So, you want to buy a used car. You may know exactly what you want, how much you want to pay and how you plan to finance the deal, but there are few things that you may want to check out before plunking down your hard earned cash on a car that may turn out to be a "lemon". And, believe me, a bad car is one lemon you can't make lemonade from.
When you start looking for a previously owned car the best thing to do is to begin by having an idea of several cars you want to look at in your price range. Check out reviews on these vehicles in Consumer Reports or at MSN's CarPoint.com. These reviews can be extremely helpful at weeding out vehicles that are prone to problems and may become a real drain on your wallet. If you have a friend that drives a model your interested in ask what they think about it. You can also ask a service tech what he or she thinks about a certain model of car.
When you decide the type of car you want to buy the next step is to think about where to buy. You have several options, each with advantages and disadvantages. One option is to buy from an individual advertising in the newspaper or publication or website such as www.autotrader.com . The best thing about purchasing from an individual is it is easier to determine the vehicle's history. Ask to see receipts for service and repairs and inquire as to any major problems, repairs or accidents. Individuals are also often easier to deal with as far as price negotiating. The disadvantage with this type of purchase is that you get no warranty and have little or no recourse should a problem arise.
Your other option is a local new or used car dealer. Most new car dealerships have their own used car lots at their location. They tend to keep the best cars received as trade-in's on these lots. Other, less desirable trade-in's are often sent to auto auctions or sold to other used car dealers or wholesalers. There are also many large dealerships these days that deal only with used vehicles such as AutoNation and Carmax. The best thing about purchasing from one these dealers is that you can normally get a warranty of some kind and many of them have their own service facilities as well for any repairs needed after the purchase. The disadvantages are that prices are generally not as negotiable and you have almost no way of finding out what the vehicles history is. While most dealers are scrupulous there are some that attempt to hide damage or items that need servicing.
When you start looking for a previously owned car the best thing to do is to begin by having an idea of several cars you want to look at in your price range. Check out reviews on these vehicles in Consumer Reports or at MSN's CarPoint.com. These reviews can be extremely helpful at weeding out vehicles that are prone to problems and may become a real drain on your wallet. If you have a friend that drives a model your interested in ask what they think about it. You can also ask a service tech what he or she thinks about a certain model of car.
When you decide the type of car you want to buy the next step is to think about where to buy. You have several options, each with advantages and disadvantages. One option is to buy from an individual advertising in the newspaper or publication or website such as www.autotrader.com . The best thing about purchasing from an individual is it is easier to determine the vehicle's history. Ask to see receipts for service and repairs and inquire as to any major problems, repairs or accidents. Individuals are also often easier to deal with as far as price negotiating. The disadvantage with this type of purchase is that you get no warranty and have little or no recourse should a problem arise.
Your other option is a local new or used car dealer. Most new car dealerships have their own used car lots at their location. They tend to keep the best cars received as trade-in's on these lots. Other, less desirable trade-in's are often sent to auto auctions or sold to other used car dealers or wholesalers. There are also many large dealerships these days that deal only with used vehicles such as AutoNation and Carmax. The best thing about purchasing from one these dealers is that you can normally get a warranty of some kind and many of them have their own service facilities as well for any repairs needed after the purchase. The disadvantages are that prices are generally not as negotiable and you have almost no way of finding out what the vehicles history is. While most dealers are scrupulous there are some that attempt to hide damage or items that need servicing.
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