We understand that buying a car might be one of the few large purchases you make in your lifetime, other than a house. That is why we wrote this with all the knowledge we have to assist you in making a better judgement on what to ask yourself in order to make the best purchase you can on the available options out there.
Rearing to go with your new drive around town but just a tad bit hesitant about the kind of drift that suits you best? Well, fret not and hustle thoroughly with this 5 top questions that will see you setting the soar behind the wheels.
1) What’s your purpose of buying a new car?
Buying a new car is more than just the common everyday thought that its only a form of transport to get you going from Point A to Point B.
To avoid making a regretful purchase ending up that the new car purchase does not serve your purpose right, first you need to know WHY.
There are so many reasons and questions that you’ll need to ask yourself.
- Is it an upgrade because you’re running out of space with new family members?
- Is it because your old vehicle is now out or warranty and running into problems where maintaining it can be much more expensive than getting a new one?
- Is it because you recently got promoted and want an upgrade to a better brand for your career purposes that helps boost your image and confidence?
- Is it a second car for your other half to fetch the kids and go around town hence a smaller car might be a good decision for easier parking, etc?
- Is it because you now have a job that requires you to travel far and spend most of the time on the road where you’ll want a car with better safety features and in-car entertainment?
These are the few questions that you’ll probably need to run through and know best for yourself on why you need a new car purchase.
Knowing the purpose will help you scope down to a certain category based on the type of vehicles that are offered in the market such as a hatchback, family sedan, SUV, MPV, a fast car for your weekend drives or even a luxury limousine to be chauffeured.
Now that you’ve scope down to the type of vehicle, you’ll want to know your budget and financial capability. The same category of car that serves the same functionality, such as The Honda CRV and a BMW X5 both comes with ample cabin space for your family, high ground clearance for those that has a more active lifestyle to take it off road, will differ in price of a range of more than MYR 200,000.
For a rough estimation of the monthly installments, you can always use our car-loan calculator at leemotors.com.my
2) Product Life Cycle ?
Maybe you’ve heard from a uncle in a kopitiam that a particular brand is the best amongst the best, or perhaps your best friend claims the car he owns could easily beat the rest. Put those butt-feeling and ego talks away, here’s something that you will need to consider and understand before letting your feelings decide for you.
Product life cycle:
Most car models (Not Every!) have an average lifespan of 5 to 6 years before an all new replacement model hits the market. Not smart to be buying it one week before an all new model launches eh? But wait, It isn’t that bad sometimes if you get a clearance deal on the particular model phasing out, and if getting the latest model in the market isn’t one of your top concern, a generous discount that will help to ease your financial stresses might just be the deal perfect for you. Agree? It all scopes down to what your sole purpose is of getting a new car, and also your financial budget which you are comfortable in investing in a car.
3) Warranty, Sustainability, Durability – What’s in it?
There is a recent shift in cars being offered today in the market. If you are aware, almost every brand is now downsizing their engines, turbocharging it or marrying a combustion engine with a hybrid battery to boost fuel efficiency while not compromising higher horsepower & torque output.
Same goes to the value added functions on your in-car infotainment such as Tyre pressure monitor , engine oil temperature readings, Engine oil level monitor, digital reminder of service maintenance schedule and even G-force Meter. What does this mean? Cars today are packed with electronic sensors more than any cars made in previous decades! ever!
With more complications and technologies in cars today, the warranty package that comes with it should be among your top priorities to consider when purchasing a car. Warranties serves like an insurance to cover any of your cost if anything goes wrong with your vehicle in that protected period of time. Fortunately, a lot of brands now are offering up to 5 Years warranty with no limitations on the mileage you cover in your cars. The 3 brands that are in our dealership portfolio, Honda, BMW and Volkswagen do come with 5 years unlimited mileage warranties.
Do take note that brands from the same price range doesn’t necessarily offers the same warranty package, even if it falls under premium level. For example Mercedes Malaysia does not offer the same 5 years unlimited mileage package that BMW Malaysia offers. Same goes to Japanese automakers, although falling under the same pricing category, brands like Mazda Malaysia and certain models from Toyota does not offer the same identical 5 Years Unlimited warranty coverage like Honda Malaysia.
So you ought to bear all this in mind before any hasty decision making.
4) Is it better if i walk straight into a showroom or buy it through a broker?
It has been a culture in malaysia, especially in the car industry where purchasers will get a middle man to approach car dealerships believing that they might get a better deal out of it, probably with a paradox thinking that because these brokers know a particular sales advisor better.
Getting a middle-man(broker) means higher limitations for any car dealerships to give you a better deal or promotion when there is one; because there is an extra cost incurred as dealerships are definitely being asked to pay these brokers commission or referral fees. Think about it, these fees and broker payouts can be a part of the discount or deal that you’re about to get.
In an internet era like today, telephone numbers, addresses and websites are easily obtained from search engines and social media platforms. Online enquiries straight to the dealership doesnt cost a single cent, or even better, walk in to a showroom yourself, We are pretty sure our sales advisors are eagerly waiting to help you with any questions, both about financing and technical specifications of the cars. Don’t Be shy!
5) When to go for a test drive once you find yourself ready?
It is always best to give yourself ample time after a satisfactory spec study rather than diving straight into a test drive that is normally a result of sales persuasion. Akin to any other industrious purchases like a property, you can always exercise your rights as a customer and stay in contact with the sales person.
This gives you the opportunity to keep looking out for the car that suits your taste and ultimately — personality. Once you have a clearer idea of your dream drive and proper consultations, soak in the wisdom and pick a weekend to spoil yourself silly on sunny weekend test-drives. You can always book a test drive in advance at leemotors.com.my on any of our brands, and we can even arrange to bring the car to you if you have a tight schedule, anywhere in Alor Setar,Sungai Petani or even Kangar. A few of our brands cover Perlis too. So Fret not, we have you covered.
If you have any financial questions regarding car loans, trade-in values for your used car, or simply regarding the latest promotions we currently offer, do not hesitate to visit any of our showrooms in the Kedah and Perlis region.
Or, simply get in touch with us online on our facebook page, instagram,or hit us with the enquiry form on www.leemotors.com.my.
Above all, choose wisely and drive hard! Because Life’s too short to be driving boring cars.
Best Regards,
J Lee