Teachable moments from the pandemic have been varied and numerous. One such lesson is that buying things, even big things, online is in some way becoming the norm.
Buying a car online might sound daunting, but there are lots of pros to it. For a start, you can do it from the comfort of your own sofa. Plus you don’t need to have awkward conversations with car dealers.
Below we’ll highlight everything you need to know about buying a car online. But step one in buying a new car is selling your old one. And before you do that you need to ask yourself one question. How much is my car worth? Answering this can determine how much money you have to spend on your next car.
How to buy a car online
With online purchasing and delivery becoming the new normal in all walks of life, it’s good to see more car manufacturers and dealers selling online.
The good news is that all car makers allow you to buy online. Different manufacturers have different systems, but by and large they’re all easy to navigate. Simply visit the manufacturer’s website and follow the instructions.
Independent companies offering used cars have been selling online for years too. These types of systems won’t usually allow you to configure a new car. But they’re super simple.
They work much like any kind of online used car advert you’ve seen. Except there’s a buy button. From there you can arrange finance and delivery and there’s nearly always someone to speak to on the phone.
What about a test drive?
There are undoubtedly many benefits to test driving a car before you buy, and discussing the nitty-gritty details of a vehicle with a dealer on the forecourt.
One way of picking the right car is by reading impartial and up-to-date reviews. Many people don’t even bother with a test drive now, especially if they’re choosing a new car.
Buying online doesn’t mean you can’t still test drive as many cars as you wish before you make your decision though.
Many manufacturers offer extended 24-48 hour test drives with the car delivered to your home so you can experience a brand that’s completely new to you without having to approach an unfamiliar showroom.
No haggling required
Buying online will show you the price of your new car with trade-in, cash, and finance options available. Some places even tout it as a ‘pre-haggled’ price.
For some car buyers, haggling on price can lead to a seemingly great deal. For others, lacking confidence when confronted with an extroverted dealer, not haggling can make you wonder if you paid over the odds. Having one simple price from the very start could remove this uncertainty over your true deal.
Removing the doubt around trade-in values, it’s possible to get bids from a range of buyers through services like Motorway. This takes away the uncertainty of whether the dealer’s hiding a bad deal in the price to change, and gives you the flexibility of seeing those trade prices yourself.
