When Is It Better to Buy a Used Car in Kansas City, MO?
Are you searching for a used car in Kansas City? There are so many dealerships and private party websites to choose from, so how do you decide where to buy a used car in Missouri?
First, start by identifying who you are buying the car for and what it will be used for, then compare purchasing used to buying new. Finally, research depreciation values of the models you are interested in.
Of course, you’ll need to pony up some cash first, and once you determine how much money you have to spend on a vehicle, many questions will answer themselves.
Buy a Used Car in Kansas City
To kick things off, let’s talk about why you might buy a used car in Kansas City. While buying new cars may seem enticing, there are many sound reasons behind purchasing from a used car dealership instead.
According to the National Automobile Dealers Association, it is estimated that the average consumer owns 13 vehicles throughout his or her lifetime. If each of those cars were bought as used instead of new, then the consumer could stand to save as much as $130,000. Further, buying used instead of new will save you money on registration, taxes, auto depreciation, and helps to fetch cheaper insurance rates. Particularly if you’re a younger driver, the cost of insurance is markedly lower for a used car than a brand new one.
So, take the following tips and go forth and consider used vs. new. (You can even shop and compare right in your living room on your laptop or smartphone on the Auto Now website.)
- Set your budget. Decide how much you have to work with and where the money is coming from before even looking at your first car. Consider buy here pay here financing from a used car dealership if you need help qualifying for a car loan.
- Choose the right car. Pick the make, model, and year of a vehicle based on your needs.
- Do your research on this particular model.
- Choose a car that’s less likely to break down, one that is still covered under a manufacturer’s warranty, or one that comes with a dealer warranty.
- Check the vehicle history. Use the car’s VIN to check out its history online (or ask the salesperson to do it).
- Take it on a test drive. Decide if the car is a good fit by driving it. Check the tires. Take it out on the highway.
- Get the best price. Use the information you’ve gathered in your car search to agree to a fair price. Use the internet. The Kelley Blue Book (KBB) is an excellent resource for pricing used cars.
Auto Depreciation and Used vs. New
Don’t get us wrong, there is nothing quite like the smell of a new car or the feeling of a driving off the lot in a car no one else has driven before. There’s just one thing—that pesky little economic model called auto depreciation. And there is no way of getting around it. It is going to suck money right out of your wallet the second you drive your shiny new toy off the lot.
One website even estimates that a $30,000 new car will lose approximately $6,000 in value as you drive it away. And, by the end of the first year, that new ride may have depreciated by as much as 30 percent. Three years later, your car may have lost up to half its initial value. And you might even still be making payments on it.
Let’s say you buy the same car as the $30,000 new one, except it is three years old when you first buy it. If you buy it at, say, $15,000, then three years later you could still potentially sell it for $10,000. That way, your auto depreciation only costs you about $5,000.
Top-Rated Kansas City Used Car Dealers
Auto Now at 79th and Wornall in Kansas City, MO is one of the best used car dealerships in the state. One of the chief differences at Auto Now is the focus on getting everyone into a fantastic car that they can afford. To facilitate this, we offer buy here pay here financing, so we don’t need to follow strict (and usually unwarranted) rules from a third-party lender.
Instead of choosing a dealership that offers to find you financing from a select number of providers, come see us at Auto Now at 79th and Wornall in Kansas City, MO and we’ll put our money where our mouth is by offering you financing ourselves. Other dealerships will offer you financing that benefits them—they’ll get commission from certain lenders so they’re incentivized to offer you financing from providers that might not give you the best rate. Auto Now handles the financing in-house so the deal you get will be sure to impress.
Because Auto Now doesn’t rely on banks to finance your vehicle, it is able to offer you financing even if you don’t have a good credit rating. In fact, Auto Now won’t run a credit check, as we don’t believe it’s a good way to tell whether someone will be able to afford to repay a loan. Instead, we care about whether you have a current income and base the amount we’re able to offer you in financing on your monthly net salary.
Buying a used car in Kansas City is clearly the smart option, saving you thousands and thousands of dollars over the price of a new car. You’ll save on the initial price, in depreciation, in the cost of insurance—the list goes on. Double down on smart choices by choosing Auto Now for your car financing and you’ll get the best deal available—a top used vehicle at a fantastic price even if your credit rating has taken a knock in the past.
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