Wondering what to consider when buying a car in Kenya? We share with you 7 Factors to Consider When Buying a Car from a Dealer in Kenya in this article
When you are looking for a new car, there are many factors to consider. You may want to buy through a dealer who has the best price on the car you want. Or maybe you need financing and would like to go through an online company that will offer you competitive rates or cashback options. Regardless of what your preferences are, it is important that you do not rush into any decisions when buying a car from a dealer. In this article, you will find factors to consider when buying a car from a dealer in Kenya.
What to consider when buying a car in Kenya
Here is a summary of the list of factors to consider when buying a car in Kenya from a dealer:
- Assess your budget
- Financing options
- Choosing a dealer
- Compare prices
- Fuel consumption
- Maintenance
- Availability of spare parts
What to consider when buying a car in Kenya – detailed explanation
1. Assess Your Budget
Assessing your budget is the first factor to consider when buying a car from a dealer in Kenya. The budget will determine whether you will buy a new car from the dealer or opt for a used one. When assessing your budget, don’t forget to factor in other costs such as monthly instalments and initial down payments.
The best way to look at your car budget is to list down everything that you need in a car, then prioritize your needs. This will help narrow the search for the perfect fit without overspending on features you don’t really want or need. Moreover, budgeting will help you look at all your options and not just the most expensive or cheapest cars.
2. Financing Options
Different dealers offer different financing options that suit the specific needs of their customers. The most common types of car financing available at dealerships are loans with fixed rates and loan schemes that allow you to return the car in case of an emergency.
It is important for consumers to know what kind of financing options they qualify for before purchasing a vehicle, as this can determine your monthly instalments and whether or not you will be able to buy additional products like extended warranties. If you want to use bank financing, it’s necessary to know the easy way to get a car loan from a bank. Thus, the type of financing option you want may impact the car dealer to transact with.
3. Choosing a Dealer
Choosing a car dealer is an essential factor often overlooked by many Kenyans.
In most cases, this is the reason why many people are conned in car deals.
Many factors come into consideration when choosing a car dealer.
These are the factors that will ensure your safety and that of your money.
Factors to consider when choosing a car dealer
- How long they have been in business
- The quality of service they offer
- Their experience in the line of the business to transact with.
- Testimonials from friends and relatives concerning a dealer
What you can do is; search your desired car dealer on Google and read reviews about them before making any deals.
If possible, ask for referrals from family members or close friends who have ever bought cars before.
They should be able to share their experience with you and help narrow your search for the best dealership.
Do not fall victim to dealers who will do anything just to make a deal or those that promise unrealistic deals because once they have cheated on one customer, there is no stopping them from doing it again.
4. Compare Prices
It’s necessary to have car price knowledge when buying a car from a dealer.
You should not just rely on how much the dealer is offering.
You can always find out additional information from other dealerships by checking their websites or visiting them personally, especially if you are looking for a better deal.
Do thorough research and come up with an ideal price that would be suitable to both parties involved in the transaction before asking for any prices.
Negotiate the Price offered by the dealer.
The best thing is to ask for lower prices or better deals because they might not even know if their car has any flaws since they are too busy selling cars.
If you see something wrong with it, let them know before buying the car.
Comparing and negotiating car prices will save you money by buying a car at your ideal price. You will be able to get a car you will not regret having been conned.
5. Fuel Consumption
Cars have different fuel consumption rates based on the size of the engine.
The fuel consumption rate is measured in miles per gallon or litres per 100 km, so if you have a long commute to work on a daily basis, it will be better for you to buy a car with better gas mileage.
When it comes to fuel consumption, your family budget will play a key role in determining how much you have at hand to spend on fuel.
If you have a budget in mind for fuel consumption, the dealer will be able to help you figure out which car fits your price.
You should not buy a car and park it at home due to high fuel consumption rate.
6. Maintenance
The maintenance cost of all cars is proportional and there are no cheap or expensive ones when it comes to maintaining them.
The size and quality of parts used by manufacturers determines how much one has to spend to maintain a car.
However, the quality of service centres also matters when buying cars from dealerships.
The dealer should be able to guide you on where your new vehicle can get serviced after purchase even if it is far away since there are many good manufacturers’ authorized service centres in Nairobi.
When buying a car from a dealer in Kenya, it’s worth getting a car you are sure of maintaining it.
For example, it might be easy to buy a Prado Landcruiser but the challenge starts when you need to service it.
Failure to maintain a car will mean that you will incur costs that could have been avoided and this may not be worth it.
7. Availability of Spare Parts
You should know that your car will always need spare parts.
Tyres, mirrors, lights and other car parts will get worn out with time and need replacement. Thus, when buying a car from a dealer, you should ask yourself where you will be sourcing these spare parts.
If you are buying a new car, it might be worth checking the availability of spare parts in Kenya.
Some dealers may have arrangements with suppliers or manufacturers to ensure that they get their cars serviced through them so as to gain easy access to spares.
If you realize that it will be hard to get spare parts for the car, then consider looking for a different car.
In most cases, Toyota brands are relatively easy to find spare parts for.
What to consider when buying a car in Kenya- Final words
Buying a car from a dealer in Kenya should be an easy process if you understand what procedure to take.
However, if you are new to this, it might be a bit difficult.
You should never buy a car from a dealer if you don’t understand all aspects of buying a car. You may end up getting conned of your hard-earned money in the deal.
However, we believe that these factors to consider when buying a car from a dealer in Kenya are beneficial to you.
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