Finding The Best Used Cars - 3 Tips From The Experts

Car sales are one area of life that finding a good deal really pays off

. Purchasing a vehicle is a big financial investment for both the short term and for the long term. Buying the wrong used cars, even at a steal, can cause major headaches if the car is stuck in the shop or stranded on the highway. Asking the right questions and doing a little bit of homework will pay dividends over the life of a vehicle. Let's take a look at 3 questions and tips when it comes to shopping for used cars.

Examining Your Needs

Car sales are strictly a "needs versus wants" question at the beginning. Go into a dealership with the right mindset, that is, look for the vehicle that fits your needs and don't shop for something that fills your wants. No matter how nice that convertible looks, it is not going to be able seat the entire family or help haul a toolbox.

Forget about styling and trends, ask yourself these questions. Are you going to commute with this vehicle and for how long each day? How many people and how much cargo will you need to accommodate? Will the vehicle do mostly city or highway driving, or a combination of both? Prioritize which options are important and forget about the rest, such as manual versus automatic transmission, safety features, and all wheel or four wheel drive.

What You Can Afford

It is usually not worth it to overstep your means when it comes to car sales. Sure, a vehicle is an important part of daily life, but it is never an investment that will gain value. Even a new car loses much of its value when the odometer rolls off of zero miles.

When financing used cars, the rule of thumb is to not exceed 20% of your monthly take home pay for ALL car payments. There are many ways to tweak the monthly payment by shopping around for financing and changing terms. The down payment amount, length of loan, and interest rate will all determine the final monthly payment amount.

Consider Other Vehicles In The Same Class

After answering the needs versus wants and financial questions, you've narrowed down your options quite a bit. At this point, one class of used cars should stand out and meeting your needs at the right price point.

With this in mind, look at comparable car sales in that same class. Vehicles can vary widely in price, options, durability, and true cost of ownership between manufacturers even within the same class. Many times, the observant shopper can find what they want in similar used cars while paying significantly less.

These questions and tips should get you to the point where you've selected the make and model of the right vehicle. When considering particular used cars, keep in mind their individual conditions, histories, and warranties to help finalize the search for the right vehicle.

by: Christine Harrell

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