Tidak pernah terpikirkan bahwa membeli mobil bisa sangat kompleks
sampai tiba saatnya aku dan suamiku harus membeli mobil di USA. Membeli mobil tidaklah semudah membeli mesin cuci, atau komputer. Membeli mobil menghabiskan uang yang tidak sedikit, biasanya minimal ratusan juta. Kalau kita tidak hati-hati dalam membeli mobil, uang yang kita dapatkan dari hasil jerih kerja kita akan terbuang percuma.

Membeli mobil berarti membeli value dari mobil yang bisa kita hargai, bisa membantu kita, dan tidak memberikan tekanan keuangan pada kita di masa depan. Bukan hanya saja dari tekanan keuangan, tetapi juga tekanan maintenance dan sebagainya.

Yang menjadi pelajaran bagiku pada saat membeli mobil di USA adalah bahwa walaupun penghasilan orang Amerika lebih tinggi dari rata-rata orang Indonesia, namun mereka juga sangat hati-hati dalam membeli mobil. Kebanyakan temanku di Indonesia tidak sehati-hati orang Amerika dalam membeli mobil. Orang Amerika melakukan banyak research terhadap mobil yang mau dibeli. Mereka mempelajari semua detail dari jenis mobil yang sekelas dari berbagai merek. Mereka mempelajari dealer mana yang memberikan harga terbaik, dealer mana yang memberikan pelayanan terbaik, dealer mana yang memberikan pelayanan credit peminjaman terbaik, garansi terbaik dari setiap mobil, maintenance mobil, dan depresiasi harga.

Perkembangan internet memudahkan pencarian semua informasi. Komentar-komentar customer pada mobil yang mereka beli, komentar terhadap dealer dari mana mereka dapatkan mobil, harga mobil yang saling bersaing antar dealer, spesifikasi dari mobil yang kita tertarik.
dan masih banyak informasi yang bisa kita dapatkan.

Untuk lebih jelasnya, mari kita lihat bagaimana dealer menghasilkan profit. Pertama sekali adalah bahwa mobil yang dijual mempunyai fasilitas basic, artinya mobil digunakan sebagai alat transportasi, untuk mengantar kita dari satu tempat ke tempat lain. Mobil dengan fasilitas basic umumnya jauh lebih murah, dan tentunya lebih sedikit
dealer menghasilkan profit dari mobil basic. Karenanya sangatlah pandai, dealer memberikan upgrade terhadap setiap mobilnya, mulai air conditioner (ini tentunya menjadi kebutuhan juga), radio, CD player, USB player, TV, door lock, kid safety, alarm, GPS, automaic key, extended warranty dan masih banyak lagi. Fasilitas-fasilitas ini menaikkan harga mobil lebih dari harga standar. Hal inilah yang memberikan banyak profit kepada dealer-dealer.

Setelah membeli mobil, Anda akan disibukkan dengan perawatan mobil.
Gunakanlah manual book Anda sebagai panduan Anda merawat mobil.
Karena jika tidak, pada saat Anda ke bengkel untuk mengganti oli, mereka akan menanyakan ‘Sudah berapa lama usia mobil Anda?’ Anda menjawab ‘3 tahun’, maka mereka merespon ‘Oh, sebaiknya Anda melakukan pemeriksaan basik yang dianjurkan manufacturer’
dan Anda menyetujuinya. Kemudian mereka akan kembali dan memberikan saran kepada Anda untuk mengganti ini dan itu yang belum waktunya. Dan Anda akan membayar lebih untuk
apa yang tidak perlu. Anda kehilangan uang dan mobil Anda mungkin akan lebih cepat aus, karena Anda mengganti sesuatu yang belum waktunya.

Mobil memang jelimet, karenanya Anda haruslah pintar-pintar untuk membeli, dan memberikan yang terbaik kepada mobil Anda.

My Experience to Buy A New Car

It is not easy to buy a new car. A car will spend your saving a lot and you will be attached to it after you buy one. There are so many type of cars out there. You need to find the right one for you since buying a car is your second biggest investment after buying a house.

In the United States,  we can buy a car online. We can choose 2 ways, traditional or conventional one and online one. We have to be grateful with the online car shopping method. It makes people can search the price of the car quicker and better and it forces the car dealerships to compete and do not play with the price.

Here is some steps that I learned from when we want to buy a new car.

1.  Do research online. Do your homework to research online. Find the best car for you. You need to consider about the price that mach with you. Find the best dealership that you can find in your area. Learn the feedback from each dealership : how they response to your car need, do they do haggle price, how is their service after sales, do they help you with the car loan.

2. Understand more about True Market Value (TMV). You can check TMV online. Many website provide TMV informaion for free. Learn about maintenance fee of the car, depreciation value of the car.

3. You already knew which car you want, what color, what year, and what options you want to have in your car. Now go to the dealership that you think this is the one that you want to buy a car from. Ask to the sales if they have the car that you want in their stock. If they have, you can ask for a schedule to do the test drive ! If they dont have, ask them when they will have it or you can try the same model if they have to know how it feels to drive that car. When you drive the car, you will feel if it is the right one for you or not.

4. Trade your old car. If you want to have only one car, than you have some options. First you can trade your car to the dealership, which means they will reduce the price for your car based on your old car value on the market. Second, you can sell your old car individually. You usually can get the better price. But it means you will spend more time and effort to advertise and fine the person who wants to buy your car with the price you want. Trade your old car to the car dealership seems easier.

5. Negotiate, negotiate and negotiate. Negotiate with your car dealership. Negotiate about the interest if you want to lease your car, negotiate with the price, and negotiate for the bonus ! Ask for free math, ask for free oil change in the first year, etc. The key to know that the car dealership doesnt do haggle price is they get the price directly from the computer, without doing any calculation.

6. Close the deal. If you find the deal is fine with you. You should close it. Ask them for a paper about all the deal that you both agree. Read that paper, sign it.

7. Inspecting. Before you take your new car from the dealer, please do inspection to your car. Your dealership will clean the car for you and prepare the car for you after you close the deal. After they finish, you should check that. Since after you leave the dealership, the car become your responsibility.

8. How to pay your car ? You need to learn which option is the best for you. To lease or to buy a car. Which one is the best ? It depends on every certain condition. It depends on your priority. And it depends on your financial situation.