Car Buying Guide
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In an effort to meet the needs of our visitors, we also provide a Car Buying Book Store. This online store provides a very large selection of books about the different aspects of buying a car. While are main interest here is to provide a system you can use when purchasing a used vehicle, our book store provides additional information about how to buy a car. So how should you buy a used car?
If you want to buy a used car, there are steps that must be taken so that you can purchase a reliable vehicle at a reasonable price. You need to find the make, model, and year of the car you want to buy. You also need to determine the value of the car, check the history of that car, you need to have a mechanic check it out, check the service records, check the expected insurance cost, and you need to negotiate for the lowest price for that car. In this website we examine each of these steps.
The first step is to find the car that you want to buy. So what are the best websites you can use to buy a used car?
Car Buying Guide - Best Websites for Buying a Used Car
- AutoTrader.com
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Has one of the largest selection of used cars anywhere on the planet. - Autobytel.com
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Since launching the first car-buying website in 1995, Autobytel’s mission has been to empower consumers with the tools and information they need to make smart, well-informed car purchasing decisions. - Auto Guide.com
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Research new cars, or browse used cars for sale. - Automotive.com
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Automotive.com has helped more than 50 million consumers research and price new cars, used cars, obtain financing and insurance leading to more than a million vehicle sales. - Autohopper.com
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One of the largest inventories of used cars and motorcycles for sale on the web. - Autobuyguide.com
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Comprehensive used car classifieds allows you to search premium classified listings from across the US. Choose a make and model to view used cars for sale, compare prices, colors, and mileage. - Auto Classifieds at Motor Trend
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Motor Trend’s used car classifieds lets you search all used cars for sale available in their classified network; find used cars by vehicle make, class, body style, year, or location. - Autoweb.com
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Free Price Quotes on new and used cars, trucks, and suvs. - AutoMallUsa.net
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View used cars for sale, read car reviews, or research new cars at AutoMallUsa.net, your auto buying guide online. - CarsDirect.com
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CarsDirect offers no-haggle, upfront new car pricing to consumers, who can research, price, order, purchase, insure and finance a car online via an intuitive website. - Carsforsale.com
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Consumers can quickly get to a list of cars in their area directly from the Carsforsale.com main page. - craigslist
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An excellent source for both buyer and seller for buying or selling a used car or truck. - Classics And Customs
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Sell or buy used cars, muscle cars, street rods, and classic car parts. - eBay Motors
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eBay Motors is becoming a very popular source for used vehicles. To date, over 2 million used vehicles have been sold on eBay Motors. - Edmunds Car Buying Guide
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Edmunds car buying guide lists new car prices, used car prices, car comparisons, car buying advice - LemonFree.Com
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Currently has 990,158 used cars listed. - MyRide.com
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MyRide.com delivers relevant, well-organized search results from across the web, integrated with entertaining multi-media and user-generated content on topics ranging from purchasing to ownership. - Used Cars On-Line
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Used Cars for sale nationwide. Cars for sale by private owner, all featuring photos. - UsedCars.com
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Online since 1994, and the first automotive portal dedicated solely to pre-owned vehicles, - Used Cars for sale
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Sell or buy a used car with photo classifieds. - Yahoo! Autos
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Used cars for sale, used cars dealers listings and used cars private listings from Yahoo.
There are many websites which provide listings of used cars. The key is to use those websites that provide a listing consisting of a substantial number of used cars that our available for inspection in your local area.
Car Buying Guide - Car Values
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Before buying a car, it is imperative that you do your homework and research that car. Part of that research involves determining the value of the used car you want to buy. The following are the three values you should know when buying a used car.
- Trade-In Value:
This is the average value for your car if you took your used car to a dealer and traded it in for another car. Because the dealer needs to make some profit from your car, this is the lowest value. You simply do not get much in return, in relative terms, when you trade your used car in for a new car. - Suggested Retail Value:
This is the average selling price the dealer would try to sell your used car for. - Private Party Value:
If you were to buy a car from a private party, through an ad, or what ever means, this is the average selling price for that car.
Go to Official Kelley Blue Book Site to determine these values for any make, model, and year of car.
If you are selling a car, then you can expect to make more money from that sell if you sell it to a private party. If you take the car to a dealer and trade it in, you would get the least amount of money from that car. There is a trade off. Some people do not want the hassle of selling a car on their own. They do not have the time or energy to respond to the ad inquires, and prefer to take a loss on the car and simply trade it in. On the other hand, many people prefer to sell the car themselves and want to get the most amount of money from their used car.
From the buyers perspective, many people prefer to buy from a dealer so that they will have some sort of a limited warranty. But there is a trade off here as well. You can expect to pay more for a used vehicle you buy from the dealer. Many people do not want to spend the time and energy necessary in order to buy a car from a private party.
Car Buying Guide - Car History
When buying a used car, it also is imperative that you use a service which tells you about the important aspects of the history of that car. The best online source for this is CARFAX. By simply using the vehicle identification number (VIN), found on the dashboard and within the documents of the car, they can instantly tell you the important components of the history of any car or light truck.
The CARFAX reports are cheap and they are definitely worth having if you are seriously thinking about buying a used car or truck. One report for one car or truck only costs $25.00, but for $30.00 you can get unlimited reports for as many cars or trucks as you like.
A CARFAX report would provide information on the following:
- Information about the title.
- It will tell you if the car has been in a flood.
- Accident history of the car.
- Odometer issues.
- If the car has a history of being a lemon.
- Emission results from inspections.
- How many owners the car has had.
- Repair/service records
- If the vehicle had any unusual use. For example, was it used as a rental, was it a leased car, was it on a police force, or was it used as a taxi.
- Information about possible duplicate VIN number. Two VIN numbers is a red flag for a stolen car. Below we provide further discussion about this.
For the buyer of any car/truck where you are paying a substantial amount of money, you can prevent buying a problem car by doing a CARFAX on the car. For CARFAX to work, it needs a viable VIN number. But what if the VIN number that is being checked exists on another car. This means that the car you are buying, or the other car which has the same VIN number, is stolen. That is the only reason why a duplicate VIN would exist.
A car thief would prefer to copy the VIN off of another car, and place that VIN on the stolen car, and then reregister that stolen car. The stolen car would not show up as stolen in the police stolen car data bank. CARFAX would let you know if another car has the same VIN number of the vehicle you want to buy. In 2004, duplicate VINs in the United States cost the car insurance industry over 4 billion dollars.
In 2004, 225,000 cars were reported with duplicate VINs. That means higher insurance rates for everyone. To avoid buying a used car with a stolen VIN, check the history of the title. For further information on this subject, watch the following video.
Car Buying Guide - Video: Stealing Your Car’s Identity |
As you can see, if you want to buy a used car in the United States, it is imperative that you check the history of that car. Especially if it is a more expensive used car.
Car Buying Guide - Mechanic Check Out
When buying a used car, make sure that you have a mechanic check it out. If the seller has a problem with this, whether it be a dealer or a private party, walk away and find another car to buy.
It is very common for a mechanic to charge from $50.00 to $150.00 to thoroughly inspect your potential purchase. If you truly want to buy a particular car, and you have decided you will absolutely buy it if it checks out with a mechanic, then the extra cost to have the mechanic inspect the car is worth it. Almost every used car has something wrong with it, an exception to this premise would be cars that are just a couple years old. Usually nothing major is wrong with relatively new cars, but of course there are exceptions to this as well.
Any problem a used car may have may not be apparent to the untrained eye. A mechanic will give you a list of the problems, if any, along with the estimated cost to fix the problems. The amount necessary to fix the problems can be used as a negotiating tool with the seller.
Preferably have a mechanic such as a dealer mechanic, check out the car. You need to have a mechanic check out the car who thoroughly understands the make and model. Some times your local mechanic, is not the preferred mechanic in this situation.
Car Buying Guide - Check Insurance Cost
The insurance that you will need to pay can vary greatly. The following factors will affect the insurance premium for a used car.
- Number of miles driven per year.
If you drive less then 5,000 miles per year, in most states your premium will be lower. - Will the vehicle be driven commercially?
If you drive the vehicle for a living, you will pay a higher premium. - Marital Status
If you are married, your premium should be lower. - Driving Record
If you have had many tickets or accidents, you will pay a much higher premium. Out of all the factors listed here, this one probably has the most affect on your premium. - Make and Model of Vehicle
If you drive a more expensive car, then you can expect to pay a higher premium. - State in Which you Reside
Some states have higher insurance premiums. The highest car insurance premiums can be found in New Jersey, New York, Washington, D.C., Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.
There are other factors that a car insurance company looks at when determining the car insurance premium. Related to our discussion is the make, model, and year of the vehicle factor. When you are selecting a make, model, and year in terms of a used car to buy, keep in mind that the more expensive the car, the higher the insurance premium.
Car Buying Guide - Videos
Car Buying Guide - Service Records
When buying a used car from a private party, it is very important that the seller has complete service records. When a seller tells you that he has had certain things done to fix the car, obviously you need proof. You need to know how much money was put into the car. A lack of service records indicates that the seller is trying to hide something. If you buy a car which lacks service records, you are definitely taking a chance.
If a car has certain parts, which for that particular make and model, always need to be replaced after a certain amount of time, the prudent buyer would like to know if the time has run out for those parts, and if it has, have the parts been replaced. For example, the timing belt on most vehicles, for those that use a timing belt, will last a specific amount of time, and in most vehicles eventually they need to be replaced. Timing belts do not strecth, but they can fail.
The risk of belt failure goes up sharply once a belt surpasses its recommended replacement interval, which is typically 60,000 miles for belts in older vehicles (those built before 1990 to 1998), and 90,000 to 100,000 miles or more for newer vehicles. If you are buying a car which has more then 100,00 miles on it, it would be nice to know if the timing belt has been replaced. For some cars, timing belt failure occurs more frequently, and if you are buying that type of car, it would be nice to know if the tming belt has been replaced. You would only know this by looking at the vehicles service records.
Some cars do not use a timing belt. Some cars use a chain instead of a timing belt. It would be nice to know if the particular vehicle you want to buy uses a timing belt or a chain.
Timing belt replacement is just one example. For the make and model used car you want to buy, you should check if that particular vehicle has chracteristic parts where there is a high likelihood that those parts will need to be replaced further down the road. For the used car that you want to buy, you need to know if those parts have been replaced.
So complete service records are very important when buying a used car. We suggest that if a car does not have service records, do not buy that car.
Car Buying Guide - Negotiate for Lowest Price
When you negotiate, you need to have what are called points of leverage. We have already discussed one point of leverage, and that is the list of items, and itemized costs, of needed repairs that the mechanic gives you when checking the vehicle. Here are some additional points of leverage you can follow for negotiating the lowest price.
- Always tell the seller at the onset that you have the cash and are ready to buy on the spot, but that you need to discuss the price.
- Your initial offer should be low, but not absurdly low.
- Make sure before hand you know how high you will go, and do not exceed that limit.
- Be patient during negotiations. A typical negotiation could take an hour.
If you are buying a used car from a dealer, the dealer will not tell you how much money was put into the car to make it sellable. You can assume that the dealer put in approximately $1,000 into the vehicle. Add this to the trade in value of the car, add $500.00 to this, and this could be your initial offer. At least if you do this you will be in the ballpark, and it is essential to start out the negotiation at a low price.
Car Buying Guide - Purchasing a Slightly Used Vehicle
The process for buying a new car is completely different then the process for buying a used car. Many people like the idea of driving a new car and therefore are willing to pay the higher price for it. If you desire a new car, a wiser choice, even if money is not a prohibitive factor, is to buy a slightly used car. The following is our explanation for this.
A car is something that most people need, but in most cases it is a terrible investment. When you buy a brand new car, as soon as you drive it off the lot after a purchase, the car has already depreciated, usually 20% to 30%. A car, or any vehicle for that matter, loses it’s value rapidly over time. Probably more so than any other purchase you make.
Real estate on the other hand, can increase in value, if bought during a period when home prices were relatively low. Almost all cars lose value over time. Exceptions would be classics and special cars. But most cars lose value.
The wear and tear on a new car during the first couple years is usually minimal. Yet that car in most cases has lost a lot of it’s value. Therefore, why not buy a car that is only 2 or 3 years old, has 10,000 to 30,000 miles on it, has depreciated, and yet is broken in with minimal wear and tear.
Many dealers today have programs in place to sell 2 to 3 year old vehicles. Most dealers provide warranties with these vehicles. So, if you want to buy a new car, consider buying a slightly used car. You will still get basically a new car, but you will save a substantial amount of money.
Car Buying Guide - Conclusion
To buy a used car in the United States there are certain steps you must take in order to prevent problems down the road. Lets summarize these steps:
- Determine the make, model, and year of car you want to buy.
- You need to determine the value of the car you want to buy.
- You need to check the history of the car.
- You need to have a mechanic check out the car.
- Make sure the car has service records.
- You need to negotiate for the lowest possible price.
Taking these proper steps will result in making a problem free purchase, and you reduce the probability of being stuck with problematic car. The American car is woven deeply into the fabric of our society. We rely on the car for work and pleasure. Given the importance of the car in the United States, it is important that you buy a car you are happy with.
The following is the current news about the car buying industry. This should be interesting to both the vendor who sells used cars and the buyer of a used car.
Car Buying Guide - News
CARSguide.com.au | Motoring Hints and Tips
Copyright 2007 News Limited. All rights reserved.
Hints and tips on buying, selling, driving and maintaining your car
Getting the best car rental deal
If you're spending your own money on renting a car, there are pitfalls galore; and it pays to do your homework.
Bagging a bargain
We report on what to look for when buying a car for less than $5000.
Research is the key
Mark Hinchliffe asks what car should young people buy? Simple question, complex answer.
Getting more out of your tank
Getting your vehicle to go as far as possible on the least amount of fuel is going to put dollars back in your pocket ... but how do you do it?
Sorting the right car from the bombs
If you carry out all the right checks before buying a used car, you can rest easy in the knowledge you have covered all the bases and bought a good, sound car.
Use your head when buying used
Common sense and research are keys to taking the trauma out of buying a used car.
Care for your car
Beach towel, beer and bathers aren't the only things to worry about before heading off on your summer holiday. Your car will need some attention first.
Don't slip up in the wet
With such long periods of dry between the rain, it would be timely to brush up on some basic wet-weather driving tips.
How to make the right choice when you start buying
Purchasing your first car doesn't have to be a scary experience.
Tips on selling a car
Before you embark on a process that can be stressful consider whether you want to sell your car privately or trade it in.
First car buyer tips
SCHOOL'S finished. Top of the must-have list is a set of wheels. CARSguide explores the pitfalls confronting first car buyers.
Best and worst value used cars in Australia
USED-car prices are plumbing record lows because of an oversupply caused by booming new vehicle sales.
Buying and selling: what you can expect for your money
YOUNG buyers are usually on a fairly limited budget, which reduces the number of cars available.
Car insurance tips
THERE is more to motoring than simply getting your driver's licence.
10 driving don'ts
If drivers thought about what they do before they start driving each day, road injuries and deaths could be drastically reduced.
How to maintain your car
The key to keeping your car in tiptop shape is regular maintenance from the day you drive it home for the first time.
Most popular first cars and what people look for
FIRST time buyers are not as gullible as some people may believe.
Your diesel questions answered
With petrol prices soaring, CARSguide.com.au looks at the most common questions you might have about the efficiency of diesel.
Slide rule
The use of cruise control in wet or slippery conditions is just inviting disaster as recent incidents have shown.
The importance of servicing your car
Servicing your carregularly will not only add years to itslife but it increases thevehicle's resale valuewhen it comes time totrade in.
How to change a tyre
It is surprising how many people do not know how, or simply do not want to change a flat tyre.
Don't just cruise on
Cruise control systems are becoming common, but turning it on doesn't mean you can switch your brain off.
Are your sunnies unsafe?
Wear the right sunglasses to cut glare, not the pair you think looks most fashionable.
Motoring tips for the holidays
Follow these tips to stay safe on the road this summer.
Spotlight on safety
Lights more specifically, poor lights or no lights contribute to many road deaths in this state.
Toothpaste and kerosene, your car's best friends
Some drivers go to great lengths to keep their cars spick and span.
Caravan safety
Towing a caravan demands a differentmindset and a different driving techniquecompared to simply driving a car.
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