So You've Just Bought Your Next Car: Now What?
So You've Just Bought Your Next Car: Now What?
Direct Steps To Take
Many people will take a potential used vehicle purchase to a mechanic to have it checked out before they buy, but often you can get an idea of the car’s issues without doing that. It will depend on your savvy, it will depend on the car. For many, the first point of order will be determining where future issues are on a car they’ve just purchased.
A “new” car may be “new” to you, but not to the road. Often a “new” car was picked up at a certified pre-owned dealer—a used car lot. Well, some of those places are less scrupulous than others. So for many, the first move is going to be having a mechanic check out the “new” vehicle to assure it is as it seemed to be when purchased.
From there, a few distinct steps need to be taken, we’ll follow through on them here to help direct your way. You may not have to take all these steps, but a few of them will be legally necessary in your area.
1. Get Insurance Immediately
It’s smart to get insurance the minute you drive off the dealer’s lot. Before you buy, figure out which insurance provider you’re going to go with. Then it’s just a matter of making a phone call to bind the insurance. You’ll need insurance in most states to get your tags anyway; so ASAP, get insurance on your new vehicle. This protects you and greases the bureaucracy wheels. And waiting saves nothing, the insurance coverage usually backdates to the purchase date on the paperwork.
2. Pay The Licensing Taxes To Get Your Tags
You’ll have temporary “dealer plates” for about sixty days, but it’s wiser to just bite the bullet and get new plates right off the bat if at all possible. This saves a lot of time and hassle. If you forget, and the plates lapse, you’ll likely get a ticket one way or another; your car may be impounded if theft is suspected. And again waiting saves nothing, the tags renewal date backdates to the purchase date on the paperwork.
Usually, it takes about 2-4 weeks for the dealer to mail you the title at a used car lot, so you might have to wait in any case. Get it done as fast as you can.
3. Fix Any Little Issues You Can, Or Any Big Ones Fast
Say there’s a mechanical issue that’s going to set you back a few grand, or you need new wiper blades, or new tires, or a new water pump, or a new radiator—get that done right away so you can group it in with the total cost of the new vehicle. That will maximize its use and hopefully minimize future hassles.
4. Trick It Out: Get Cellphone Mounts, Seat Covers, And More
With the “housekeeping” out of the way, you can protect the seats with stylish seat covers—that goes for the steering wheel as well. Buy a few air fresheners, get a cellphone mount, and maybe consider customizing your ride with some LED lights or something. Figure out what moves you.
Setting Your New Car Up To Go The Distance
Customization through seat covers and the like, fixing issues, getting your car tagged, and assuring it’s insured are all things you should do immediately after buying a car. Also, you may want to have a mechanic check it out after you drive off the lot to make sure you didn’t miss anything. For more tips on acquiring and maintaining vehicles, explore our blog at Anybody’s Autos!