How To Buy A Good Used Car For The Best Price

How To Buy A Good Used Car For The Best Price

Well in todays fast paced world, time seems to slip away from us with work, kids agenda’s, outside influences which at times can take away from doing the proper research when buying a Good Used Car for yourself or a loved one. With that being said, as with anything else the process becomes much easier when you follow a process to buying a Good Used Car For The Best Price. The process I would recommend following process in this order is first to determine.

Used Car, Truck, Van Selection & Inspection Process:

1. What Kind of Used Vehicle you would like to Buy ie: Compact Gas Saver, SUV, Full Size Sedan, Sports Car, Mini Van etc. Based on your needs and wants.
2. Next is to select What Brands of Used Car, Truck, Van or SUV would you like to buy. (performing some easy internet searches helps with this task)
3. Now that you have narrowed down your search to a few select Used Car, Truck, Van or SUV’s the searching can start. (utilizing websites like Cars.com, Autotrader.com and Ebay.com is usually a good start as to what is currently available.)
4. After locating a few options as to what is available in the Used Car Market currently, It is time to get some History Reports together like: Carfax.com, Autocheck.com, after receiving and carefully reviewing the selected Used Car, Truck, Van or SUV’s, Hopefully at this point your list has been reduced to a manageable size of Used Vehicles. ( Any Reputable Used Car Dealer Will Supply These To Any Perspective Buyer FREE of Charge)
5. It’s now time to go and View and take the Used Vehicle for a test drive, I feel it’s always best if going to a Used Car Dealer, to show up unannounced, Of course you should call to ensure the Used Car, Truck, Van or SUV is available. But not letting the Seller when you will arrive, is probably your best bet on getting a chance to view the Used Car, Truck, Van or SUV at its Cold Start condition. ie: Not giving the seller the opportunity to warm up the vehicle before you arrive.
6. Upon getting to the Used Car, Truck, Van or SUV, give it a complete walk around, taking notice of the Tire condition, both tread depth, and also sidewall condition ( to see if they have scraped any curbs damaging the tire) also take notice if the rims themselves have any major rub marks, which could leave a bent rim, or even suspension damage. Check all the panels for color match to try to identify sub standard paint and body work, Also take note of the glass, looking for stone chips or cracks in any of the glass, especially the windshield.
7. Now, before starting the engine, it is time to check all fluid levels, so open the hood and start with the engine oil, making sure not only that it is full, but also has a silky feel with no grit in it, then move on to the coolant, with coolant there are many different colors, so just ensure that it is full and on the cleaner side, next check the brake fluid, it should be on the cleaner side and also take notice to how much fluid is in the reservoir if it is too low, that will either mean that there is a possible leak, or that the brake pads are worn down, next is the Power Steering  fluid, check that it is full and also on the cleaner side, as for the transmission fluid, most later model cars have sealed transmissions with no way of checking the fluid, so refer to the vehicles owners manual for procedure or have a trained mechanic check the trans fluid.
8. We can now Start The Engine, allowing the engine to get to full operating temperature, paying close attention to any noises or smoke emanating from the vehicle.
9. Finally time for the TEST DRIVE – Ok so this is the tell all of how the vehicle has been maintained and cared for, pulling out on the road pay attention to any rattles or noises that sound out-of-place, run the vehicle up to highway speeds, and see if there are any pulls from a bad alignment, vibrations from tire condition or balancing or suspension issues, step on the brakes with differing degrees of necessity, to ensure they will do the job in an emergency situation. Ensure all the gears like reverse are engaging smoothly and operating, and feel free to give the Used Car, Truck, Van or SUV a good test drive 15 minutes or so, to ensure there are no issues that happen when vehicle is warmed up fully.

After arriving from your extensive Test Drive and had the opportunity to perform your basic inspection, you should have a much better idea, if this was a well-kept and cared for vehicle, or just an abused victim of lack of maintenance which will lead to later headaches. Always bring a Used Car Truck, Van or SUV to a Qualified Mechanic for a Complete Used Car Pre-Purchase Check before purchasing, this list is to assist you in narrowing your search and help you in Buying A Good Used Car for the Best Price. Good Luck and Happy Motoring.

How To Buy A Good Used Car For The Best Price