Post Auto Show Shopping & Buying Strategies

Spring auto shows offer an unprecedented opportunity to view, compare and get up close and personal with a huge variety of vehicles all in one place. Whether you attended the show or not it’s a great time to take advantage of post-show opportunities as manufacturers and dealers pull out the stops with special programs and offers galore. In all the excitement, don’t forget to take a few minutes to put a buying plan together before you hit the dealerships. A solid plan will save you time, keep you focused and will go a long way toward helping you get the best possible deal. Check out these tips to help you put your winning strategy together.

1. Determine Your Non Negotiables. It may be a 5-star safety rating, a sunroof, leather seats, a great infotainment system, a specific level of fuel efficiency or a particular color – or all of those things. The key here is to decide what you will and won’t settle for in your new vehicle. Jot them down to help you remember to check for availability of those must-haves as you take a closer look at your top contenders.
2. Use CarSoup.com. You can do the majority of your preliminary shopping, comparing and pricing without leaving the comfort of your favorite chair. CarSoup.com provides tools to research and compare vehicles in great detail with comprehensive reviews about the vehicles you’re interested in and helpful tips for getting a great deal. You can drill down deep into the local market to find in-stock vehicles from the best local dealers. CarSoup.com can help facilitate connections to dealers in your market to discuss availability and pricing. Not only can CarSoup.com help you find exactly the vehicle you’re looking for, we can help you get a great deal from a dealership you’ll genuinely enjoy working with.
3. Compare Apples To Apples. There are quite a few vehicle classifications and some of them may be new since the last time you were in the market. Looks can be deceiving and these days it’s not always easy to tell a compact from a sub-compact or a CUV from an SUV but knowing what class a particular vehicle belongs to matters when it comes to comparing all aspects of vehicles from price and features to fuel economy and cargo space.
4. Make A Short List. There are a lot of great cars out there and while you might come away from the auto show thinking you’d be happy with any of several choices you’ll want to have things narrowed down to no more than 3 makes and models – two is even better – before you hit the dealerships. This will really help you avoid confusion along the way. Especially when it comes to test drive time.

No doubt you’ll add your own spin to these basic tips and we hope you’ll discover that a little preparation and a sound strategy will make the new car buying experience a ride you’ll really enjoy.