For a lot of people, buying a car is a full-out, long-term commitment. Before you decide to go for it, though, ask yourself this question: is it the right time to buy one?
Decide on a used or new car
A new car is going to cost you more but you get better road-ready performance and less problems. On the other hand, a used car can offer you great cost-savings, but might come with a few risks. Pick which one you want and go from there.
Use a calculator
Dealerships like the B.U. Bhandari Motors often have a handy feature on their sites: a calculator. You can use a Mercedes-Benz financial calculator to get an idea of how much you’ll end up paying for everything. Take advantage of this service. It makes it easy for you to do the math and calculate how much you’ll end up spending when you buy the car you want.
Assess your finances
Once you have a figure in mind, take a long, look at your finances. Be honest. If there isn’t any wiggle room in your monthly budget for those car payments, it might be a better idea to postpone that buying trip. The last thing you want is to be burdened by too many payments every month. If the figures from the Mercedes-Benz financial calculator check out, though, then you’re good to go.
Pick the right time
You want to get the best deal possible. That’s one reason to buy on a weekday, says Bankrate. There are less people around—they’re usually at work—so the dealers should be more receptive to haggling.
Decide on needs vs wants
New features typically sell at a much higher cost. If those features are on your “I want” instead of “I need” list, you could get a good deal on used Mercedes models too. By being flexible with your buying choices, you can end up with a better Benz model than you initially thought.
