These days we talked to you about the market situation and we gave you some tips that, in our opinion, are important for anyone thinking of buying a new car, either immediately, or within a period of weeks, or months. See 3 tips for buying a car this month. For some time now we have been talking about a very interesting option for anyone looking for a new car, that of stock cars, and in recent months we have talked more than ever about it, due to the situation that has led to the entry into force of a new approval cycle, of the Japan Motors Ltd. Yes, it is a good time to buy stock cars.
But it is also to follow these 5 tips to buy cars from stock and at a good price, this month.
1. Now, and always, be interested in stock cars
As we have been telling you for a long time, stock cars have many advantages. The first, and most important, that can usually be achieved at a more adjusted price, and it is easier to negotiate discounts with the dealer. Stock cars are completely new units, which do not require a factory order and, unlike kilometer zero, they have not been registered at any time. Another advantage of stock cars is that they do not require a factory order and, therefore, delivery can be made in a matter of days, or some week, without waiting for several months. These days we find, on the other hand, that brands and dealers accumulate a stock greater than the usual that they have yet to liquidate.
2. If you finance, as always, makes numbers
Like any other new car, the biggest discounts and offers in stock cars will be obtained by financing the purchase. The majority of customers who buy a new car in Japan opt for this option, that of financing, and it is also the requirement of the majority of commercial offers that you can see in advertising on the internet, in the paper press and in television and radio. It is important, as always, to make numbers and keep in mind that financing the purchase of a car involves having to carry other expenses, such as interest, and the opening of financing, which will make the actual price we pay for the car greater.
As we said, stock cars are usually obtained at more competitive prices. In any case, the margins with which the dealers work are limited and we can aspire to some discount, perhaps to include some free accessory, but we should not make false hopes and expect huge chollazos. We must think that a good part of the profit margins that the concessionaire will obtain with this operation will be derived from financing our purchase.
3. Rate what you are willing to compromise
Buying a stock car implies that we will have to accept a car with a certain configuration. Therefore, it is important that we value the pros and cons of a stock car, against a factory order, and consider what we are willing to compromise. For example, if we attach great importance to the personalization, or the choice of rare body color, or a line of equipment that goes out of the ordinary, we may have to discard the purchase of a stock car or opt for the order to the factory.
In your purchase decision process you should be willing to assess at what points you could yield, if you would accept a different body color to the one you like so much, or if you are clear that you want a specific engine, with a certain power, or you could conform to a less powerful engine if with this you get a significant savings in the purchase.
4. Make a list of the minimum essential equipment of your car
You have to keep in mind that stock cars, as we said before, have been configured with a combination of color, engine and certain equipment. And that many elements of equipment can only be configured at the factory, and we cannot add them afterward.
It is especially important to bear in mind that many driving aids, and safety elements, can only be configured at the factory and we will not be able to add them afterward. The same happens with some entertainment systems, such as a larger touch screen, and comfort.
Other items, such as tires, can be replaced later or you can even ask the dealer for a different tire in the purchase, paying the price difference, or considering it a point to take into account in our negotiation of the purchase.
5. Consider the year the model was presented
Sometimes we find that some brands have accumulated stock cars in models that have stopped being commercialized or are going to stop being commercialized. If you do not mind not buying the latest model, be the latest, buy a discontinued car can be a really good option, for the significant discount you can get. Even so, we would recommend requesting two budgets, one with the discontinued stock car and the other with a comparable unit, with similar engine and equipment, of the newly launched model, or soon to reach the dealers. And from there to consider which option we prefer, if the cheapest, that of the discontinued car, or we are willing to pay more for the latest model.
It is also important to remember that with each generational change, and in general terms, a car always improves in aspects such as safety, technology, refinement and the equipment with which we can configure it.