How to Shop at a Used Car Dealership in Hobart, Indiana
Aug 6, 2022
Looking for a used car dealership? Hobart, Indiana has quite a few dealerships that serve customers in the Chicago area. However, it’s hard to decide which one to put your faith in when you’re overwhelmed with choices.
If you feel intimidated or otherwise unsure about shopping at a used car dealer, then you should take a few moments to educate yourself. In this article, we’ll tell you:
How to prepare for buying a used car.
What to look out for at a used car dealership.
Best practices for taking a test drive.
What To Do Before Going To The Dealership
If you just show up at a dealership without doing any research beforehand, you’re going to be lost. Even worse, some salespeople will immediately realize it and decide to neglect you. Not every dealer is that harsh, but you should realize that it’s to your advantage to do some research ahead of time.
Therefore, you should spend at least a few hours considering your needs and wants. Then, you’ll have a better idea of what you’ll get out of your next car.
Is Buying A Used Car Right For You?
You could still be in the process of deciding between new and used cars. Everybody wants a shiny new car, but they usually come at an unreasonable premium. The resale value drops the moment you drive that new car off the lot.
Aside from price considerations, you should also understand why you’re getting a discount – someone has used the car before. You should be comfortable with that. Of course, any used car dealer worth their salt will have already cleaned up the interior. Moreover, they’ll have inspected the car to ensure that it’s reliable for use.
Take Stock of Your Needs
Do you already have a car? If so, what do you use it for currently? That will usually dictate what type of car you need. Think about your family, your hobbies, and your general lifestyle. You won’t want a sedan if you like to take your family camping.
You might also be in search of a used car because you’re getting ready for a major event in your life – like a new job or a new kid. You can still take what you liked about your previous vehicle and apply that criteria in your quest for a new one. But you might also consider getting better miles per gallon if you have a longer commute, or finding more space to accommodate your growing family.
Once you’ve clarified some of your needs, you can begin writing down a list of cars that you’d like to try. Don’t be afraid to make a long list. After all, you’ll still have some research to do afterward.
Read The Reviews
Now, you can work your way down the shortlist of cars and read the reviews. One of the best parts about buying used is that most cars already have known issues. There will be lots of customer reviews and professional reviews available. So you have plenty of information to make a decision. Narrow the list of cars down to 1 to 3 that you might like to take a look at when you get to the dealership.
Customer Reviews
After a few years in circulation, you’ll find a whole host of customer reviews for your ideal car. You might have to sift through some garbage, but you’ll find a boatload (or a truckload) of thoughtful, detailed reviews on sites like cars.com.
The best part about these reviews is that they tend to be more honest than professional ones. Not to mention, someone who has driven their car every day for the past 5 years knows a little more than some writer who took the car for a few test drives.
Professional Reviews
Professional reviews could include consumer reports, newspaper articles, and several other sources. The writers do this for a living, so they know what to look for. You might appreciate the polish of these reviews because they tend to stick to a set of criteria that allows you to make quick comparisons between different cars.
How To Choose A Dealership
Armed with the names of a couple of cars you’d like to try, you can begin finding a dealer in your area that sells them. Many people mistrust used car dealers, but at the very least, it’s better to buy from them than it is to buy from a private seller. Indeed, buying from private sellers is even more of a gamble than buying from any dealership. They won’t be able to offer you sophisticated financing options either.
To minimize the risk of visiting a bad dealer, you’ll need to do a lot of research in this phase as well.
Find A Dealer With Cars You Like
You won’t visit a dealer that doesn’t sell the car you want. End of story. However, you might have an easier time finding that Honda civic if you choose to go to a certified pre-owned Honda dealer.
Look For Financing Options
Some dealers offer more financing options than others. If you’re like most buyers, you won’t be able to purchase a vehicle outright. But in many cases, your credit history could land you in trouble when you try to find financing for the vehicle you need.
Look for a car dealer that has a reputation for flexibility in this regard. No dealer will stretch you beyond your limit, but they can certainly employ a crack accounting team to find terms that work for you. If necessary, some dealers let you do a trade-in.
Read Customer Reviews
Once again, customer reviews are the lynchpin of your selection process. Instead of being swayed by slick-talking online advertisements, head to Google or other review sites to find out the real story.
The same advice from before applies. Look for detailed reviews and even reviews that give less than 5 stars. No dealer is perfect, but you can anticipate problems from there. A common red flag is when people say that they were rushed into buying. Aside from that, you might want to consider how long the review was written after buying, and whether the reviewer is a repeat buyer.
How Long Have They Been In Business?
Most dealers go out of business within a few years of opening. This is usually because they struggle to build up a good reputation and don’t have many repeat customers. It’s hard to place faith in a dealer that doesn’t have much of any reputation to fall back on. Let someone else hunt for deals at those places.
What To Do When You Get To The Dealership
When you get to the dealership, you’ll probably have a salesperson greet you. Again, they shouldn’t try to pressure you; expect to be treated with respect. You’ll be able to tell that the dealer doesn’t care about you if they show you lots of cars in a short time. After all, it doesn’t make sense to look at so many cars when you’re there to make a critical, in-depth decision.
On the other end of the spectrum, it’s a bit disconcerting when the salesperson is overly flattering. They should still be realistic.
You don’t need to buy a car the first time that you’re at the dealership. Instead, you might use your first visit to the dealership for research. Then, you could take a test drive the next time.
How Much Time To Spend At The Dealership
Car dealerships aren’t for casual browsing. Expect to spend roughly 2 to 4 hours at the dealership especially if you’re looking to make a purchase, and especially if you’re not the only one there. When you factor in the time it takes to take a look at more than one car, go on a test drive, and fill out paperwork, you’ll realize that you’d be fortunate to get in and out of the dealership after 2 hours.
Therefore, you should block out time for this exercise. You might even need to take a day off work. Not to mention, if you bring a partner with you, you’ll need to accommodate their schedule too.
What To Look For On A Test Drive
Just like you shouldn’t go to the dealer unprepared, you should also be prepared to take a test drive. Have some route ideas planned out ahead of time. You should try to drive for as long as you can, at least 30 minutes.
Bringing a partner on a test drive is the perfect way to make the most of the experience. They’ll be your second set of ears and eyes, providing you valuable feedback about the car and the drive.
The partner’s other important function is that they can calm you down in case you get too excited about the car and sign a deal you can’t afford. Let them know your expectations and boundaries ahead of time so that they can keep you in line.
Here are a few things you should look for during the test drive.
Test The Brakes
You’re there to test the car. The dealer won’t mind if you explore every possible feature, including the brakes. Don’t be afraid to brake hard when it’s safe to do so during your drive. When you do this, be on high alert for vibration. If the brake disks vibrate, that’s a bad sign.
Listen Carefully
While you’re on the drive, make sure to shut out any background noise that could interfere with your hearing. Close the window, turn off the radio, and don’t strike up any conversations. Then, you can listen for any weird squealing or rattling noises while you’re driving.
Vary The Road Conditions
This is where route planning comes in. You should look at maps and drive the area around the car dealership beforehand to know where it is you want to test the car’s features. Don’t just stick to the nicely paved, busy streets. Think of some of the activities you commonly do with your car to plan the type of route you need. It’s easy to find a highway, but you might need to ask around the area to find things like a gravel road or a road with potholes.
These are valuable ways to test the car. Especially if you’re driving an SUV where reliability is important. Afterward, you might ask yourself and your partner whether the ride was reasonably comfortable for them.
Take The On-ramps
When you’re driving the highway, make sure to pay attention to the on-ramps. By nature, these offer you a prime opportunity to test acceleration, steering, and handling. The shape of the on-ramps and the acceleration required to get you up to speed will make this the ideal place to check just how solid the car is.
Look For Issues You Read In Reviews
After you read several reviews, you’ll realize that every car has issues. Even the ones that you want to drive. However, you might not truly realize the severity of an issue until you see it for yourself. That’s why it’s critical to do your due diligence.
For instance, if people complain about a car’s gas pedal being too light to touch, then you want to pay extra attention to acceleration during your drive. Each reviewer has their individual preferences, make sure it’s comfortable for you.
6 Great Used Cars For 2022
Not sure how to start your search for a used car? We’ll give you some ideas to kick off your search. At Eagle Motorsport, these are some of our best-selling cars. We regularly turn over vehicles like the Honda Civic or the RAM 1500.
Honda Civic
Every year, hundreds of thousands of Americans purchase a Honda Civic. Having already sold over 20 million worldwide, it’s unlikely that this phenomenon will go away soon. Most used Civics you’ll find on our lot are 10th generation, build between 2015 and 2021.
Families love the Civic because of its reliability. It’s a standard sedan that will allow you to drive just about anywhere in the city. Its fuel economy is solid as its gas mileage is similar to that of its competitors. Furthermore, the Civic sees very few recalls these days. Lately, you can count their yearly recalls on one hand.
Hyundai Elantra
The Elantra offers many of the same things that buyers are looking for in a Honda Civic. Yet, it usually comes at a cheaper price. While the insides aren’t quite as spacious, this perhaps gives way to the sedan’s impressive fuel economy as the Elantra is one of the most fuel-efficient cars of its kind.
Since Elantras will usually depreciate by 50% 5 years after buying. You might be able to acquire one at a bargain-bin price.
Jeep Wrangler
As one of the most iconic SUVs, the Jeep Wrangler is versatile enough that you can use it in just about any context. There’s ample room at the back for you to transport big, heavy items. It doesn’t matter whether it’s outdoor gear during your next road trip or a sports bag full of your son’s baseball equipment. It’s unlikely you’ll ever need to compromise.
Of course, the Wrangler’s original purpose was offroading. That’s what it does best. It often does it better than anybody else too. You can scale terrain at up to a 47-degree angle with this SUV.
2017 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Willys Wheeler in Hobart, IN - Eagle Motorsport Used Cars
Honda Accord
The Accord is much roomier than your average sedan. Indeed, you can easily transport people from place to place using this car. You can do so with confidence knowing that it’s considered one of the most reliable vehicles around.
As far as environment and fuel consumption goes, the Accord is also pretty well-respected. They even offer a hybrid model. But the normal model still consumes fuel at roughly the same rate as the sedans in its price range. In general, it’s less harmful to the environment than most cars.
Dodge Durango
With its peculiar shape, the Dodge Durango is one of the most memorable SUVs out there. At first glance, it might seem like a crossover, but when you look at the interior, you’ll find that the Durango is quite roomy. It fits 7 seats in the interior. The two at the back are foldable, which gives you flexibility if you need to stow things. The three in the middle could also be reduced to two, creating a pair of captain’s seats. The possibilities here seem limitless.
2018 Dodge Durango GT in Hobart, IN - Eagle Motorsport Used Cars
RAM 1500
Just about any RAM that you find is work-ready. Few jobs are too big for this truck with its best-in-class towing capacity. Furthermore, you’ll notice that the level of quality put into this truck is consistent across all years and models.
It doesn’t matter if you use the truck for offroading like the Jeep or for hauling children to school. You’ll appreciate the RAM’s versatility at just about any stage. Perhaps the only thing it isn’t fit for is parking in narrow spaces.
2018 RAM 1500 Laramie
Choose Eagle Motorsport – The Best Used Car Dealer In Hobart
When the time comes for you to choose a used car dealer, we hope that you take us folks at Eagle Motorsport into consideration. Our reviews don’t lie. We really do offer some of the most excellent customer service of any dealer in the Chicago area.
Our mission is to cultivate relationships with our buyers rather than force you into a sale. In the long run, this ends up being more advantageous for everyone. We end up getting lots of repeat customers this way while our buyers get the vehicle they need and not the one they were pressured into.
Meet Our Knowledgeable Sales Team
We didn’t make as many auto sales as we did without knowing our stuff. Ask them questions about the car you want, and they’ll have the answer. Furthermore, our sales team is in close contact with mechanics, and they all ensure that the vehicle is in good condition.
You can take us on our word because our cars have the credentials to back it up. Each vehicle comes with Autocheck and a Carfax report. We have faith in what we sell.
Great Cars At Competitive Prices
We do our best to find great deals on cars that you love. You can trade in your vehicle to receive a discount. Additionally, we’ll work our hardest to find a deal on one of our cars that works for you.
Upon request, we will help finance your purchase by allowing our accounting team to do their magic. No matter what your credit history, we can always formulate a plan to get your car paid off. We’re even willing to keep a car on hold for a little bit while you find the funds to purchase it.
Well-stocked Inventory
At the time of writing, we have 83 vehicles available for sale. You can browse our inventory online or in-person to find a car that suits you. Just be warned, we buy and sell new cars all the time. Don’t feel bad if you miss out on one. We’ll probably bring in another vehicle of that model eventually.
That said, we advise you not to wait because we can’t guarantee when that same model will be back. So don’t delay if your dream car is on our lot. Reach out to us if you want to be sure.
Come Out For A Test Drive
We’re located just near W 37th ave. Hobart and Chicago area customers have been frequenting our dealership for years because of our unique buying experience. Once you’ve narrowed down a couple of cars you want to try, visit our dealership for a test drive and see for yourself.
You can contact us via our website if you submit a form here.
