Picking the dealership is key to making the most out of your car buying experience. But if you haven’t got a clue what to look out for or how to find a good car dealership, here are a few tips to make sure you don’t fall into the clutches of a bad one.
Consider the inventory
While the range of selection is important—you wouldn’t want to make do with too few options that don’t really match your needs or fit into your budget—the quality of the cars on offer is even more important. So if the cars look like they’ve been out on the road for years, they very well may have been. Spare yourself from any future problems by going elsewhere, says US News.
Look for a shop
Check out if the dealership has its own garage. They’re more likely to provide a thorough inspection of your car. But make sure you ask about the qualifications of the staff before you decide on a sale. It pays to know if the people working on those cars have what it takes to get the job done.
Go for warranties
A good dealership will offer you long-term warranties. So be on the lookout for that. Some dealerships toss that in the bag, but only to comply with state laws. So check those warranty conditions. The longer the warranty, the better. Note down the attitude of the dealer here as well. If the dealer is proud to offer you the warranty, then they’re hardly offering it in a bid to satisfy state law. Pick that one.
Ask for the title
Always ask for the title. Be wary of a car dealership that make all sorts of excuses for not showing it to you. That could be a whole bag of trouble waiting for you so best to step wide of this one and shop elsewhere.
So don’t make the mistake of trusting the wrong dealer. Use these tips to help you find ones you can trust.
