subject: Used Vans For Sale And Making The Right Selection [print this page] If you have made up your mind to buy a used van after having carefully considered the pros and cons of first of all a van purchase and then preferring a used van over a new one, it would be prudent on your part to take the activity seriously and accord it the same priority you would accord a new
vehicle purchase.
The reason for the above statement is that just because it is a matter of looking for used vans for sale, there could be a tendency to ignore the basics and take the issue casually. That might lead to you ignoring certain fundamentals of a good buy and end up landing a lemon.
So given below are some tips to help you in buying the right used van:
a)Have a good idea about the type of van you want for your needs. There are many types now prevalent in the market and since this is a capital purchase, you need to take into account your needs not only for the moment but also for the immediate future and accordingly pick a model type. This would mean doing some research about the van types and you should talk to people, dealers as well as browse the internet to check this out. Having identified the model and the price it would entail and here you would be well advised to take into consideration not only the price of the van but also the approximate running costs, insurance costs, road tax, congestion charges and so on, so that you are able to fix a budget. It is necessary to get this done right since you would have to opt for used van finance and would require these details anyways while negotiating with the lender. Moreover, it is also important to tie up the finance and also ensure that you do not exceed the upper limit of the budget you have set yourself.
b)Since used vans for sale normally do not have a floor price or guideline and would depend upon the condition of the van at the time of purchase, you will have to understand and make do with information you can gather about pricing that exists for similar models and that figure could form your ballpark amount beyond which you should not be paying.
c)The features and extra fittings already present in the vehicle are things you have to consider such as air-conditioning, power windows, power steering, whether the model is an all-wheel drive, safety features and so on.
d)The test drive of the used van is a very important activity and would reveal a lot about the manner in which it has been used in the past. You have the opportunity to thoroughly test the brakes, the manner in which the engine responds while driving, and the movement of gears and the stability of the vehicle. It would be advisable to take along a mechanic with you during this test drive.
e)Finally the paperwork has to be proper and the VIN needs to match.
