Your car buying decision process

[Tianmo]

limpeh have $$ limpeh buy!

 

next

 

 

limbeh have no $$$ limbeh also buy first!     

[Kopites]

Another hao Lian thread!,

[Tianmo]

This topic can be discussed 1,000 more times and you can be assured there would still be no answersto it. Buying car is a easy decision process if we follow our head, what car we need, purpose of the car, number of seats, budget , power, consumption etc. But the problem is a lot of time, we involve our heart, that is when all the complication will come in. Eg. I like this brand, i like that config, i like more power which i may not need etc. Next is if you involve your wife and girlfriend, then you and another dimension of complexity to your decision making. So it depends on whether you have a strong head or stronger heart. When your heart over rule your head , it spells trouble in decision making..

 

 

ok base on your thoughts, I think my head stronger than my heart. 

[Count-Bracula]

Shortlist the cars that meet budget, go to showroom test drive and then pay deposit on the car decided to buy. Buy car should be as simple as this right?! Lol.

I saw one documentary on China consumers. One young ah siah kiah walked in car showroom, sees the car he likes, paid and drove off. All within an hour.

 

I told my son, wah they buy car just like I go market buy meat and vege.

[Tianmo]

I see SE chio.

then I buy the car.

 

:)

 

I got a rule, my own rule actually. Big ticket items or important deals, I no deal with chiobu.     

[F355]

Aiyo buy car need to think one meh ?

 

I buy my current HOUSE make appointment with agent; cheque standby already, walk in view and within 15 minutes give offer , negotiate , then done deal on the spot .

 

 

[Pinobii]

so complicated de...no wonder i have been taking public transport for the last 11+ years

 

 

[Tianmo]

Ya Lor now your bank account fat fat hor, earn so much money, take public transport can save a lot of $$$

 

Y scare all your $$$ gone within a few secs huh...kekeke

 

I scare wait she want to follow me, very hard to reject you know.     

[mersaylee]

I got a rule, my own rule actually. Big ticket items or important deals, I no deal with chiobu.

marriage is also a deal...so how did it go for you?

[Benarsenal]

I think depends on situation ba.

 

For my first car, I had a set budget (not a lot. Just finished NS/studies and started working not long, plus back then COE sky high), but other than that not much requirements. All I wanted back then was an affordable car that I can drive for a fair amount of time. So therefore I decided I wanted a COE renewed Japanese car, as PARF value to me back then wasn't an issue. Being single and not much commitments also meant the sky's the limit more or less.

 

I has a shortlist of: First-gen Mazda MX-5 (really really wanted but over budget plus seller changed his mind halfway), 1992 Honda Prelude (looked good but internals condition chui. Wasted), 1998 Toyota Corolla (not bad but very basic inside), and 2001 Mitsubishi Lancer. The Lancer was the best condition of them all so that was what I went for.

 

For my current car (new) I went to test drive a lot of models, as much as I can. I tried to keep an open mind but ideally I wanted it to be reliable (so Japanese again) and relatively practical. In the end the final three shortlist was Prius (a bit more expensive but quite a lot of good stuff about it), Forte K3 (not bad but not super, above average choice) and Vezel/HR-V (very practical but too common). In the end went for the Prius. So far so good. 

 

I'm generally quite open-minded when it comes to these things. Personally I don't have many requirements since majority of the time I drive alone, so for me if I like it, then is ok already. A lot of these are intangible things that only you yourself will know when you experience driving the car, aka 'feel'.

 

Edited January 11, 2017 by Benarsenal

[RadX]

Err... this a a car forum, dun talk about car talk what??

 

Come to think of it, 99% of my posts here are non car related.... only when my car give problems or buying car then I read the car posts....

 

but seriously, it does help reading this forum before buying. I found out two pretty useful facts which I did not know one week ago. Cevs affect your parf and government might tweak diesel tax soon.

Haha your point valid. Yes learn a few things abt the car, etc, seeking opinions about the car

 

BUT there are others that still ask for the sake of soothing their egos... so those are really the WTF kind la

[BenTong]

Frankly speaking I not interested in process of individuals buy car la. Coz all those process depends on whether got Budget or not la.. I more interested to know, if they are second hand dealers here, when you buy my car.. how you value my car huh? What's your process.. how much above paper value huh? What's your margin huh?

Edited January 11, 2017 by BenTong

[Victor68]

Aiyo buy car need to think one meh ?

 

I buy my current HOUSE make appointment with agent; cheque standby already, walk in view and within 15 minutes give offer , negotiate , then done deal on the spot .

 

so you got this right? It is already out of production Just joking, no offense.

 

[Adrianli]

I saw one documentary on China consumers. One young ah siah kiah walked in car showroom, sees the car he likes, paid and drove off. All within an hour.

 

I told my son, wah they buy car just like I go market buy meat and vege.

 

Not only in China.

 

In all other parts of the world is like that one. If you watch Wheeler Dealers, can see Mike always give full cash offer and drive the car away on the spot. Be it in UK, Europe or US or in other parts of the world(Wheeler Dealers : Trading Up). He show you how to flip cars from a start of 5,000 pounds to finally a Ferrari.

[Watwheels]

i was just thinking, instead of  every now and then we see ppl asking this car or that car, why not we have a place to share all our buying decision process. Everyone has a different buying process, depending on priority. So share share here what is yours.

 

in fact its quite funny to see ppl copy and paste technical information, when sgcarmart has a function where we can compare 3-4 cars side by side. It even has a green tick to indicate which car has the best feature in that comparison.

 

I think a compile thread of a buying process may help some who have no idea what they want. But they want to buy.

 

What i use:

 

want/need recognition

 

I want to change car/I need to change car.

deadline.

My budget (fix range), any price below or above is out.

type of car

New or used

 

Information collection

 

searching the internal for information related to the range identified from step 1

short list 

 

Evaluation

 

test drive

feel the car

features and requirements.

final short list

 

Finally, negotiate and BUY the one you like most!

 

from 1000cc to 3500cc, from new cars to 9 yr old cars, there are at least a few hundred models to choose from. $90000 cash can buy you a brand new PRC made car in full cash, it can also buy you a used big conti car with a loan. Not to mention the inbetweens.

 

So have a buying process, it can help you save alot of time and headache.       

 

I think the main concern is still budget. If got buying power of course can talk about buying based on priorities.

Got money = got more choices

 

Needless to say with less budget the choices get very limited and making decision becomes tough becos too much to compromise. I think this is where ppl are having trouble to make a decision. COE price is high, time to change car is drawing near....panic. To buy or not to buy? Renew coe? Buy used? Downgrade?

 

 

Most likely many have to downgrade to what they used o be driving now....if they want to buy new. Buy used, a lot of issues to deal with, time consuming. Back when COE was low you notice less ppl ask what car to get. I think car dealers are having a tough time as well given the dwindling coe quota, car population stagnation.

 

Ppl only look forward to buying bigger better cars. With the same money now they have to make much compromise. They have become lost. Just look at the questions posted in the forum.

 

 

 

[Kusje]

I saw one documentary on China consumers. One young ah siah kiah walked in car showroom, sees the car he likes, paid and drove off. All within an hour.

 

I told my son, wah they buy car just like I go market buy meat and vege.

 

Not sure how the cars are priced in China but if SG cars were priced like in USA, think 90% of the forum here will also buy a car as if they are going to the market.

so complicated de...no wonder i have been taking public transport for the last 11+ years

 

 

[Kusje]

I got a rule, my own rule actually. Big ticket items or important deals, I no deal with chiobu.     

 

Chio or not got difference meh?

 

Free eye candy then see lor. But make decision still must use big head la.

[Soya]

Chio or not got difference meh?

 

Free eye candy then see lor. But make decision still must use big head la.

Coz his mind too distracted keep wondering when the buttons of the SE's often too tight blouse gonna pop...