Most people I talk to are always scared of buying a used car. They always have some stereotypical image of the car breaking apart right after they buy it. That may be the case, but I find that if you follow a simple set of rules, you can make your car purchase a lot easier and safer. If anything, I prefer to buy used cars because you can get much more value than you would from a new car. Now these day, anyone can go online to kijii.com or craigslist.com, and I think it's a great idea. This way, you can compare and contrast whatever car you want, from both private and public sellers. Let me break down the steps for you
Determine what kind of car you want: Do you need a minivan for the family? A truck for work? A small car for city driving? Whatever it may be, you have to make your mind up in order to slowly narrow down your search.
Determine your price range: You have to set the limit at which you can't pay more. This will also help narrow down your search, and get a better understanding of everything in your price range.
Look at the major and best selling Auto companies: I know that people should be free to pick any car they want, but the truth is that looks can be very deceiving. You might find a car that looks cleaner and prettier than an old Honda Civic, but that Civic might still be able to run forever with no problems whatsoever. Aim for major brands like Honda, Toyota, and Ford. Look at the most common cars in the street, there's a reason why many people have them. There are cars in all price ranges, but you only see a few shining in those price ranges.
Reading the Specs: People will say everything and anything when they're trying to sell a car. The two most important factors are MILEAGE and MODEL YEAR. Compare the cars age with how long it has traveled. A 1999 Honda Civic with 100,000 km will almost always be better than a 2002 Civic with 130,000 km. The distance traveled compared to the model year is a great formula to loosely determine how much a car has been abused.
Once you find what you want, don't be in a hurry if you think you found "the winner"
Once I came to Canada and knew which car I wanted, it took me an additional 4 months to find the right one. I know this seems like a ling time, but that's only because it is. Give yourself a month of searching before you make a final decision, you'd be surprised how far a little patience can take you.
Inspecting the car: Now that you've done all these steps, you're going to proceed to seeing the car in person.
Determine what kind of car you want: Do you need a minivan for the family? A truck for work? A small car for city driving? Whatever it may be, you have to make your mind up in order to slowly narrow down your search.
Determine your price range: You have to set the limit at which you can't pay more. This will also help narrow down your search, and get a better understanding of everything in your price range.
Look at the major and best selling Auto companies: I know that people should be free to pick any car they want, but the truth is that looks can be very deceiving. You might find a car that looks cleaner and prettier than an old Honda Civic, but that Civic might still be able to run forever with no problems whatsoever. Aim for major brands like Honda, Toyota, and Ford. Look at the most common cars in the street, there's a reason why many people have them. There are cars in all price ranges, but you only see a few shining in those price ranges.
Reading the Specs: People will say everything and anything when they're trying to sell a car. The two most important factors are MILEAGE and MODEL YEAR. Compare the cars age with how long it has traveled. A 1999 Honda Civic with 100,000 km will almost always be better than a 2002 Civic with 130,000 km. The distance traveled compared to the model year is a great formula to loosely determine how much a car has been abused.
Once you find what you want, don't be in a hurry if you think you found "the winner"
Once I came to Canada and knew which car I wanted, it took me an additional 4 months to find the right one. I know this seems like a ling time, but that's only because it is. Give yourself a month of searching before you make a final decision, you'd be surprised how far a little patience can take you.
Inspecting the car: Now that you've done all these steps, you're going to proceed to seeing the car in person.
- You should look at the car's body and see if there are any bumps or scratches. If you do see anything, it should be your cue to drop your offering price if the irregularities weren't mentioned in the post.
- Look at the tires tread, if it is less than 3-4 cm deep, you're going to need new tires soon, consider that.
- Look at the brake pads, they are the pads that actually touch the brake rotors, and if they don't have at least 2 cm of depth, they will have to be replaced soon, consider that.
- Ask for a car fax or receipts, if none are available that can be a bad sign.
After you finished all these steps, and only if you're satisfied (have a good vibe), buy the car.
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