New car accessories while very cool, can be very, very expensive. There will come a point where just getting the newest GPS or stereo can put you in a payment range that you cannot afford.
Here are a few steps that you can take to minimize the sticker-shock and get the options and accessories that you want.
1. Before you go to the dealership, make a list of the "Must Haves" for your new car. Also, make a list of things that you do not want. If you do not have a feel for these two things, you might end up with a car that you settled for instead of the car that you really want. Not to say that there will not be some give and take, but just have some definite deal-breakers as far as accessories go.
Here are a few steps that you can take to minimize the sticker-shock and get the options and accessories that you want.
1. Before you go to the dealership, make a list of the "Must Haves" for your new car. Also, make a list of things that you do not want. If you do not have a feel for these two things, you might end up with a car that you settled for instead of the car that you really want. Not to say that there will not be some give and take, but just have some definite deal-breakers as far as accessories go.
2. Know the real prices on new car accessories. Websites such as Edmunds and Kelly Blue Book will have information on the prices that the dealers pay for the different accessories and accessory packages. When you negotiate, knowing what the dealer pays for the particular option or accessory will give you a huge advantage.
3. Armed with the information in step 2 above - NEGOTIATE. Have a bottom-line price in mind of what you are willing to pay for each option. You will have to work a little harder with the salesman because they will just want to talk about the price for the "whole" car, but stick to your guns and it will be well worth it.
4. Realize that many of the new cars today come with option packages that cannot be broken up. So, in order to get the feature that you want, you might have to pay for something else that makes up the package. The only real way around this if you absolutely do not want the whole package is to special order the car from the dealer. This route is not recommended because it will take much longer to get the car and in the end, you might end up paying more for the car than you planned.
5. As with any negotiation, be ready to walk out if you do not get the price and options that you want. After all, you will be paying for the car - not the salesman.
6. As a last resort, you can just buy a stripped-down model and fill it with all of the accessories piece by piece, yourself. It will take a little longer and you will have to do a bunch of research, but it can surely be done.
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By Jeff McKinstry
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