The Big Question: What Car Is Right for Me?

Finding the Best Used Car For Sale Near You

Like many purchase decisions, things aren’t always straightforward and simple when it comes time to find the right car. There are many things to consider including costs, financing, curb appeal, practicality, size, fuel efficiency, and maintenance. Money matters factor heavily into the decision. What fits into one’s budget and financing considerations are major factors.

Working with a Budget

When buying a car in Independence, MO, the cost of the vehicle and how you’ll pay for it are usually the chief concerns. The first step is to determine what you can afford in the first place. This is, in no uncertain terms, a task involving soul-searching and doing an informal audit on one’s financial resources. It’s soul searching in the sense that you need to balance the car you want against the car that will work for your situation. It’s an informal audit of sorts in that there needs to be a determination of what you can comfortably pay for over time.

A few people have cash on hand and can simply decide what to spend. Since most people don’t fall into that category, let’s focus on financing.

Financing isn’t the monster it used to be. The convention of going to a bank or credit union separate from a dealership has been replaced by more user-friendly buy here pay here options. The used car buy here pay here model has become more and more popular. Generally, there is some level of cash upfront (for example, a down payment or trade-in) and a loan determination made on-site with a simple credit application.

At Auto Now, for example, in-house financing considers your ability to repay a loan—based on your monthly take-home pay. With flexible financing options, Auto Now can help people with no or poor credit get a vehicle to get them to work, school, and everywhere else. We want to help you, not judge you for your past credit mistakes.Normally, if you’re buying from a traditional used car dealership, you need to do some legwork on your own to determine how much you can afford to spend on a vehicle before you even step foot on the lot. With Auto Now, we also help you figure out your monthly payments and show you only cars you can afford to buy.

Which Used Car for Sale Near Me Should I Buy?

This decision can be a little complicated. It usually boils down to a determination between what is desired and what is practical. The common example is that a young family will have a tough time in a two-seat sports car. Then again, that minivan may be very practical, but also may be considered too boring.

The key is to find a friendly medium. Many opt for an SUV or a sporty sedan to find that middle ground. Others become multi-vehicle families. The choice is a hard one, and, together with financing, it is something that needs to be decided up front before you begin shopping.

Should I Buy Used or New?

This is another trade-off situation. Using the young family example again, one choice may be to buy a used luxury car versus a new and less expensive domestic brand. There are advantages to both.

You’ll get a higher-end car for the same price if you buy used, while a new car may be covered by a longer warranty.

Considerations such as long-term maintenance expenses, resale value, and model availability abound. However, most experts would say buying a used car is a smart choice financially, and if you buy from a buy here pay here dealership that automatically gives you a 24-month limited warranty—like Auto Now—you’ve covered all bases.

Practical Considerations

When finding the car that’s right, size matters. A single person has different needs to someone with a family or a lot of pets. A good frame of mind for this is to consider what it would be like to take a long road trip or move across town to a different home. A small sedan might meet your needs, as opposed to a large SUV. It is an important consideration that affects other major concerns, too, such as future fuel costs, ease of parking, or simply surviving that family vacation.

Long-Term Cost Considerations

Gas mileage is often first on people’s minds. Filling a car with gas is a constant reminder of one’s money going down the drain. Fuel costs are highly variable and downright scary in some cases. An oil embargo or a supply problem can send fuel costs through the roof overnight. The best solution is to be as fuel-efficient as possible. For some, that could mean an all-electric car, hybrid, or a smaller sedan. For others that need the space, a larger but still fuel-efficient vehicle is the best solution.

Besides fuel costs, you should be mindful of other long-term expenses such as vehicle maintenance. Routine maintenance such as oil changes, tire rotations, and fluid replacements are roughly the same from vehicle to vehicle. What is different is the maintenance costs for repairs and things like spare parts, depending on make, model, or age of the vehicle.

It’s less expensive to have a popular domestic car fixed than it is for a non-so-common luxury European car. That can be debated, but, generally, mechanics cater more to common models than they do to the rare ones.

The best thing to do is to research auto repair shops near you and go from there. It also may be helpful to check next time you’re in your local department store for common items such as wiper blade replacements and air filters to see what is readily available and what would need a special order. In general, foreign luxury cars and SUVs are less common, and there are fewer options for inexpensive consumable parts.

No matter how one slices it, buying a new car has many strings attached. The decision is not an easy one. The good news is that it has become easier with options like buy here pay here financing in Independence, MO but the decision still requires thought, planning, and a little research.

Instead of wasting time searching for “used cars for sale near me” or “used car dealership near me,” visit us at one of six conveniently located Auto Now lots in the Kansas City area. We can approve you for a car loan in as little as ten minutes and get you into your next vehicle before the day’s over.