Buying Used Cars

Before you start shopping for buying used cars, you'll need to do some homework. Spending time now may save you serious money later when you buy a used car. Think about your driving habits, your needs, and your budget. You can learn about car models, options, and prices by reading newspaper ads, both display and classified. There is a wealth of information about buying used cars at this website. You can find additional information on buying used cars, detailed instructions for conducting a pre-purchase inspection, and used cars for sale, among other information. Libraries and book stores also have publications that compare car models, options, and costs, and offer information. Many of these publications have details on the do's and don'ts of buying used cars.

Buying Used Cars Online

Figuring how much you can spend when buying used cars is the first and most important step. You must know how much you can spend before you can determine what you can afford.
First of all, you need to have a monthly budget for buying used cars. Add up all of your monthly expenses, such as your rent/mortgage, phone, etc. Subtract this from your net income. Then subtract your estimated expenses such as food, gas, entertainment, whatever. The result should be an amount of money you have to play with for buying a used car.

From that, you need to remember that buying used cars involves more than a down payment and monthly payments. In your budget you will need to include licensing, registration and other hidden costs, as well as monthly insurance costs, gas and maintenance.

Once you have all of this worked out, you should have a ballpark figure of the budgeted amount you can use for buying used cars. A good rule of thumb is roughly 20 percent of your net income can be used for a car payment. Once you determine that figure, stay with it.

A great approach for this is to make a list of what you use your car for. Write down how far you commute, how much stuff you carry in your car, how many passengers you drive around, how often you drive long distances, etc. This list will help narrow it down for you when buying used cars.

The most important thing to know when buying used cars is what your used car is worth. You need to remember that you are, in effect, selling your car. And just like you would do if you were selling your car to someone outside of a dealership, learning the value of your used car is important. This way you have a general price and you won't accept a sometimes deliberately low offer from a dealer. Be sure to factor in conditions that may adversely affect the price such as high mileage, dull or chipped paint, rust, chipped or pitted glass, worn or stained upholstery and carpeting, worn suspension, poor alignment, etc. These are things that you may consider addressing before trading in the vehicle when buying a used car.

Trade-in allowances are given to people who the car dealer believes puts a lot of emphasis on getting the most for buying used car. In other words, those who demand a great deal on their used car or who feel that getting a great deal on the used car is more important than a good sticker price, will get it. However the car dealer will include charges to balance this out, or omit any discount off the sticker price. The more savvy car dealer will lead you to believe that by getting a good trade-in transaction, you are getting a good deal overall. The best thing for you to do is to tell the dealer that you do not want any allowances. Even better, just ask how much the dealer will give you for buying used cars, as if you aren't thinking of buying a car from them just yet. Then you have the option of selling the used car before buying a car. This strategy can work out well for you, even if it entails being without a car for a couple of days.

Whether you are buying usedcars from a dealer, a co-worker, or a neighbor, follow these tips to learn as much as you can about the car:

• Examine the car yourself using an inspection checklist. You can find a checklist in many of the magazine articles, books and websites that deal with buying used cars.
• Test drive the car under varied road conditions - on hills, highways, and in stop-and-go traffic.
• Ask for the car's maintenance record. If the owner doesn't have copies, contact the dealership or repair shop where most of the work was done. They may share their files with you.
• Talk to the previous owner, especially if the present owner is unfamiliar with the car's history.
• Have the car inspected by a mechanic you hire.