Is it better to by a used car thru a used car lot or private owner? - look at the engine to make sure ok?

Question

I am looking for a car that is not over 50,000 miles, economical, and good gas mileage--What are some ideal cars for me? Nothing sportty single mother.

Answer 1

With a dealer, you're going to pay for Profit, taxes, and dealer fees.

With a private seller, it's much easier to get a good price. Unless they are just completely insane and want stupid money for their vehicles. http://www.kbb.com is a great resource in determining the approximate value of a particular vehicle. NADA is way over the money, but for some reason banks and insurance companies use it.

Be sure to subrtract if the vehicle needs tires, brakes, belts, battery, or anything else like that. Just like when you're closing on a house.

Keep in mind, payoff and value have NOTHING to do with each other. If they are trying to get you to pay just pay-off, look into it very carefully. And remember this: If they owed nothing, would want nothing?

Have the vehicle thouroughly checked out, no matter where you buy. My dealership spends a butt-load of money to make the vehicles look and run great, but even then, a few things will slip by.

Answer 2

Great question! I just spent two months in the spring shopping for the ideal used car. In general, buying from a dealer is a much better idea because most of them are required by their state laws to "certify" the "pre-owned" vehicle. Basically they've gotta make sure that the electrical, mechanical, and fuel systems operate according to legal standards. Dealers know that their sales reputation could be severely damaged if they sell a "lemon" and it's reported to the authorities. Furthermore, dealers can often sell their leased vehicles that still have some warranty remaining.
However, before you buy anything (or even look at it) you should know the standard value of the vehicle. Go to Kelly Blue Book (http://www.kbb.com/) and enter your information. They'll tell you for free how much that car is worth from a dealer and private seller.
If you buy from a private seller, make sure to ask for the maintanence history by seeing all the service reciepts. Any responsible driver usually keeps them in the glove compartment. This will show that the drive has indeed cared for the vehicle by changing the oil, rotating the tires, servicing the breaks, etc.
If you get the VIN# as well, you can pay $25 to use http://www.carfax.com and double-check service history and whether the car had any accidents. (As a rule of thumb, never buy a car that's been in an accident- even if it's been repaired, the shock of the accident can leave long-term affects on many vehicle components- i.e. nuts and bolts and joints that have been weakened yet didn't break completely).
Good luck~

Answer 3

It would not sound like a large issue, even though it really is demanding to assert. it should be a grimy gas injector, undesirable plug or plug cord. A 5 365 days previous motor vehicle with that few miles merely needs to be pushed! it really is in ordinary words as undesirable for a motor vehicle to notcontinual it, through the indisputable fact that is tocontinual it too a lot. upload a can of real cylinder oil, power it some days or a week, then replace oil. The clicks will probably be lengthy previous after the gunk is flushed out. also carry somewhat of paper close to the exhaust pipe and rev the engine only somewhat. examine for a small quantity of black carbon, an illustration that it merely needs a song up. yet when there is any oil or severe smoke, stay sparkling of THIS motor vehicle!

Answer 4

If you buy a 50,000 mi. Toyota Corolla from a private owner it should be OK if you take a few precautions. Make sure the title is from the seller so you don’t end up buying some auction dud. Have a mechanic look at it for evidence of accident repair, or flood damage, inspection items, and confirm that the engine doesn’t have the oil gel problem BEFORE you close the deal. Good luck.

Answer 5

private owners generally take care of their autos. get it serviced regularly, oil changes brakes etc. looking at the engine isn't gonna tell you sh*it about the car. test drive it. you hear things that don't sound right, the engine will be the cause of it 9 out of 10 times. ask the private owner if they have the cars maintenance history, get a carfax report on the vehicle, you'll pay for that, and see it's overall history. car lots service the cars to standard levels meaning they get it legally capable of driving on the road. they won't ut much else into it and probably use generic cheaper parts if they do. they're out to make a buck on you, private owners the same but at least you can track and document the cars history much better through them than through a used car lot.

Answer 6

Lot of cars on the market like you want. Buy from a local place that well known. Never hurts for a friend to go with you. Car dealers also have to let you know who had the car before you, call them and ask if the car is good or not.

Answer 7

Go look at slightly older Toyota Camry, Honda Accord..that sort of thing. I would go to a car lot and look, but a reputable car lot. Maybe an offcial Toyota or Honda dealer ship. If you do end up buying privately, get a Carfax vehicle report to ensure your not buying a lemon.

Answer 8

Well for example, lets say you can buy a car from a dealer for 6,000, or you can buy that same car from a privite party for 4,000. which one would you choose. You can get a Toyota or a Honda.

Answer 9

BUY FROM CARMAX.