Get the Best Bang for Your Buck with Auto Finance

Posted Sunday, Jul 30, 2023

When buying a used car at the dealership, customers are faced with two options, either paying in cash upfront or financing the vehicle over time. Since financing tends to increase the true cost of a vehicle, it pays to know how you can strike the best deals when buying a vehicle from a used car dealership.

First-Time Auto Buyer

Eligibility for a first-time automobile purchase loan is not often determined by age. While first-time automobile buyers are often young individuals aged 18 to 24, they can be older. A first-time automobile buyer may be a graduate student who put off buying a car until after graduation or someone new to the United States who hasn't built credit here. First-time buyers are considered to have no prior experience in buying a car, new or used, and have no credit history.

Know Your FICO Score

Before deciding whether or not to provide you with a vehicle loan, lenders will take a peek at the customer's credit history. Most will base their decision on a credit score, which is basically a snapshot of said credit history.

Surprisingly, few used car buyers know that a credit score is a number between 300 and 850 calculated using information from your credit reports. It's commonly referred to as a FICO score, although that's just one of several scoring models that are employed. In fact, the majority of customers have several credit scores based on information from the three major credit reporting providers such as Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax.

The scores that are obtained from the various models are typically close to one another, which makes the decision-making process easier for the lender. However, it is crucial for customers to learn more about their credit history in order to get the b best financing options for a used car.

The way used car dealerships offer auto financing may differ significantly, which means even those individuals with a poor credit scores are able to find used car dealerships providing auto financing for bad credit holders.

That being said, it is also important to be cautious when negotiating auto financing when you have bad credit since it could bump up the interest rate that you would otherwise have to pay for an auto loan. To be safe from scams and having to pay higher monthly payments, it’s best to find a reputable used car dealership that also offers auto financing options.

The Car’s Value

Some secondhand automobiles are more reasonably priced than others. Dealers, for example, tend to mark up the sticker price on their vehicles, but a private owner may overestimate the worth of their prized possession.

Before going automobile buying, do some research on the market worth of a car. You'll have a point of reference for fair market pricing after reviewing industry guides like Kelley Blue Book (KBB), and you can utilize the information to help you negotiate a reasonable bargain. To establish the genuine worth of any automobile you're seriously considering; you should also look at the vehicle history record (VHR), have a VIN check, and have the car examined by a technician.

Consider a Third-Party Inspection

If the auto dealer forbids you from driving the vehicle off the lot, perhaps owing to insurance restrictions, you could find a mobile inspection company that will come to the dealer. If that isn't an option, request that the dealer transport the vehicle to a facility of your choice for examination. If a dealer refuses to allow an independent examination, look for another dealer.

Request a written report from the mechanic, along with a pricing estimate for any necessary repairs. Make certain that the report contains the vehicle's make and VIN. Additionally, if a buyer decides to buy the car from the dealer after seeing the results of the inspection, you may use the estimated repair costs to haggle the price. Be Wary of Add-ons

Add-ons are optional items provided by the dealership, such as gap insurance or rustproofing. Add-ons may sometimes cost thousands of dollars and are only discussed at the conclusion of a grueling and time-consuming day at the dealership.

Additionally, dealers could attempt to include these and other add-ons in a deal without ever discussing them with you and without your knowledge or consent. Most vehicles may be purchased without any add-ons, while most add-ons can be purchased through independent vendors. If you want an add-on for the vehicle, make sure you obtain written answers on how much you'll spend for each add-on and what you are going to get.

Research Different Lenders

Many used-car purchasers do not consider finance until they arrive at the dealership's financing office. However, if you're seeking inexpensive vehicle loan rates, this isn't always considered to be the best approach. While the dealer financing may be attractive, they may not provide it for you until you have a preapproved offer against which they must compete.

Instead, you should explore lenders outside of the dealership and have a preapproved financing contract in place before entering the dealership. This also helps you to focus on the vehicle's purchase price rather than a confusing mix of the vehicle's price, finance, and any trade-in you are selling. Comparing options for auto financing from the used car dealership as well as third-party auto lenders is a great idea to make sure you get better auto financing.

 

The Internet Car Lot offers a plethora of options when it comes to used cars. Through the years, the dealership has garnered the respect of the community by offering customers a large inventory along with some incredible financing options. They are a trusted and leading used car dealership that’s located in two locations - Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Omaha, Nebraska.