Buying a car is like buying an ice cream cone. You might walk up to the ice cream truck already knowing what flavor you want, but the person at the counter still has questions for you. Do you want that ice cream to have some sprinkles on it, or maybe you’d like a candy coating? Also, would you be happier eating out of a cone or dish? Though you’re free to decline any and all extras, you might casually glance at someone else with all the fixings and wish you spent the extra quarters for the same treatment.
I may not sell frozen confectionaries, but I don’t want the same thing to happen to you when you buy a car.
Many car shoppers want to cut corners when purchasing a new car, but I’d recommend even the most frugal shoppers to consider optional extra features on their prospective vehicle. These optional features vary for each vehicle, but these include add-ons such as a sunroof, heated seats, blind-spot monitors, and more. These can run an extra $200 or more, which seems expensive until you consider the scope of a new car purchase. Over the course of a three-year payment plan, a $200 extra adds up to less than $6 per month. Not bad for something you’ll be enjoying for years!
Even if the thought of extra costs makes you squirm, you could easily consider car extras an investment. If you one day decide to sell your car, those extra features can easily increase its value on the market. Not only that, but extra features can also help future proof your car too! For example, you used to have to pay more for backup cameras, but now it’s a standard feature (and are actually mandated as of 2018). In other words, an older car with a backup camera will be more relevant for car buyers today, and the same could easily be true of other optional extras.
Speaking of backup cameras, I would always recommend car buyers strongly consider any features that would improve the safety of their cars. Blind-spot monitoring, forward-collision warning, and other similar features are there to save you from disaster. Even comfortable seats can help you focus less on squirming to get comfortable and more on what’s on the road. The money you can save by avoiding an accident is huge, but you can’t put a price on the precious cargo on board.
As great as extra features are, you might still want to pick and choose which ones are best for you. If you’d like a helping hand, give me a call or send me an email. Together, we’ll get you a car that’s more satisfying than a perfect ice cream cone.
