Some people consider car shopping to be a stressful experience, or at least not a very fun one. They dread having to go pick out a vehicle, talk to a salesperson, and complete paperwork.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Car shopping can be (and should be) a fun experience. After all, you’re spending a lot of your hard earned money on something you should enjoy. Why not enjoy the process too?
1. Get into the spirit
Before going out and looking for a car, get yourself into the automotive buying spirit. Buy some automotive magazines, take out your old matchbox collection, or put on an automotive t-shirt. Just like getting into the holiday spirit, getting into the automotive spirit can be fun.
2. Make a day out of it
Instead of showing up at a dealership after work, set aside a weekend or other day off to make it a more fun and relaxing experience. You’ll feel less pressure and stress and make it more of an event, sort of like going to an amusement park, except with cars.
3. Have your coffee and food first
Depending on who you work with, buying a car can be a fairly quick process these days. But it will definitely go by slower and be much less fun if you haven’t had your coffee (if you drink it) or breakfast/lunch/dinner first. Even if you’re not the kind of person who gets “hangry,” you’re not likely to have much fun picking out and buying your next car if your stomach is rumbling or if you keep dozing off because you haven’t had your caffeine yet.
4. Have fun on the test drive
Of course the test drive is when you get to see how comfortable you are driving the vehicle. But it doesn’t have to be just that. You should enjoy the drive. Put on your favorite music, ask the salesperson to point you towards a nice road and have some fun.
5. Buy something you want
You’ll probably be spending a significant amount of money on your next vehicle, so make sure you buy a car or truck that you really want. Of course your budget will dictate what you can and can’t afford to buy, but even then you should buy the vehicle that you both desire and can afford.
6. Don’t overthink it
Car buying can lose its fun when you overthink the entire process. It’s actually pretty simple. Work with a good salesperson, find something you like, and figure out how you’re going to pay for it. All of the other what if’s that go through our heads usually don’t matter and just make the experience less enjoyable than it should be.
7. Call me
This one is a bit self-promotional but if you want to make your next car buying experience more fun, give me a call. I love what I do and want you to have the best and most enjoyable experience possible when you’re buying your next car. And if you have any other automotive-related questions at all, please don’t hesitate to give me a call.
