“When I went to buy my first car, I already knew what car I wanted and had already done my research. So I knew the value of the car that I was trying to buy before I even got to the dealership. I ended up getting a great deal from a reputable, no-haggle dealership that treated me right. It’s been nearly 17 years, I still have the car, and I have spent a minimal amount of money on maintenance.
Despite being more than happy with the experience overall, there are a few things I would do differently. First and foremost, I would have looked into getting pre-approved for a loan prior to going to the dealer. The dealer financing was fair, but that is not always the case and I needed a cosigner to get a decent annual percentage rate (APR).
Also, knowing what I know now, I would not have bought the extended warranty. On average, most cars will last over eight years without the need for major service work. My first car was five years old at the time of purchase, and it was well paid for by the time it needed a major component replaced. I bought another car from the same dealer years later, this time with pre-approved financing and no extended warranty.
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