Through my lifetime I have accomplished some pretty incredible things and once in a blue moon I tend to reward myself for the hard work that I put forth for so many years. Occidentally, I dream really big and shoot for the stars when I do reward myself, or as my son would say, "I do it big time"! Unfortunately that usually leads to buyers remorse and struggling to pay for a luxury item that I tire of not long after the purchase.
For the past year, I have been shopping for a new car that would satisfy my desire to drive a vehicle that I have dreamed of for many years. Originally, I had my heart set on a Ferrari, but my wife has put the ax on that thought and I agree that it was a little out of the budget. Fortunately, most exotic and luxury auto makers have other vehicles that are built with the same framework, with a more affordable price tag. For instance, The Audi R8 Spider has the same engine as a Lamborghini Murciélago, where Maserati uses a Ferrari engine in all of their vehicles. This is contributed to the auto makers actually owning several lines of vehicles and then label them with different badges, in order to cater to several markets.
The Maserati GranTurismo was another one of my dream cars, as I love the style and design of Italian-made vehicles. Fortunately, they offer many of the same features as the Ferrari at a third of the price! Do not get me wrong I would love to be driving the Ferrari 430 that I dreamed of for so many years, however when you compare the price difference between the two, Maserati GranTurismo's sell for almost $ 300,000 dollars less than their big brother 430's.
Last week I finally saw a sign from above that pushed me to inquire about owning one of these vehicles. I noticed a newscast stating that a luxury dealership was opening less than 30 miles from my home. I immediately hopped on the company's website and started doing some research. Luckily, I discovered exactly how much one of these vehicles would cost to actually own.
In my case the exotic Maserati GranTurismo cost approximately $ 135,000 for my custom application. Compare that to a $ 450,000 Ferrari 430 and the value becomes a shining light of savings. I also realized that I could purchase a certified pre-owned GranTurismo and have a longer warranty coverage than that of most owners purchasing a new one.
I was able to settle swiftly on the 2 year old infant Maserati as the price tag was now less than $ 80,000 dollars, which absolutely works within my budget. Especially coming off of a $ 450,000 Ferrari
Now it is time to visit the new dealership!
Now that I have had a chance to drive the GranTurismo, I immediately fell in love with the car. No longer would I say that people are crazy for buying vehicles with such a price tag. These vehicles are made in Italy, so the quality of each button and swatch of fabric, is second to none. Upon driving the GranTurismo, I was thoroughly impressed and had to take it home with me!
Normally, luxury auto makers will not negotiate a price on such vehicles, as the demand is very high, and it is almost impossible to buy a new or certified Ferrari.
Summary; Only buy what you can really afford, especially if it may cause problems at the home front … Secondly, look for similar vehicles built by the auto maker that are certified pre-owned or used vehicles that have already taken a hit from depreciation, yet carry the full factory remaining warranty, or offer a complimentary coverage program that will warranty the vehicle for 3-5 years on all major mechanical issues. If you are set on buying a new vehicle wait until the end of the year as it is much easier to negotiate a deal on previous year models, as the dealer is much more inclined to offer savings and perks to get previous models off of their lot . Last but not least, try to find a new dealership that has just opened their doors, because they have great incentives to get these older vehicles off the lot to make room for the new models.
Of course, always do your homework to see what comparable vehicles are selling for through the US. By choosing an almost 2 year old car, that had less than 10,000 miles, I ended up saving close to $ 50,000 dollars by doing just a little bit of research on Google about the Maserati line of exotic sports cars. Knowing the true value of a vehicle before committing to any figures, you will be in a much better position to buy a comparable car at a huge discounts.