Now that you've decided you have the financial wherewithal to pursue a weekend fun toy, now what do you do? Well for starters you are in the right place.
Here is a four step process that will ensure you cover all the bases to find the best deal out there that delivers a great vehicle and lastly thousands of miles of fun driving. Remember, this is a weekend toy and it's purpose is pure pleasure.
Have you determined your budget? Once you determine the amount of money you have to allocate to this vehicle it makes it easier to figure out what you can get for that amount of money. Part of the budgeting process should include the cost of the vehicle as well as any repairs, upgrades or modifications you might need to make or want to make. Knowing what you will spend will also determine if you are paying with cash or financing the vehicle. You should note that if you are financing, the older vehicles typically have a higher interest rate than some of the new or slightly used models aka Certified Pre-Owned.
What type of vehicle are you looking for? This must be determined to allow for a more focused search. It's OK to not know which make and model but you should have an idea of the type of vehicle. As an example, are you looking for an open air driving experience therefore considering convertibles or are you looking to go off road, camping and winter skiing therefore in need of something a bit rugged and all wheel drive?
National search or regional/local? Regardless of the market you live in there may be advantages of looking outside the general area in which you live. While a place like Los Angeles may be the car capitol of the world buying in that market usually has a premium built in for any vehicle. Doing a search in a place like New York City will always have one wondering what type of beating the vehicle has taken because of those mean streets and harsh winters. At a minimum you should be aware of how many vehicles are available nationally because it will give you a good sense of how easy or difficult it will be to find the toy you are seeking. It's actually not as expensive as you think to ship a car and many of the luxury dealers have special rates with national carriers and in some cases you can negotiate shipping as part of your deal.
Once you find the vehicle you should always get it inspected from a reputable source. That source could be a speciality mechanic/garage for cars like Porsche, Ferrari, etc or an official dealership of the luxury marque you are considering.
Our subscription Buying Guide provides these types of insights. Should you decide to subscribe for any of the three options one of the first things we ask as part of the customization process is how much money are you looking to spend. What is your budget?
Once your budget is determined we pick the luxury vehicles within that range and you just enjoy our findings every month in the Buying Guide customized to your budget.