Your Car Personality + Tips For Picking A New Car
This post is sponsored by Edmunds.com. All opinions are my own.
What is your car personality? The end of summer brings last minute road trips for some, and car shopping for others. We are currently crossing our fingers that our cars last us through our last year of school, but are looking forward to making a car purchase in the near future. I was excited to take this Car Personality Quiz from Edmunds.com.
With words like practical, conventional, reliable, simple, thrifty, and comfortable, the quiz seems to have gotten my personality pretty spot on! And it took me less than a minute to take!
I am no expert when it comes to buying cars, but I have learned a thing or two along the way, and would love to help others avoid some of the mistakes I have made. Looking back these stories really make me laugh but at the time it was super stressful.
1. No matter how convincing that guy is selling you a car for half the price because it has a salvage title, unless you are prepared to spend another $1000 on repairs a week later, you should probably pass. My husband and I have learned the hard way that if a deal seems like it is too good to be true, it probably is.
2. Don’t rush. Try to avoid buying a new car because you have to have one that day/week. When we bought our SUV, we were in a pinch and really needed a new vehicle ASAP, because of this we might have been pushed into a deal that was not the best for us. The car has worked out great and we really do like it, but I feel like we got the runaround from the dealership. I would suggest always giving yourself plenty of time to think your purchase over. If you are not positive you want it, but are worried about it selling to someone else, another car will always come along, don’t feel pressured by time.
3. Did you know most mechanics will run diagnostics for you before you purchase a car. This is great if you decide to go with a private seller. Go ahead and run that car over during a test drive and have it checked for any problems that might not be obvious to you.
4. Do your research. There are so many websites and resources available to you, like Edmunds.com, that can help you really make an educated decision. Know what you are looking for, and how much you should be prepared to pay for it.
With Edmunds.com there is no reason why your next car purchase should not be well informed and less stressful. You can find their website here, and follow them on Facebook and Twitter. The most important thing is you find a car that is perfect for your family and keeps you safe on the open road!
Take the quiz! What is your car personality?
These are great tips! I currently don’t have a car payment and want to keep it that way for a while.
We just got a new vehicle this year. It was actually an easier decision over putting a ton of money and work into our previous one.
Edmunds has tons of great info, my Dad introduced me to them a long time ago!
We are starting a new car shopping trip lately. We need to get one for my hubby.
These are great tips. We will definitely keep these in mind next time we go car shopping. Thanks for sharing.
I am no frills. You have great tips here for a new car shopper!
I got the same result – the family nerdmobile LOL. I actually would prefer to just have a bike but sometimes I do need to drive a few places.
I just paid off my car last December, and plan to drive it as long as I can. I’m rather practical when it comes to cars. I care about good gas mileage and safety.
Buying a new car can be stressful. These are great tips!
I will actually be purchasing a new car in the next 6 months, these are great tips! I will definitely heed your warning and take my time when looking!
For around $100, there is no reason not to have a PPI done by your local mechanic. Can save you so much in the long run.
Great tips and I can totally relate… we bought a used car looked great, low milage and only one owner was a bit older no a big deal and we would have a paid off car.. well I traded THAT car within 4 weeks I spend more on repairs in those 4 weeks then I ever have.. SOO yes.. take your time, look around and if a deal sounds too good to be true.. sleep on it..
I don’t need a new ride just yet, thank goodness. I’m not a fan of car payments.
I really need to invest in a new car, but the payments… ugh!
I really need a new car, but I am trying to hold off as long as possible before getting one. I love not having a car payment.
I am currently saving for a new car! I am hoping not to have to finance one this time around.
Great tips. I had to go through this a little over a year when we had to switch from a mini van to a 12 passenger van because of our big family. The selections are very limited!
I felt the same way about our first car purchase from a dealership. It wasn’t very pleasant for us. I love the tip about the inspection!! Never would have thought to do that!
Thanks for all of the info, I’ll have to check out Edmunds. We’ve been looking at getting one of those 10-12 passenger vans for a few years now.
I think it’s safe to say that my car personality is “I don’t want to buy a new car because I am cheap.” LOL! I know, that’s totally cheating!
I’m a no-frills family mobile too! Edmunds is one of my favorite car buying resources, I love the feeback from experts and real consumers.
As soon as we save 15k we plan on buying a car. We have a good year of savings left to reach our goal.