Protect Your Investment: 7 Things to Check Before Buying a Limousine
There’s nothing quite like traveling in a limousine. It’s the best way to travel in style, elegance, and comfort.
If you’re buying limos to rent, or even if you’re buying a limo for personal use, there are a few things you’ll need to consider. You should never rush into purchasing a limo, as there are many mistakes you could make that’ll cost you a lot of money.
There’s so much more to buying a limousine than the “on-paper” prices. Here are 7 things you should think about when you’re buying a limousine.
1. The Color
The color of your limousine is something you certainly need to take into account if you plan on renting it out. The color you choose depends entirely on the type of demographic you’re trying to attract.
Do you expect to rent the limo to a younger crowd that’s looking to party? In that case, you could go with bright primary colors or maybe even a colorful design with decals.
On the other hand, if you expect to rent your limo out for business meetings or weddings, you probably want to go with something a bit more conservative. A black or white limo might turn off the party crowd, but for most other settings, it should do fine.
2. The Cleaning
When researching a limousine purchase, you need to consider more than just the price. For example, you should also consider how expensive it’ll be to clean.
If you plan on hosting party groups, for instance, you don’t want to purchase a limo that has a lot of nooks and crannies. On the other hand, if you plan on only hosting business meetings, cleaning the interior probably won’t be as much of an issue.
3. How Expensive It Is to Maintain
Sometimes, it might make more sense to buy a more expensive limo to save money. This is because some limousines are cheaper to maintain than others.
You should keep in mind that since limousines are much larger than cars, the maintenance costs are probably going to be somewhat higher than what you’re used to. If you’re considering buying a specific type of limo, make sure you check out how expensive the spare parts are. Spare parts for some limos are hard to get hold of, and therefore, are more expensive.
4. How Stretched You Want It
Naturally, the longer your limousine is, the more impressive it’s going to look. But this doesn’t mean you should just go out and buy the longest limousine you possibly can.
In many situations, a limo of a certain length might be impractical or even illegal. Before you purchase a limo, you should check the practicalities of its size. You should also check on the local laws and regulations surrounding limousine size.
Consider where you’re planning on driving the limo. Even if it’s technically allowed, you might not want something really long on the streets of New York or London.
On the other hand, if you’re going to be using the vehicle somewhere like Southern California, you’ll have a lot more room to operate and therefore, you can get away with something a bit longer. Of course, you also need to consider storage. When you have an incredibly stretched limo, you’re probably not going to be able to fit it into many garages.
You should also consider the seating capacity. What’s the biggest sized group you intend to take and can the limo you’re considering accommodate them? If you need to think more, here’s more information about limo sizes.
5. Condition Over Mileage
If you’re buying a used limo, the chances of you finding one with low mileage are incredibly small. Instead of looking for low mileage, you should instead look for a vehicle that’s in good condition.
To get the best deal on a used limousine, you should look at models with high mileage that are still in good condition. Good condition indicates the vehicle has been well looked after by its previous owners.
6. Is the Manufacturer Still in Business?
Some of the cheaper limos are priced as such because the company that makes them is no longer in business. This means that if you run into problems such as a broken component, you might not be able to get it fixed.
When a limo company goes out of business, many parts of that limo will become scarce. This means you might have to pay well over what a part’s worth in order to get hold of one.
7. Your Demographics’ Tastes
What might be seen as a classy vehicle in one area might also be considered tasteless in another. If you’re planning on renting out your limo, make sure you have a good understanding of what the locals want.
Something such as the Hummer H2 is a good choice for certain situations. This is a limo that appeals to party groups as well as weddings or shows.
But otherwise, not many people want to show up to a business meeting or a serious event in a Hummer. For these kinds of events, you could consider something like a Chrysler 300 or a Lincoln Town Car.
Take Care When Buying a Limousine
Buying a limousine is a great investment, but you do need to take some basic precautions. If you’re planning on renting out the limo, always make sure you do some research about your target demographic. Understand there are different kinds of people who want to hire limos and you can’t necessarily buy any one car to cater to them all.
When buying used, you also need to look beyond the price on paper. Things that you need to consider include maintenance costs and whether or not the manufacturer is still in business.
By keeping the above 7 points in mind, you’ll have a better chance of buying a limousine that not only suits your needs, but also your budget.
Thinking about starting a tow truck business instead? Then read our tips!