For most of us, buying a car is one of the biggest spends we will make after purchasing a home. So invest spend some time, do some research and get the best outcome for you.

But what does that look like? And how do you make sure you don’t overpay for the car you want or worse, buy a car you did not want?

Don’t rush and don’t let someone else define your needs or timeline. Do your research, and have a plan, including a list of requirements, wants, a firm budget and a date you want to take delivery.

1. Which makes and their specific models to look at?

Start at the start. What makes are you interested in and which models do they sell that you like AND can fit your budget.

You might think you want a convertible…but, can you afford the extra cost and do you really need one during the hotter months in Queensland and with their notoriously smaller (or lack of) rear seats? If yes, that’s fine. But ask yourself the hard questions now, not when it gets about 30 degrees and the kids are trying to get into its tiny back seats.

2. What do you know about the brand…and what do others say?

Is it a reliable car that has a full network of dealerships to help, if you do have any issues, is there a good one locally. Not all brands are equal or have the same network or perks. Some of the newer electric brands coming out have a tiny footprint of dealers to represent them. Remember, you still have to service this thing regularly.

3. Is the car safe?

Okay, most new cars today qualify as safe, but there are still grades of safety to consider, as well as different types of technology to understand and make a call on. Thankfully, independent organisations such as ANCAP can help make sense of this complex subject. ANCAP will determine how the car you’re considering ranks in testing, stacks up to the competition – in terms of offered features – and how well the car protects children.

2. What does it cost to run?

Sometimes a car can soak up more of your ongoing finances than you’d like or can afford. Avoiding this is as simple as getting out the notebook and calculator to take a sweep of the car makers’ and insurers’ websites, where you’ll find all the data needed to rank your candidates’ fuel economy, service and insurance costs.

3. Do I really need those accessories?

You’ve sourced a basic deal and now you’re being tempted by a host of dealer-fitted accessories. While you probably won’t gain much shopping elsewhere for floor mats, headlight protectors and the like, the savings on big-dollar items like paint protection could be substantial in the aftermarket, so find out the going rate before finalising your decision with the dealer.

4. Am I paying too much?

To get a good price, you need to know what a good price is and there’s no quick answer when it comes to finding that out – it requires engaging multiple dealers in the deal-making process. Only then can you sift the good offers from the bad. Check out our informative article on how to negotiate a new-car deal.

5. What is the wait time?

Australia, after COVID. Inflation, social distancing and LONG waits for new cars. This issue only use to be a problem for the newest hero models, that everyone wanted. But today the extra biosecurity and seaborne freight issue have made this an important question. Ask it and get the answer in writing. When the car can be delivered changes a lot of other factors.

6. How am I going to pay for it?

Once, cash was king and it was how things were paid for…not any more. Now you need to choose an option that works for you. Just grab a calculator and/or use the many great online tools to figure out which option works best for you.

All the options have their good and bad points. Your circumstances will dictate which will be the most effective for you.Have a good idea about this before you sign up to buy any car!

7. Should I seek help from a car broker?

Car brokering is a service that organises to buys cars on their client’s behalf. Like a mortgage broker or insurance broker, a car broker acts as the middleman between the vendor and the buyer. In Queensland, the individual/or business must be Licenced Motor Dealers to represent clients buying or selling a vehicle.

Basically, they save you the hassle of having to go to multiple dealerships to get the best price. We do the whole negotiation process for you. Often we have a network of colleagues who work at different dealerships to lean on and normally have financiers, insurers, wholesale dealers that we know and more to contact to get the right deal.

For more information go to our Blog post on What is a car Broker?.

8. What am I doing with my old car?

You can obviously sell it privately, but during the process of finding you a new car most brokers will provide a trade-in price to buy your car as part of the deal.

You might only buy a car once every two, four, or 10 years, but by being able to answer these questions before you start serious talks, a lot of the later questions will answer themselves and you will have put yourself in a position, not just to get you what you need, but a little of what you want also.