![]() ![]() At a certain point, upgrading is simply going to be a matter of need instead of choice.īut, hopefully, that won't be anytime soon. And our other family car, however reliable it may be, is old enough to vote. Repair or no repair, this car isn't getting any younger. The combination of a 0% intro APR card and a nice sign-up bonus means I won't have to deplete my emergency fund to cover the repair. I even managed to use some fancy financing in my favor. Instead, I headed back to my mechanic and humbly asked for that new transmission. I also wasn't going to plunk down an extra 30% over the car's value just to drive it off the lot. I didn't have another six weeks - or more - to wait for a car to arrive. ![]() I'd already wasted several weeks on my fruitless search for a new car. The monthly payment on that car loan would have been way outside my budget, which also has to cover auto insurance.Īnd that's after I waited at least six weeks for it to arrive before I could even test drive it. When all was said and done, a new car with a reasonable MSRP around $25,000 would have cost me $35,000 or more. One dealership was charging four grand for some nebulous "dealer package" that included tinted windows, floor mats - and some undefined "premium sales service." What even is that?! Hurry up and wait… to overpay me The highest? More than $10,000 on top of it.Īnd that was before looking at the ridiculous fees for "add-ons" that nobody needed or asked for. In the bygone days of full-to-bursting car lots, it wasn't hard to get a car at MSRP - or even less.ĭuring my search, the lowest prices I found were several grand above MSRP. This is the price the manufacturer considers fair for the vehicle. When a new car leaves the manufacturer, it comes with an MSRP, or manufacturer's suggested retail price. #Facebook marketplace cars fullAnd dealerships are taking full advantage of it. For the first time in ages, it is definitely a seller's market right now in the new car industry. When inventory is short and demand is high, the inevitable result is high prices. My other option was to go with an entirely different model or manufacturer, something less popular that they had on the lot. (And involve an overnight hotel stay and hours of driving.) But even that move would only shave a couple weeks off the process. I could potentially get a car faster - if I were willing to drive 300 miles to another dealer with better inventory. Plus, the only way to get on the waitlist was to give them a cash down payment - which I was told was maybe refundable if it turned out I didn't like the car when it arrived. The dealer didn't even have a similar model on the lot I could look at or test drive, so I'd be going on blind faith that I picked the right car. My local dealer told me it would probably take at least six weeks to get the car I wanted on the lot. The lack of inventory means there are waitlists. Chip and battery shortages mean it can take twice as long - or more - to get your hands on popular hybrid models and their gas-powered equivalents. What's more, the problem gets even worse if you're looking for a hybrid or electric vehicle. Inventory shortages are extensive, and the car lots that had been packed to the brim just a year ago are now housing a handful of cars at most. The first major hurdle I found to buying a new car was just getting my hands on one. ![]() More: Check out our picks for best car insurance companies Inventory is sparse Discover: Save money with one of these top-ranked car insurance companies ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |