No sleazy smiles. No clammy handshakes. No pal-like pats on the back connected to the epithet “Big Daddy.” No automotive dealerships. Online resources continue to revolutionize outmoded avenues of business, even the well traveled thoroughfare of car buying. Skeptics might balk at such a claim, insisting that the Internet consists of an equal share of snags and scams, and that the hassles of the dealership are being traded for the hassles of the Internet. Maybe that’s true; but think of the savings!
Buying a car online is not simply a matter of blindly clicking away until an invoice informs you of your tremendously well-priced purchase. There are most certainly pitfalls, hidden charges, option scams, and all the other ballyhoo associated with the decadal trip to the dealership. The chief benefit of employing online resources to locate new, cheap cars is the warehouse or networking approach to Internet sales. Well-established and frequented e-commerce companies can purchase new automobiles, direct from the manufacture, in bulk numbers which, in turn, drive down costs. Other websites (see, www.automotive.com) network with individual dealers to foster the most competitive bids for cheap new cars.
Getting a free price quote from a cheap new car website is surprisingly easy: Enter make, model, and zip code; fill in some routine specifics (method of payment, interior and exterior color, and the timeframe of purchase) and contact information (reputable websites should insist that all contact information provided is safe and secure); a networked dealer will subsequently make contact with the prospective buyer within hours on a regular business day to provide a price quote. By utilizing the informational capabilities of the Internet, consumers can readily eliminate the hassles of purchasing a new car and receive competing bids from accredited dealers and other mechanical merchants.
Saving your bucks, however, does not stop there; other Internet resources abound to aid consumers in their interminable search for cheap new cars. Prospective car buyers should visit both the Consumer Reports website (www.consumerreports.org) and the official Kelley Blue Book website (www.kbb.com) to get an idea of the reliability of an automobile, not to mention average prices from across the nation. Cheap new cars should not become dirt-cheap old clunkers in a matter of months. Accordingly, strictly informational websites (verify that the advice you receive from online resources concerning cheap new cars is actually unbiased) make sure that your penchant for thrift doesn’t leave you with a lemon.
One added bonus of the Kelley Blue Book website is the ability to scour the Internet for dealership incentives and rebates. Such a search yields the more profitable times to buy a specific vehicle. When navigating, implement all available search tools to discover a reliable, and yes, cheap new car.
It seems as though the opportunity for savings online is, indeed, a boundless frontier. E-commerce car dealers will continue to do brisk business as long as they are able to bring consumers great deals on wheels in a hassle-free format. And the days of scraping and clawing for an affordable car will be remembered with a sleazy smile. Go ahead and pat yourself on the back.
By Jean-Pierre Lacrampe