How to Buy a Car Online

These days, buying your car online can actually be better than the traditional ways of purchasing a vehicle. Now, don't get us wrong -- nothing compares to test driving a car, smelling its interiors, feeling the leather on your skin, and hearing the car’s engine rev up to life.

But what if we tell you that you can buy your best car at online car seller sites as well? You may not be aware of this, but choosing this option has more benefits than going the traditional route.

## Top 5 reasons to buy a car online:

1. You don't need to haggle, because you will always get the lowest price for brand new cars when you go online. When you like a particular model, you can ask your online car sellers to help you. What they’ll do is they’ll contact multiple dealerships and ask them to give their lowest price on the car model of your choice. Once they do, then your seller will choose the best one from the list.
2. You get what you really want in a car, because online car sellers have a much larger area of networks that they can go to. And they’re faster. One email can be sent to a thousand dealerships within seconds. Compare this to just going to one car dealer to buy your car.
3. You can easily work out the details online, such as extending warranties and third party financing before you decide to buy your car. First time car buyer programs are also available, so ask your online dealer about it.
4. You get to have more options without leaving the comfort of your home. In fact, this is more important if you're buying a second hand car in the Philippines. The more options you have, the better, and there are some great sites like Carmudi.com that offers new and second hand cars from all over the country. Just click the regions and price range you prefer and voila, you can now buy cars in that region.
5. More importantly, it saves time. Carmudi Philippines has a user-friendly site that allows you to type in your personal preferences, from your choice location, price, model -- to even the color, lifestyle, and mileage you want in a car. Talk about personalized service at its finest!

Now that you know the benefits, how do you buy a car online? It’s actually very simple – just follow some of these tips to get started:

## Research. Research. Research

Athletes train to prepare for their game; dancers stretch to prepare for their performance, and singers vocalize before a big concert.
Notice what we’re getting at? Preparation is always the key to doing something well, and for buying cars, the best way to prepare is to do your research.

Remember: the more you know, the better your chances of choosing the right car for you. Most car buyers overlook this one important rule--only to find out too late that the vehicle they bought did not fit their lifestyle (or even budget).

Apart from knowing the basics such as the brand, vehicle type and color, it's important that you know why you want to use your car and how you want to use it. Make sure that your house has ample garage space to place your vehicle in, and that it’s suited to the lifestyle that you currently have.
Once you've zeroed in your vehicle choice, learn more about it – specs, features, and everything else in between. It's also important to know what's most important to you in a vehicle. If you're the type who likes to scrimp on gas, check if your car choice has good fuel consumption rates. Do you plan to buy another car in the next 3 years? Then make sure your car has good resale value.

Carmudi offers a comprehensive, user-friendly site that gives you specialized information about each and every car model available in the Philippines. Everything is organized according to sections and categories, so it's easier for you to find the best car you're looking for. The best part? You can even personalize it according to your preferences.

Check that the online car seller is legitimate and trustworthy.
Not all online car sellers offer the best quality cars all the time. And sadly, not all ads posted on these car sites come from trusted people. Frauds crop up occasionally on these sites so it's best to filter out the ones you can trust.

At Carmudi, our ads are strictly monitored and screened by our Website Quality Control service before they are posted, so you’re of only dealing with verified sellers and high quality vehicles.

## Contact the seller by phone or email

Be proactive: make sure you do your own filtering process even if a site has already done it for you. We said this earlier, and we’re going to say this again: the more you know, the better your chances of choosing the right car for you. And the best way to do this is by asking questions.
What kinds of questions should you ask? Here are our suggestions:

### Brand new car buyers

Buying a brand new car is no joke. It can actually be one of the biggest financial decisions you will ever make, since (a) oftentimes, they cost more than second hand cars in the Philippines, and (b) it can be literally confusing to choose from among the good cars available in the Philippines.
Here are some important questions you should ask:

- Where is the nearest dealer and authorized repair shops to my home?
- What does your warranty cover?
- Are there any perks, like getting free maintenance or upgrades?
- Is that the best price offer / discount you can give?
- How much is this car after you include the fees and licensing?
- How long will I pay for the loan, and what is my interest rate?
- Has this car been used as a demo for other buyers?
- Has this car been damaged from shipping?
- Can you give me all the "mandatory" fees and "hidden" fees that I will have to pay?
- Can I test drive this car?

### Second hand car buyers

Buying second hand cars in the Philippines gives more leeway to bargain with the seller, although you have to accept that the vehicle you'll be buying is not as "perfect" compared to the brand new ones.
Here are some questions you should ask:

- How many mileages has this car used up?
- Apart from you, how many previous owners did this car have?
- What does its warranty cover?
- Can I test drive this car?
- Are you (the owner) a smoker or non-smoker?
- Do you keep your maintenance records?
- Where did you store your car? Inside or outside?
- Does this car have any exterior and interior damages before?
- Did you recently replace your car's tires, brakes, or other parts?
- What are some of the car features available?

Still need more help? Check out Carmudi’s blogs for more inspiration and tips, from buying your car to even surviving the hellish EDSA traffic. Have fun hunting for your perfect dream vehicle, and savor that first drive once you do!