When looking to buy a used car...what kind of things should I look or check to see that I get a good deal?

Answer 1

First start researching the vehicle that you are interested in a month or two in advance before you start test driving. Look at prices on the internet or photo ad magazines. This way you know what the vehicles are selling for and decide what you can afford. If you do those things you'll know if a car is a good deal or not. Another thing, once you pick out what you want on a lot or wherever you are going to purchase it look at the interior for excessive wear and tear. Look at the outside for dents and scratches. Check out the door jambs and underneath the hood and trunk for hard lines where a body panel has been repainted. If there are tape lines then the vehicle has been repainted in that area meaning that it was involved in a wreck more than likely.

Answer 2

Tips:

First, do as much research as you can. Read consumer reports. You should target your search to one or two models. When you talk to the car dealer, you should know exactly what you want. Do not let the car dealer tell you what you want. Later you may find out that it is simply what you can afford.

Second,Price.Remember,buying a used car for cheap does not mean that you are going to get a clunker. Price does not necessarily translate into how well the vehicle will perform.Used cars are priced cheap for a reason. Be sure to find out why before you make a purchase.For example,government car auction usually typically listed at 90% off their original value because the government can’t afford to store these items.(This site lists top 5 goverment car auction sites: http://www.purchaseusedcar.info/index.php?t=purtips )

You must check a car's history records before buying a used car. It will help you eliminate half of the cars with potential problems. The car’s history records will tell you about serious accidents and heavy abused vehicles. You should always check the history before looking into a car.

Check out the car for yourself carefully. Opinion from your friends may not always be the truth about the vehicles. It is a good idea to ask a mechanic to help you. Don’t give a deposit before the car is inspected.

Check your paperwork very carefully.

Answer 3

Test drive the car, how does it feel, does it pull to the side? At fast speed, hit the brakes, does the car come to a smooth stop, or does it veer, or rumble? Check the temperture gauge, how hot is it running? Smell for mold/mildew, lift the carpet by the driver side door, is it rusted, or does it smell? Check the inside of the trunk, lift the carpet, is it rusted/smelly, wet? Could be sign of flood damage, if damage is in car, in trunk, could be flood damage, or leak in trunk. Check tread wear on tires, are they proplerly inflated? Open the hood, see any rust? Open the radiator, what does the fluid look like? Is the radiator low on fluid? Check the oil stick, is the oil dark/smells burnt? Is there water mixed in the oil? Check the hoses for wear, and what ones need replacing. Do you see water in the oil,or oil in the water? Both are bad news. Mileage, how how is it? Near 100,000 plan on replacing the timing belt/chain. If car is only a few years old, but has alot of mileage, bargain down on the price you are willing to pay. Can't think of anything else, but look the car over, test drive at high and low speeds, freeway and in town. Good luck.

Answer 4

I might keep away from the BMW, it would seem cool, however on any car in that cost variety you're going to ultimately ought to make a few maintenance, and also you WONT desire to be procuring BMW components. Also, you're going to shop for much less vehicle in your cash. It will probably be bigger milage, older or extra beat up than its opposite numbers. Milage should not be your best attention. I might instead purchase a '00 12 months with one hundred,000 miles than a 'ninety six with 70000 miles. Other persons will let you know miles tells the damage on a car, however thats no longer the complete tale. Age takes a colossal toll on a car. Belts, hoses, gaskets, seals all holiday down in direct dating to how historical they're. You may have leaks, skeaks and rattles setting up on an older car. Also, low milage automobiles can be used for brief distance runs, this means that plenty of town give up and move riding. Lastly, such a lot engines made within the final twenty years will run good over 2 hundred,000 miles with out predominant fix. The transmission, suspension and drivetrain (axles and joints) will want fix earlier than such a lot engines supplied correct renovation. Even those different accessories can final many years with correct care, however they're extra inclined to abuse. Driving tough will put on a transmission and different force coach components lengthy earlier than your engine so long as the oil is converted ordinarily and it does not overheat. Also, the transmission and different accessories get plenty extra put on in town riding than placing down the hyway at steady velocity. Additionally, such a lot persons provider an engine correctly, exchanging the oil ordinarily, however the transmission and different accessories are much less prone to be serviced ordinarily however are similarly as most important and will fee as so much or extra in maintenance. The older a car is, the much more likely those different accessories were forgotten approximately. To reply your query, I might say milage underneath a hundred and fifty,000 miles and a car more moderen than 7 years. I might keep inside the ones instructional materials and you'll be able to get an excessively well car for a exceptional cost. I might take expertise of the opposite persons who're scared that milage way a car is tired and make use of what's left. Of path the fewer milage the larger, however I might placed similarly, if no longer extra emphasis on age.

Answer 5

Look for straight body panels, also look for new componets in the car. This could be an indication of a crash in its history. Take the car to a trusted mechanic and have it checked out before you buy it, to be sure you aren't getting a lemon. Also shop for the financing as you would the car. Check out the value of the car on www.kbb.com or other source, like the newspaper. good luck

Answer 6

Look under the hood for leaks. Check the body to make sure it was not involved in any serious accidents. Check the trunk to see if the previous owner is a driver mechanic.

Answer 7

check the oil make sure it is full and that it isnt black or smells burnt,check the radiator fluid make sure it isnt milky or oily,if an automatic check the tranny fluid make sure it is reddish color and doesnt smell burnt,make sure the heat and ac work and that it doesnt leak anything.you can go to edmunds.com to read reviews on the car your looking at and see what other owners say about it and how much it sells for in your area.also can go to mycarstats.com to see if any recalls or tsb's have been put out.good luck