Tips for buying a new car
Buying a new car is overwhelming. It’s all you need to know before stepping into the dealership.
At the Paris Auto Show many years ago, I met a fellow car scribe from Quebec. We became quick friends when I spoke to him using the little French I remembered in high school and he observed. Blue flowers. ”
I smiled and said politely.”Merci“I looked into it later. It’s a French idiom to translate into “blue flowers,” meaning someone who is sentimental and overly romantic. It’s also a variety of potatoes, but I think he means that as the former.
Last week, me Blue flowers Nature was overdrive as I considered buying a new car.
There were all practical reasons why I didn’t buy it. I recently wrote an article about cars where consumers can get trades at pre-duty prices, and the vehicles I was paying attention to were not on the list. I also own a 2020 Mini Cooper Clubman without paying, with just 33,897 miles. My cousin had explained it in detail just five months ago. It was beautiful and drove wonderfully.
Finally, as we were wobbling at the edge of chaos, I was worried about the economy. Do you really need to pay for the car?
Then there was mine Blue flowers Personality that resisted the idea of letting go of my car: all memories tied it together. I felt an excruciating sense of betrayal for this little car that was safely transported home from St. Joseph, Michigan last fall. A few years ago I was hugging my dog Jesse in the back seat of my last car ride to the vet and took me to the hospital to hold my mother when I passed away last summer. There were times when I was happy. I brought my beloved German shepherd dog, Scarlett, home from a friend for the animal in the Metro Detroit Shelter in this car a year ago.
But when I sat inside the new 2025 mini-countryman and the seats started massaging my back – well, hell Blue flowers! Spoiler alert: A white compatriot of sparkling new pearls with retro tan interiors (and their massage sheets) is sitting in my garage as I write this.
Do I like that? I don’t really know yet. See the above paragraph. What remains the regret of the buyer during the excitement of driving something new. But I had a reason to buy it (beyond the massage sheet). If you are considering a new vehicle, here is how I made the decision:
Phone calls cause curiosity
It all started with a call from a mini dealer and said I needed a used car and wanted to make an offer to me at Clubman in 2020. Curiosity got my best. I drove the car value with Kelly Blue’s books, Carmax and Calvana. I managed to get at least $17,000 or more for the Clubman.
I remember the day I got that Clubman: July 23, 2020. It was a demo model sold on the dealer’s website that was tested. It was a cream colour called pepper white. It had a black interior and hundreds of miles inside. I liked it the moment I hit the throttle. It was my favorite of the seven cars I owned as an adult.
But my clubman is small and the Mini is no longer making that model. I would like to have a larger vehicle with more space to carry both the thing and my two big dogs. Still, I wanted a car that was still driving like a mini. Countrymen fit the bill.
I own other brands, including domestic (my father led the union organization at Burrows in the 1960s and served as the local Vice President of the UAW), and I thought of them. I’ve seen electric cars too, but I’m not ready for it due to lack of charging infrastructure. So after all my research, the mini-countryman was my favorite ride.
Pros and Cons
But first I contacted a colleague from the Free Press in Detroit (part of the USA Today Network). We contacted automotive review columnist Mark Phelan and personal finance columnist Susan Tompor. I wanted to take on the vehicle (he gave it with a thumbs up), and take Tomru if it would be better to buy or lease it. Neither of them recommends not keeping your car payments.
So I called my financial advisor. He assured me that he could afford a new car, even if it was in a recession, given that there were few other bills. If I lease, he said he would never beat over $3,000 because he would not collect the money even if he added the car. He said he proposed to sell Clubman for $17,000 and leasing a new vehicle that had been reduced by $3,000, then investing a $14,000 balance in a measure protected from market volatility. He said it could grow to $20,000 over the next few years. I liked that idea.
I conclude: Get a new car now or hold my car at least 4-5 years after the chaos around the tariffs settle down, we will overcome the possibility of a recession. The advantage of keeping it is that you don’t pay for the car. The downside is that new brakes, all new run-flat tires, and more, ultimately expensive work. Given that it is my only car, having it in the store would be a huge inconvenience beyond financial costs. It is also expected that the cost of repairs for automobiles will rise as imported parts are expected to be subject to customs duties. Finally, since I often drive solos, reliable transport is a safe necessity.
The advantage of buying a new vehicle is reliable transport with all the maintenance and mechanical issues paid at the factory, including more rooms, new amenities my car didn’t have, free roadside assistance and towing if necessary. Disadvantages: Car payments.
I called the dealer to schedule a look. After all, I justified, it’s a useful study for my work.
I just say no
The real art of trading is simple: being able to walk away. There were many benefits to keeping my car so I could say “no” to my new car and didn’t feel any regrets. That’s what I did. My first offer to buy my car was $16,000, a mediocre discount on my purchase or lease plan.
Plus, after my first test drive I got a Carsick. I don’t know if the vehicles I tested were not lined up properly or if I was worried about the whole experience, so it was from my nerves, perhaps it was something I ate earlier in the day, or the fact that I was on the edge of the cold tail on my head. Whatever the cause, I got out of the car, washed away and vomited.
The next day, the salesman called. He said they could make a better offer to me. I was firmly restrained: I still like my car and got a higher offer from Kelly Blue’s books, Carbana, Carmax, so if they don’t offer any more in my deal, I said. He asked me to come back. Promising to try and get more me for my car, we drove other cars to see if they made me feel bad or if it was a one-off.
So I went back. At this point, you’re probably thinking: OK, Jamie, you may not need a new car, but you obviously want it or you won’t be coming back. That’s exactly Ivan Drury, director of insights at car buying site edmunds.com when I consulted him.
I interview a lot. He is an expert when it comes to car buying. So his advice was: If you’re going to get a new car, now is the time to find it at pre-Turfy price. However, take your time to check:
- Choose the car you absolutely want so that you will be happy with it for many years.
- Get a detailed pricing spreadsheet that includes manufacturers’ recommended retail prices, rates and taxes, discounts or incentives, financial fees and other terms.
- For leases, you must have all of the above and all of the vehicle’s residual values when the lease is finished.
- The dealer’s maths are confusing, so take your spreadsheet home to study.
My dealer formed the transaction from MSRP after taxes and fees, deducting the incentives and down payment. So, math is to look at the total that you are actually paying to the car at the end of your lease or loan.
By using car shopping sites such as Edmunds.com, Kelley Blue Book, and Cargurus, you can make the vehicle transparent about its average transaction price, lease fees and financing agreements and assess whether it has received a good offer. Also, different states have different lease rules, so if you see an ad saying your vehicle is leasing “a $1,000 down for just $299 per month,” the transaction may not apply to the state you live in.
Final decision
The salesman was patient and transparent. He responded to detailed spreadsheet requests and was able to spend some time driving several different countrymen’s cars. I also thought of a mini 4-door hardtop car.
I didn’t get a Carsick this time. I found it fun to drive both models. They each contain most of the same features, and the two I saw were close in price. Countryman costs $42,000 and $39,000 for a four-door hardtop.
A 4-door hardtop car is fun to drive. It’s sporty and fast. It’s a traditional mini in its best condition. The countryman is big and solid with a smooth, luxurious ride, but retains the speed and agility of the mini. I liked being a country worker and being a little more expensive. It also has all-wheel drive and front-wheel drive, so I wish I had an AWD in the past.
The Mini also uses regular tires on both vehicles, rather than the expensive Replace run-flat tires found in Clubman. However, the Countryman includes spare tires, and the four-door hardtop only offers a kit that patches flat.
So when I decided what to do: I chose to trade with a Clubman, but instead of waiting a few years, I was able to get a trade with a new vehicle, risking the repairs to the car, then a lower trade-in and more expensive new one.
I chose what I would get because of the larger space to travel with my dog, a higher stance and a spare tire vs patch kit.
However, I wasn’t doing anything to cost the price, but I still believed it was too expensive. This time the general manager called me. I emphasized that the dealer will make money from me in the service lane as the dealer is paid by the manufacturer under warranty and maintenance plans. I told him what I wanted to pay and I was ready to leave. But we signed a contract.
I decided to lease a $14,000 balance from the sale of the car and invest it.
Start a new chapter
When I returned to the dealership to do countryman delivery a few days later, I quickly found out I had to pay for the car, which made me feel a little sick. My parents grew up in Great Repression and took over me the habits of practicality and frugality that I felt betrayed.
I was easily overwhelmed Blue flowers When I was forced to hand over the keys to my loyal Pepper white pepper of five years. However, when I entered the showroom, Nanuq White had a new friend and was tagged with “Jamie’s New Mini.”
I signed the paperwork and headed home knowing whether I would start worrying about paying for my car or overly nostalgic memories of my previous car. I always take a deep breath, touch the button and get a massage.
Jamie L. Larrow is a senior Autos writer covering Ford Motor Company for the Detroit Free Press. Please contact Jamie at jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @Jarouan. Sign up for our car newsletter. Become a subscriber.
