So you have decided: you are buying a new car.
But where do you start? You drive past car dealerships everyday but which one is best for you? And which model of a specific make? The Internet is a great way to search for cars for sale and navigate between all the offers.
Africa has great car sale websites where you can compare prices, specs and find the best deal.
First, however you will have to choose: do you want to buy a new or used vehicle.
What do you need it for? Do you want a family car, a commercial vehicle or something fast and sporty for the weekend? Then how will you finance it? If you have enough money, buy the car cash.
This can streamline your budget and prevent getting locked into monthly payments.
But very few of us can afford this.
So look for the best finance option and make sure you can still afford it when interest rates go up.
Also be sure you get the best service plan.
Also be aware of the resale value of the type of car you are buying.
Many cars brands can devalue as much as 30% as soon as you leave the showroom.
This can be great if you want to buy a used car but if you put up the cars for sale sign it may be a very costly mistake to make.
According to the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa) recently released sales figures for November 2010 dealer sales accounted for 82.
2% of the total sales.
This shows a number of people are still selling their cars privately.
Be warned: if a deal is too good to be true, it probably is.
A great way to compare deals and the car you want is still the Internet.
You can surf for car and avoid all the bad pitfalls of the many cars for sale deals out there.