The time is right for you to buy a car and you’ve got one picked out, but you need to take a step back and make sure you don’t make the same car buying mistakes so many others have made before you. There are reasons why people sell cars independently and there are items that you need to consider before you ever purchase a car that’s meant for you to drive. If you’re looking for a project car you might not need all these tips, but if this is going to be your only form of transportation it’s a good idea to check out the video linked at the bottom of this article.
Pre-Purchase Inspection – No matter where you found your used gem you need to have it checked out by a certified mechanic. Let them show you what’s wrong with the car and perform an inspection before you ever agree to buy the vehicle. If the owner won’t allow you to do this, move on to another car, this one likely has problems that you don’t want.
Research – Do your homework on a car using a variety of sources that can tell you what you should expect from the car and maybe will even suggest alternatives to the one you’ve chosen. Just because you like the look of a car doesn’t mean you’ll enjoy the way it feels or drives. Check it out with research first to make sure this is the car that will fit your lifestyle the best.
Test Drive – Take the car for a test drive and make sure it feels and operates the way you want and expect it to. This is extremely important when buying any vehicle. Just because one review says something about a car doesn’t mean that’s how you’ll feel about it and with used vehicles this gives you a chance to take the car out for a drive and look and listen for any problems it may have.
Drive Multiple Cars – Even if you know which car model you want to buy, drive a few of the same model and figure out which one feels the best to you. This not only gives you the feel of different cars it also puts you in a much better negotiating position when it comes to the car you ultimately end up buying because you can negotiate the price down between different dealers of the same car.
Don’t Consider only New Vehicles – A good used vehicle will have already depreciated considerably and make it much more affordable on you to purchase. This is the case in cars that are of the same model year but have been owned for six to twelve months with much greater depreciation occurring in cars that have been around for three to five years already. Find the right car for you and make sure you don’t overpay just because you want a new car.
Now that you have some tools to help you purchase your first car, enjoy this video and then head out there and make sure you have the right car for you.
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