Purchasing a vehicle, whether it’s the first time or 20^th time is, for lack of a better term, a big deal. This is a purchase that majorly impacts your finances and one that could really elevate your lifestyle (like moving from a worn out, older vehicle to your first new luxury car) or improve your current transportation situation (like upgrading from a Coupe to a Four-Door for more passenger room.)

If you want another perspective on going Mercedes when tech is a top priority, check out this post from Mama Challenge’s own Autumn Reo.

Either way, life happens, and you do not need something as important as a new car purchase to add any more stress. In fact, finding your new car should be easy and memorable. That’s where Park Place is committed to stepping in and helping shed light on the process as it is today to put you at ease.

Disclaimer: We do have quite a lot of information in this article, so feel free to scroll to the section that fits your immediate questions if you’re in a hurry!

GETTING STARTED

First and foremost, it’s important to know what you want so that our team can help find the best fit for your needs. So, let’s get you started on your car-buying journey.

A great starting point is always Google. Yes, we are completely serious. Google can help you first figure out what sort of vehicle or brands you’re interested in, see what area dealers are around, and allow you compare shop freely without committing to a specific location too soon. If you don’t know where to start your search, we recommend these three simple questions to ask yourself:

Why am I looking and why do I need a new (or pre-owned) car?
What are my must-haves (heated seats, interior fabric, exterior color etc.)?
What am I comfortable investing?

These three questions will really help drive your search and guide you through various pages of inventory on 3^rd party sites. Be sure to use the filters once you have some items identified, and narrow your search results. Our team at Park Place designed ParkPlace.com to be more than just an inventory hub, but also a go-to place for quality research where you can view information on brands, learn about the ownership experience, and then browse inventory that matches your criteria.

For example, this past year we created a page on Electric and Hybrid vehicles in response to the all-new, all-electric Jaguar I-PACE being released. Check out this Electric Vehicle hub we built out for the introduction of the All-New Jaguar I-PACE

LEASE VS. BUY

When deciding to lease or buy, there are two top-level points to keep in mind. We will provide a true compare/contrast of these options later on in this informative series.

Mileage: How many miles do you drive per month?

If you drive a good amount for work or for personal reasons, you should definitely estimate your monthly usage to ensure you aren’t at risk for going over your mileage at the end of your lease. Mile overages can be very costly when you turn in your vehicle at the end of your lease, and if you’re paying extra for extra miles it might be more cost-effective over time to simply purchase and not worry about miles traveled. Either way you are making some form of monthly payment towards a vehicle investment.

Now, there are differences in down-payment depending on leasing and buying which leads you to our initial point of determining what you are financially comfortable investing in a new or used auto.

Vehicle Customization

If you like to customize your vehicle with any 3^rd party parts or tune-ups, your vehicle will not be eligible to be turned back in at the end of your lease. Ask about manufacturer options and packages prior to purchasing/leasing to see if the manufacturer already creates or offers a spec similar to the tune-ups you want, that way you’re doing your homework in the event you want to lease and be able to turn your vehicle back into the dealer.

New, Pre-Owned, or Certified

At Park Place, we sell three different kinds of vehicles:

New Cars: At Park Place, these are the base manufacturers for each dealership. So Park Place Motorcars only sells new Mercedes-Benz vehicles and is a certified Mercedes-Benz service center. At Park Place Volvo, we sell new Volvo cars and are a certified service center for Volvo machines.

Pre-Owned: Park Place not only sells Pre-Owned Mercedes-Benz vehicles, but it’s important to look at all of their pre-owned inventory which can include other luxury brands or economy/non-luxury brands as well. You’ll get the Park Place experience, without having to commit to a new vehicle or lease necessarily.
Certified: Certified or Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) provide reassurance that a certified dealer has inspected, serviced, and restored to like-new condition an on-brand vehicle.

Whether New, Pre-Owned, or CPO the benefits, perks, and rewards remain the same at Park Place. This means that you do not need to buy new to be Park Place Preferred. That includes complimentary car washes, special discounts on services, parts and accessories, access to loaner vehicles when servicing, and exclusive offers from local retailers from food, floral, and experiential opportunities.

NEXT STEPS:

Now you’ve found something you like so it’s time to test drive. In our next article, we’ll briefly go over a few things to ask or look out for on your test drive depending on your driving habits and what the car will be used for. Until then, we invite you to subscribe to our YouTube Channel so you can get notifications whenever we do the test drive for you.

YouTube is actually a top-source for automotive content from how-tos to one-to-one comparisons and full vehicle walkarounds. There’s a wealth of videos that can help you experience the vehicles and technology you think you want in your next vehicle in case you can’t make it into the dealership quite yet.

Take the Mercedes-Benz A-Class or Volvo XC40 for example. Park Place produced a full-walkaround to show clients or potential clients the ins and outs of the newest vehicles from our array of luxury manufacturers.

Have any questions about the new car buying process you want us to address? Send us an email to social@10.2.54.33 and we will do our best to make car purchasing a seamless and approachable experience. #yourparkplace #carbuying101