Buying a Brand New Car in Australia

Buying your New Car

We help you understand the real costs of buying a brand new vehicle. So before making a purchase, use our calculator tools below to find out how much you might need to spend.

Buying a New Car Checklist: Things you need to know

Before you say yes to buying a shiny new car, here are few important things you need to know to help make the best out of your purchase.

Research your preferred model online

Before talking to a car dealer, you may need to do your homework on the car you want. You can find almost all important details online, such as the total price, car features, finance options or loan terms.

Doing research at home prior to talking to a car dealer lets you determine how much haggling room you have. Researching online also gives you a chance to quickly compare prices and loan deals instead of going around and talking to every car dealer.

Look out for an extra and hidden costs

A dealer may offer you extra features that are sometimes free, but most of the time will come with an extra cost. It can be helpful to consider whether you really need these extras or not to save you from spending more money than you originally planned to.

Some dealerships may offer you extra features, such as rustproofing, paint/vinyl protection, and warranty extension, but these could be a sales trick as most brand new cars already have these features to an extent.

Ask the right questions

Just like buying a house, buying a car is an expensive purchase. To ensure you are getting the best deal, you should ask the right questions about the price and the vehicle itself:

• how efficient is the fuel consumption?

• what features does the warranty cover and what can void it?

• am I provided with an emergency service and for how long?

• what are the terms and conditions of the car loan?

• can I do a test drive first?

Check for past customer reviews

This is probably one of the most important steps you should take before buying a new car. You can check for reviews of the car you want online, and nowadays there are plenty of reviews online from previous buyers about their experience with a certain vehicle.

Compare loan options

There are many car dealers out there that will give you a deal, so be ready to compare car loan options. It's good to read each car finance option presented to you and find one that is most suited to you depending on your financial status.