Guide and tips

Buying a new car

Buying a new car fulfils a dream for many people and is also a significant investment. This makes it all the more important to think this decision through carefully. We will tell you what you should look out for when buying a new car.

Zwei Personen sizten im Autohaus vor einem Schreibtisch eines Mitarbeiter und schütteln ihm die Hand

Preparing properly for buying a car saves time and money

To begin with, it is important to choose from the wide range of car models on offer to see which models are suitable and within your budget.

The convenient search masks of the major car portals on the Internet are a good place to start for an initial overview. You can then take a look at your preferred models and equipment packages on the manufacturers' websites.

Checklist for preparing to buy a new car

How much money do you want to spend? Have you set yourself a budget limit?
Do you want to buy, lease, finance or subscribe to the vehicle? Which form is best for you depends on many factors (income, mileage, holding period, age, ...), is individual and also depends on the conditions of the provider.
Do you want individual advice when buying a car or do you want to buy online?
Which drive do you favour? Electric, hybrid, petrol, diesel? Your choice should depend on your daily mileage, personal preference and also your living situation.
What do you prefer: front, rear or all-wheel drive?
Which extras are important to you? For example:
- Air conditioning
- Heated seats
- Navigation system
- Assistance systems

Create your own list of priorities.

Visit your local car dealer

Of course, you will receive the most competent advice from the authorised dealers of your preferred brand. The dealers know best about the different models, equipment variants and engine options. You can also get to know the car best during a test drive.

Ask your dealer about the delivery date for your desired vehicle. The dealer will know which equipment variants are likely to have particularly long delivery times.

By the way: If you choose complete equipment packages instead of selecting each optional extra individually, you will usually have the keys to your new car in your hands more quickly.

Checklist for the test drive

Legal matters

Be sure to clarify the legal modalities with the dealership before the test drive. Ask the salesperson for the test drive agreement and read it carefully before signing it.

Testing

Test the driving and braking behaviour as well as the manoeuvrability of the vehicle on motorways, country roads and in city traffic if possible.

First impression

What is your personal impression of the vehicle? Do you feel comfortable, is visibility good, can you reach the switches and controls, is the vehicle the right size, is the boot big enough?

Expectations

Do the engine, transmission and equipment of the test drive car match your configuration and does the car fulfil your expectations?

TÜV NORD tip

Before buying a new car, find out about current special offers from your regional car dealers. They often place adverts with attractive offers in the local press.

What discounts do car dealers offer?

In general, car dealerships have various options to accommodate potential buyers when it comes to price. Here is an overview of the most common options:

Trade-in
The old used car is traded in for a better price than the dealership would normally pay, as you are also buying your new car there.
Day registrations
The new car is registered by the dealer for at least one day so that the seller is the previous owner. He can therefore sell the car at a discount, even though the car has no or only a few kilometres on the clock. Of course, you can only get this discount on models that the dealer has in stock. Individual equipment elements cannot be ordered.
Discontinued models
If certain cars, such as last year's models, are to be sold as quickly as possible to make room for the new models, dealers are often prepared to offer you a particularly good price. In the case of discontinued models, however, it should be noted that the car often depreciates in value within a short period of time when resold.
Special models
Special models in limited editions often come with a special package of additional equipment such as a sat nav, hands-free system or similar. These are then not charged by the dealer as a new car discount, so to speak. However, this type of discount only makes sense if you wanted these extras anyway.
Special services
Regardless of the price you have already set, you can also ask whether you can get a free extra when buying a new car, such as an additional set of tyres or similar.

How to behave during a sales conversation

Make sure you look well-groomed and visit the dealership at a time of day when it is less busy. Then the salesperson can take more time for you. It is also important that you allow enough time for the car purchase. Ask for a concrete offer before you put your own asking price into play.

Avoid asking for a possible discount when other customers are in the neighbourhood. If you agree on the price, you can then ask for free extras, such as winter tyres or similar.

Tips for buying a new car

Imported cars at special prices

Buyers of imported vehicles can benefit from the lower prices in our neighbouring countries. However, it should be noted that the transfer to Germany and a possible conversion or individual approval by the TÜV will increase the purchase price again.

Buying a new car online

Of course, you can also buy your new car via an internet portal. Online exchanges such as Autoscout24 are ultimately nothing more than a place where many dealers from all over Germany offer their cars.

However, caution is advised with high discounts. Under no circumstances should you agree to pay any processing fees in advance.
You should be able to find all company details on the website of reputable dealers.
Furthermore, the seller must be available by telephone at the local rate.
The offer and the documents for the purchase transaction should be unambiguous and clearly formulated.

Checklist for taking delivery of a new vehicle

Does the car fully fulfil your order?
Have all or at least the most important functions been explained to you?
Have you received all keys and are you in possession of all documents? (e.g. handbook, registration)
Have you checked that the car has not been damaged during transport?
Are you aware of the warranty conditions and periods as well as your service contact at the dealership?