Your Step by Step Guide to Car Shopping

Your Car Buying Guide

Shopping for a vehicle can be incredibly stressful. Do you want new or used? Financing or pay upfront? What size, make, model, color? There are so many decisions to be made about this major purchase.

 Here at Eddie Mercer Automotive, we want to make this process not only easy, but enjoyable. Here is our step by step guide to finding your perfect vehicle.

1. What kind of vehicle are you searching for?

Are you looking for a car? Truck? SUV? Van? Before you get into the specifics of brands, you need to know what general type of vehicle will suit your needs. If you are looking for something powerful to pull your boat, try something like the 2017 GMC Sierra 1500. If you need something that gets great gas mileage, take the 2011 Toyota Prius for a spin. 

2. New vs. Used

Most of this decision comes down to your budget. While some people prefer to buy brand new, you often save money without sacrificing quality by going with a pre-owned vehicle. Nowadays, lots of pre-owned vehicles are still under warranty or you are able to purchase a warranty right at the dealership! Even if you are set on buying new, remember that pre-owned dealerships often get current year inventory and are still able to save you money. 

3. Financing or Buying outright?

This is another decision that depends heavily on your budget. Most people cannot afford to pay the full cost of a vehicle upfront. And while paying upfront definitely has its advantages, financing a vehicle can be beneficial as well. By financing your vehicle, you can help build your credit and you often have a larger selection of vehicles to choose from than you would if you paid the full cost at once. Even first time buyers can get approved for auto financing. We work with over 30 different lenders and our fantastic finance manager does a great job of trying everything to get you an approval. Don't let the fear of being denied stop you from trying if you are considering financing a car. 

4. What's your preferred make and model?

Everyone usually has a preference when it comes to car brands. Some people refuse to buy foreign while others have a strong bias toward Japanese cars. One person may say they'll never buy a Ford, while another has only ever owned Ford vehicles. It all comes down to your personal preference. This can either make the process very easy or very difficult for you. Sometimes stepping out of your comfort zone leads to you finding your perfect vehicle!

Ready to start shopping? 

Visit our website,

give us a call at (850)-479-2272, 

or come see us at 

705 New Warrington Rd 

Pensacola, FL 32506