5 Tips for First-Time Car Buyers

Owning a vehicle is a necessary part of life in Oklahoma. You’ll own several over the course of your life, and it’s helpful to make the best decision right out of the gate with your first car. Being a first-time anything can be stressful and overwhelming, but these six tips are sure to help you navigate through your first car-buying experience.

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Shop Around

As with just about every big-price item, you’ll want to look at your options. If you have less-than-perfect credit, you’re going to be looking at Buy Here Pay Here dealers. Make sure they are a reputable dealer, first and foremost – someone who’s honest and treats their customers (and potential customers) with respect.

Selection is also key. Most Buy Here Pay Here dealers offer base models in standard colors with little or no amenities. If this is what you’re looking for, great! If not, you’ll want to find a place that has a wide selection of high-quality used cars.

Integrity Auto Finance has a reputation for putting the customer first by treating them with honesty and respect. No bait-and-switch; no tricks of any kind. And Integrity stocks an unmatched variety of newer, nicer, top-quality cars, trucks and SUVs.

In fact, Integrity has the best selection of high-quality used trucks in the state of Oklahoma.

Consider Your Needs

You know what you want when you’re looking for your first vehicle to purchase, but it’s even more important to understand what it is that you need. For instance, you may want a 2014 Mustang convertible (which Integrity carries), but it wouldn’t exactly be practical for transporting your family. Balancing your wants with your needs and having reasonable expectations for how those will be met will help you immensely when deciding on which vehicle to purchase.

Budget Appropriately

After your initial down payment, all you have to worry about is making your monthly payments on your car loan, right? Wrong. It can be easy for a first-time buyer to overlook the additional costs associated with owning an automobile, including car insurance, fuel costs, routine maintenance, and general upkeep. The last thing you’ll want to do is get the vehicle you want, then realize in the first couple of months that you ultimately cannot afford it.

Always Test Drive

Don’t buy a car without “taking it around the block,” so to speak. Pay particular attention to how the car feels, how it sounds, and even how it smells. Do the power doors and locks work? The seat adjustment? Are you comfortable?

For more in-depth tips on how to get the most out of your test drive, check out our blog article on the topic.

Be Prepared to Walk Away

Even if you’ve never bought a vehicle before, you have surely heard of high-pressure sales people. That is a staple of the car business, in both new and used car sales. Buy Here Pay Here dealers have a particularly nasty reputation for being pushy. Find a dealer you can trust (see Shop Around above), and don’t let anyone talk you into buying a vehicle that you’re unsure about. Always be prepared to walk away and check out someplace else.

If you’re in the market to buy your first car, utilize these tips to take charge of the situation and get the most out of your first-time car-buying experience.