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If your in the market for a car but don’t want the costly years long payments or the high cost of insurance that a new carcar brings, you might want to consider one of the many used cars that are being sold. While many people shy away from buying a used car because of some of the less-than-reputable people selling there, you can really get some great deals when you buy pre-owned.

There are some critical points to remember when shopping for a used vehicle. Keep these tips in mind before you go.

Don’t Rush
In our society of “need it now” mentality, it really does pay to wait when looking to buy used. It takes time to do your research and make the right financial decision for you. Sure the cars you see may look good but you’ll need to do some homework before you get serious about any purchase.

Do Your Homework
When looking to buy used, you want to ensure you don’t get a lemon. You can use many online resources to find out about the maintenance history of the car. Try Edmunds.com or Carfax.com to get this information. Look for cars that have the most consistent maintenance records to avoid costly repairs in the near future. Note that cars that are the from the first year of production have been shown to have the most problems. You’ll also want to check out the gas mileage on the vehicle you want to buy. No point in saving money on the car when you’ll get in over your head paying for fuel.

Narrow Down Your Choices
Once you have found out what kind of vehicles match your criteria, start looking for which vehicle most interests you. Check the classified ads of your local paper or car sites like autotrader.com. Seek out the ads that mention the cars are in excellent shape, mint condition, or like new.

Consider Your Calls
Before you start contacting the sellers, sit and think about what you want to know. A written list can help you stay focused on the conversation and ensure you find out all you need to know before proceeding. Keep notes about each vehicle so you’ll have something to refer to when deciding which cars to view personally. Some questions you’ll want to ask:

  • How many owners has the car had? If one owner, do they have all of the maintenance records on hand?
  • Has the car even been in an accident?
  • What is the car’s mileage?
  • Why is the car for sale?

Pay attention to how the seller responds to your questions. If your gut tells you they aren’t being totally upfront, make a note. If any of the questions you ask does not result in the answers you are looking for, eliminate that car from your list and move on to the next one. Be sure to thank all the people you contact for their time. As you continue to make phone calls, you will narrow down your list to a few vehicles that you can eventually go to look at in person. From there, you can negotiate with the seller and come to a reasonable agreement about the sale. Be smart, be patience and do your research and you’ll likely get a great car that will last and not lemon out.



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