subject: How To Buy A Used Car Without Going Crazy [print this page] Buying a car new or used can drive some people insane. Once a new car is driven off the lot even if you are one foot off the property, the value just went down about 3-4 grand. That is a good thing in your favor if your buying a used car. To get an idea of what you should buy, determine your needs and the size you will need for them. Keep in mind the area you live in to determine if you will need the 4-wheel drive.
A good place to check that your not over paying are sites like Kelly Bluebook or Edmunds web site. All you will need to do is type in the kind of car, options things like that and they will tell you what it is worth and the average selling price of similar cars in the area. Carfax is another site that offers information about used cars.
There are basically three options to buy, first the dealer. You will usually have a guarantee, thorough cleaning and a car that was looked through buy a mechanic. Getting the best price is 50/50, but the most piece of mind.
Next is through a private party weather it is an ad online, local paper or just in a driveway with a for sale sign on it. The problem with this is you can ask all the questions you want but are not guaranteed a truthful answer. Depending on the state there may be a law that protects you in case something major happens. Looking into such laws can be helpful.
The next is not as common but through an auction or sale of government seizure programs. These cars are as you may have guessed, cars that the government now owns for a number of reasons and have no use for them. They are constantly coming into these cars and need to get rid of them usually far below there book value. The problem is you buy as is being good or bad. Then again you probably bought the car for such a small price, you can pay to fix it, or turn around and sell for more than you paid and still be ahead of the game. http://www.gov-auctions.org/?hop=jefrost is a site that has every thing you need if interested.
Things to look out for are any obvious signs of an accident. When looking over the body check that panels run smoothly together and line up. Check in the wheel wells and door jams for signs of "over spray". This is caused when a car is painted and small traces are left over from uncovered areas. Once a car is in a major accident it is very hard to bring back that original ride.
Another item that can tell you a lot about the car are the tires. Look for unusual wear patterns to see if there is trouble in the front end. Also when looking over the front end, look for traces of fluid leaks.
Don't feel pressured and rush to a decision. There are plenty of cars out there and always if possible bring someone who knows a bit about cars to look it over and test drive it. Most important NEVER buy a used car without a test drive.
