

However, some additional features such as cooled seats or heated steering wheels are often very expensive and rarely used, so do not let the dealer "trick" you with features that you do not need.

Many automakers and dealers offer big discounts on models with few options because they are in lower demand. You should consider these models if you want the lowest possible price.

5. Always pay less than you can afford

During your first conversation, dealership staff will always ask you about the price you can afford for your car. This is the easiest way for the salesperson to find out your needs and steer you in a direction that is beneficial to them.

One of the best strategies for you in this situation is to answer vaguely, for example:

- I need the lowest price you can give.

- What is the best price for this model right now?

- Let me check your prices first, then I will consider with my budget.

In this case, if you state the amount you are willing to pay for the car, the salesperson will most likely steer you towards that price. If you are forced to state a price, it is wise to find an ad and tell the salesperson a figure 10% to 20% lower than the advertised price.

According to Zing