Buying A Used Car.

January 9, 2010 · Filed Under Ideas & Thoughts, Tech

Shopping around for a used car is by far one of the hardest things I have ever done. I am not very well rounded when it comes to cars and how they work, whats good, what is bad, etc. The only things that I actually knew about cars were brands, some models, and a few extra things here and there but nothing too specific. When I first started looking for a used car I immediately knew I had to contact someone with more experience. My uncle first recommended finding a car with a good engine and that would be reliable, he suggested going for a Toyota.

After selecting a brand I decided to go with a sedan (regular 4 door car in most cases) model because I’m not a fan of big cars or cars that are too small. I decided that a Corolla would be the best fit because of their body design and the high reliability that they have. I also made the choice of doing my best on getting the Sports (S) model because it performs better and overall is more stable and has better breaks.

Now for shopping around and prices its where it got difficult…It is my understanding that new cars have a set price and usually doesn’t vary much from there. For a used car everything goes into consideration. The best advice that was given to me was to use a website called Kelly Blue Book. This website provides you an easy way of calculating what a used car with certain mileage and accessories should cost at an excellent condition. This was the first step at finding out what would be the most you should pay for the car.

After this is more of finding a trusted dealership and trying to find some small problems with the car like a little scratch or something where you could start negotiating the price. The second best thing to take in mind that I learned was that an average car goes through 15k miles a year. If the car has 10k extra or more then it is considered with high mileage with its year. This is the next way of dropping the price. Another thing to keep in mind is if the car has had any accidents or problems in the past. Accidents in the front of the car are usually not a good sign but small bumps in the back or side are not considered to be too bad. Always ask for a CarFax to see the history of the car.

When you start looking and finding cars that fit somewhat your criteria then maybe its time to start going to the dealer and looking at the cars. At this point I would suggest going with someone who knows more about cars so they could test drive it or give it a quick inspection for you since you might not have the knowledge and be able to recognize something buggy right away. Always remember that an official dealership can’t sell you a bad car but it could have some glitches that will give you problem in a future.

After this is you against the dealer trying to negotiate a good price. Always offer something lower than what they are asking for and don’t sound desperate, just be patient. After all, you are looking for the best you could buy.

Quick Reminders:
- Be patient, look around for a time to compare prices and dealerships
- Check Kelly Blue Book and CarFax
- Bad accidents are usually not a good sign
- Prices are negotiable, if you don’t get a good deal in one place, there will be another that will give you something you want.

Tags: Car, Toyota