The day after Thanksgiving is the number-one shopping day of the year. On Black Friday, you can score major deals on everything from appliances to accessories. Many shoppers wait all year for Black Friday sales, and it’s not unusual to see throngs of people lined up outside department stores, clothing stores, big-box stores like Target and Walmart, etc. in the wee hours of the morning on the day after Thanksgiving—waiting to be granted entrance and get a first look at the discounts on the products inside. The same can be said for those looking for deals on cars. Here are some tips for car shopping in San Diego on Black Friday.
Many drivers who are considering buying a new or used car in the near future find themselves wandering around this time of the year if Black Friday is a good day to buy their next vehicle. Do the major discounts that define the day after Thanksgiving extend to cars?
The short answer to that question is: Yes, many auto dealerships offer special deals and discounts on certain vehicles in honor of Black Friday. In fact, the number of car sales that occur on Black Friday have increased significantly over the past several years as more auto dealerships join the trend of offering deals and discounts on many models on their lots on the day after Thanksgiving.
If you’re in the market for a new or new-to-you car and are considering making your purchase on the day after Thanksgiving, here are 3 top tips for car shopping in San Diego on Black Friday.
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Consider Your Financing Choices
Very few drivers are able to shell out enough money at one time to pay off a new—or even used—car on Black Friday. Most drivers either get an auto loan that allows them to pay off their new car over a period of months or years or choose to lease their next vehicle instead.
Financing Options
If you’re planning to lease your new car, there’s really no reason to wait until Black Friday to begin your lease. Car dealerships calculate leases in complicated ways that make it virtually pointless finance-wise to brave a crowded auto dealership on the day after Thanksgiving.
The special deals and discounts that many auto dealerships offer on Black Friday will only help you out financially if you’re planning to pay off your vehicle through an auto loan or pay for it in its entirety upfront.
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Do Your Research
Salesmen at car dealerships know that most people who come to purchase a car on Black Friday are pretty set in their decision to walk out of the dealership with a car that very same day. This means that some car salesmen tend to be pushier when dealing with customers on Black Friday. Plus, car dealerships get so many customers on Black Friday that their salesmen are just very busy and likely want to serve as many customers as possible in as short an amount of time as possible.
That doesn’t necessarily mean that you shouldn’t buy a car on Black Friday. It just means that it’s important to do thorough research before you do purchase a vehicle on the day after Thanksgiving, so you can be sure that you’re actually getting the best possible deal.
Carefully review all terms and conditions of dealership ads and agreements that draw you in prior to Black Friday. Make sure that the special deals and discounts that are being advertised actually mean what they seem to mean and aren’t worded specifically to trick customers into thinking they’re getting a better deal than they really are.
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Take a Test Drive Pre-Thanksgiving
Taking the car you want to buy for a test drive before actually making your purchase is an important part of buying a vehicle in a responsible way. If you don’t test drive a car before you buy it, you won’t truly be able to know if that model is a car that you like to drive and that will serve you well on the road for years to come.
However, car dealerships are extremely busy and crowded on Black Friday. Therefore, it’s a good idea to schedule a test drive of the vehicle model you are interested in purchasing several days before you actually make your purchase on the day after Thanksgiving.
Taking an early test drive and asking the car salesmen with your questions about the model you’re driving before Black Friday can help you beat the crowds on the day after Thanksgiving while still being confident that the model you’re planning to buy is truly the right choice for you.
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