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Buying Used Car Tips

Updated on May 18, 2012
Used Car
Used Car

Deciding to buy a new car is one of the best economic choices that you will make. The second after you buy a brand new car it depreciates in value. Buying a used car saves you money and still allows you to get a decent car for a reasonable price.

Before you go in to purchase a used car make sure you know what you want. You should not let someone persuade you into buying a car until you know that it is the right one for you. Get the idea of what you want and then expand upon it. Then you can discover different cars you may not of thought about before that meet your criteria even better. If you are more flexible about the car you will settle for instead of just one you can often get an even better price.

The Questions

You should never buy a car that you do not know anything about. It could of been previously wrecked, or it could have engine problems. The possibilities are practically endless to what could be wrong. To be on the safe side you can buy a certified used car. These cars have gone under an inspection and are deemed worthy to sell. A certified used car is often more expensive but it can definitely be worth it in the long run.

Before you make the purchase of a car you should be realistic about how much you can afford. If you are going to take out a loan to make monthly payments on a used car make sure you take out a realistic amount that you know you can pay for each month. On down payments you should put down enough to make the monthly payments lower and easy to pay for.

Whether you decide to buy from a private seller or a dealership you should always try and negotiate the price. At least trying is worth the shot. The worst they could say is no, and a yes could save you a pretty penny.

Video: How to buy a used car

Some Tips

There are three different places you can purchase a used car at. You can purchase a car through a private seller, car dealerships, or independent used car lots. A car sold through a private seller is on average the cheapest way to purchase a car but, you should always research the history of the car to make sure that it is a good running car worth the purchase. Car dealerships often get trade-in cars that they pay next to nothing for, so the chance of bargaining them down is pretty good. Independent car lots can vary. Some have good deals and some have car prices marked up way to high. You should research cars from all three to get a feel of what is the best deal you can get.

When you settle on a car that you are interested in getting make sure that you try it out. Test driving a car helps you to determine if it is in good condition and if you think it fits your criteria more specifically. When test driving a car you should try and observe the acceleration from a stop, test out the brakes, how well the car rides, trunk space and leg room and much more. Never let the seller pressure you into buying their car if you are feeling unsure about it. It is your money that is being spent not theres.

Take your time to test out the car and get the best feel possible that you can for the car. Ask the seller if the car has received the maintenance necessary for it to run correctly. It is probably best to avoid buying a car that has been involved in a serious accident or a car that has had serious repairs like a rebuilt transmission or engine work. If you are even more concerned about the condition of a car it is easy to convince a private seller to allow you to have a mechanic to investigate the condition of the car.

Buying a car can be an exciting experience. Make sure you go into the initial process with knowledge. It is very important that you purchase a good car. You do not want to get a headache. The best advice is to research and test. Then you can know what you want and know for sure that it works for you. Good luck purchasing a used car. You will quickly find out that you will get more for your money.

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