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Three Quick Car Buying Tips for Single Women

Get our three quick car buying tips for single women that can help you do some planning before you hit the dealership.

Today we had the pleasure of speaking with Greg Turpin, owner of Omega Auto and Truck Center.  Many of Greg’s customers over the years are newly divorced women, and he was able to share some quick car buying tips for single women and those of you venturing out to buy a car for yourself for the first time.

  1. Consider reliability as the primary factor in what car you should buy. As you’ve entered this new independent chapter in your life, the last thing you want to be dealing with is a string of unpredictable occurrences with your vehicle. Selecting a car that you can count on is very important to your peace of mind, as well as your wallet. You can learn a ton about different makes and models of vehicles and their reliability ratings through Consumer Reports annual auto reliability brand rankings and J.D. Power’s U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study. Do a little homework and be sure to note the model, make and year of the vehicle(s) that you are most interested in so you can focus on those when you are being sold to later.
  2. Know all your numbers before you start choosing. Before you set your heart on a particular car, understand what your monthly budget is for your car payment as well as what percentage you have to put down from your assets. For a pre-owned vehicle, it would be typical to put down 10%. If you’re looking at a $20,000 car and don’t have $2,000 cash then it may make sense to look at a lower cost car. If you’re unsure about what the monthly payment for a car would be, you can consult with your local bank to find out what their going interest rates are to see what your payments would be and if they are in line with what you can afford.Remember, too, that if you are planning to finance your purchase with an auto loan through the dealership, they of course will be checking your credit to determine if you are a good borrower for them. If you’d like to check your credit prior to shopping for a car, you can do so for free through www.annualcreditreport.com. They will not provide your score but you will be able to see all of your credit accounts and if they are current.
  3. Consider getting an extended warranty. Once you have figured out what you can afford and what car you want to buy, research the cost and benefits of an extended warranty. This would be an important consideration if purchasing a pre-owned vehicle. Even if the vehicle is certified, something may pop up that needs to be addressed. Depending on the vehicle and its age, this may be a smart investment to make to protect yourself from unexpected expenses down the road.

We thank Greg for these super simple but essential car buying tips for single women. We’ve all hear stories about unscrupulous salespeople using what they believe is the inexperience of a single woman to slide things by the unlucky customers. Having these three foundational tips in one’s arsenal beforehand is helpful and puts the customer in a better, smarter position to make a smart, long lasting, affordable purchase.

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