7 Tips for Shopping Used Car Dealerships in West Palm Beach

When you’re shopping for used cars, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed. There are a lot of details to consider. Used car dealerships in West Palm Beach should be patient with you and help walk you through these details. When making any large purchase, it’s important for you to feel comfortable with it because you understand everything that goes into it.

1. Research Beforehand

Have an idea of what car you’re shopping for. Know what needs it must fulfill, whether it’s extra cargo space, room for more passengers, stellar performance, extra safety, etc. Also know what factors take a car out of consideration: mileage, condition, certain makers. This helps narrow down your selection, which allows you to be more precise in your search for the right car.

2. Know Your Real Budget

You might have your eye on the most perfect luxury car ever made in the history of this planet. Yet if you make minimum wage, or have bad credit, be aware of your budget limitations. A $100,000 car is out of your range if you make $12/hour. That’s OK – there are plenty of other exceptional used cars out there!

3. What Is Your Credit Score?

Know this going in. If you have a high credit score, you should be able to get good loan terms. If you have a low score, you can still make a purchase with reasonable terms. Just know that car dealerships make loans based on terms they know someone can realistically repay.

4. Do You Have Proof of Income?

Bring along pay stubs. This helps a car dealership understand your financial picture and your ability to pay back a loan. The more information a car dealership has about your financial picture, the more comfortable they’ll feel giving you a loan with favorable terms.

5. Have a Down Payment Budget

If you know exactly how much you can put down on the car, you have that much better of a negotiating position. Don’t exceed what you know you can put down and take a risk that you won’t be able to pay other bills. Keep your entire financial picture reasonable.

6. CARFAX Is Indispensable

CARFAX has made itself an indispensable resource for discovering information about the history of specific cars. This allows you to research individual cars for accident and repair history. This can inform you of a history that may take the car off your list, or that you can use to negotiate down the price.

7. Pre-Approved Financing

You can save time and stress at the used car dealerships in West Palm Beach when shopping for used cars by lining up financing beforehand. Many dealerships will have online resources that allow you to get pre-approved. This saves you time and makes car dealerships feel more comfortable – again because they know you have an ability to repay a loan.