First, Set a Budget: Know what you are able and willing to spend on a car, and don’t forget to include its registration, insurance (cheaper for used cars), regular maintenance, running costs, and any immediate repairs you would need to make. Don’t spend money you don’t have, or don’t take out a loan on bad credit!
Browse the Market: At any given time, there are thousands and thousands of used cars on the market, so get a feel for what your options are in terms of make, age, price, location, quality, mileage, and any number of other factors. There’s a lot to choose from, so find what’s right for you.
Be Wary of Prices: High-priced used cars may not be worth it unless they’re in young and perfect condition. Otherwise, it may just be worth it to buy a new car. Surprisingly low prices are usually too good to be true, and may have some major defect that no driver wants.
Meet Up With the Owner at Their Home: Meeting the car seller face-to-face is the best defense against scamming. NEVER give money to a car seller you haven’t met, or for a car you haven’t seen. Ask many questions—how long they’ve had it, has it ever been damaged, why they’re selling it, does it have any “bad habits”—but don’t automatically assume the seller is telling the truth.
Inspect the Car: The best thing you can do is bring a certified mechanic to the seller’s home, or bring the car into a car center to better inspect underneath the car on a hoist. If you can’t do that, make sure to inspect the car in bright daylight, check for tire tread and proper alignment, look underneath the car for rust and welding marks, check the oil level, and see whether the buttons, seatbelts, and steering wheel all fit on and work correctly.
Test Drive the Car: Turn it on and take it for a swing to test its power, brakes, gears, and handling; listen for any bad sounds, look for any smoke, and drive it on as many surfaces as possible to see how it holds up. After all, this is the experience you’ll get from the car, so it better be good!
Negotiate the Price: Any seller is going to name a price at least slightly higher that what the car is actually worth. Bring up any faults or necessary repairs you found in the vehicle, and name what you’re willing to pay (or maybe slightly lower). Negotiate from there, with civility, but without making concessions you’re uncomfortable with or that exceed your original budget. Get all the original paperwork, sign a contract, and make the deal!
How to Use This Information
Let Accurate help you get the best deal on a used car! Bring your prospective purchase into our Aurora body shop for a full inspection. Our Denver auto body experts can do everything it takes to tell a good car from a bad one, or do the necessary repairs after you buy a used car, whether that’s Denver car dent repair, window replacement or much, much more. Call us at (303) 344-2212 or contact us online.
Have you ever bought a used car? How did it go?
