Buying a new car? Keep these 5 things in mind

 Buying a new car? Keep these 5 things in mind

Buying a car is a special process in India. We have specifically used the word 'process' here to signify that it takes a lot of time and effort and a huge amount of investment to bring home a new car. This process involves several stages and on many occasions, buyers are unable to make an informed decision regarding one of them. To assist them and ensure that they have a smooth drive throughout, we enumerate five points which should be kept in mind during the car-buying journey.

1. What type of car do you need?

First and foremost, decide what type of car you need. This should be based on your budget, family size, driving habits, etc. Decide whether you need a hatchback (WagonR, Tiago, Grand i10 Nios, Swift, Altroz, i20 and Baleno, among others), sedan (Dzire, Aura, Amaze, City, Verna, Ciaz, etc), SUV (Punch, upcoming Exter, Brezza, Nexon, Venue, Creta, Seltos, Grand Vitara, Safari, XUV700, Fortuner, etc) or MPV (Triber, Ertiga, XL6, Carens, Innova Crysta, Innova Hycross, etc).

2. Getting the right deal!

After selecting a car, visit multiple dealerships where it is available. Say you zero in on the i20, reach out to three-four Hyundai dealerships to get the best possible deal. Every dealership will offer something extra. There is no harm in asking the salesperson for better offers and additional discounts.

Check on the road (OTR) price of the car. This includes the car's price, registration cost, road tax, insurance, FASTag and other charges.

Dealerships add the cost of accessories to OTR as well. If you want to get something removed, do it now.

3. Booking the car

The next step is to book the car. Be very careful now. Whatever the dealership has promised to provide you as a complimentary with the car, get it mentioned on the booking receipt. This is very important. If the complimentary products are not mentioned on the booking receipt, the dealership might decline to install them in your car at the time of delivery.

One more thing. Check the booking cancellation amount. It is mentioned on the booking receipt. In case you decide to cancel the booking, you should know how much money the dealership will return.

4. Making the purchase

When your car arrives at the dealership, do a thorough pre-delivery inspection (PDI). Remember the car is yet to be registered in your name. This is also your chance to find out whether there are any blemishes or damage to your car, as once it goes for registration, nothing can be done.

At the PDI stage, you also have the power to reject the vehicle and cancel your booking. The dealership is bound to give you a refund.

If you are not satisfied with the insurance policy, you can always request a change of the policy provider. You can even get the insurance done independently.

5. The big day - delivery!

This is a time-consuming process and might take even three hours, depending on the rush on that particular day at the dealership.

In certain states, driving with a temporary number is deemed illegal. Make sure to check on the local laws. Ensure that the dealer hands you all the payment receipts and other documents in the original.

Also, check if the car has the mandatory spare wheel along with the manufacturer-provided tool kit at the time of delivery. However, if your vehicle is running on run-flat tyres, the manufacturer might not provide a spare or might just offer a space-saver wheel.