7 Tips for Buying a Used Car

Posted on by Defensive Driving | in Car Stuff, Defensive Driving Online

Buying a used car is a great way to save money, but it can be a difficult task if you don’t know exactly what you are looking for. If you don’t know much about cars, you might end up overpaying for a car that is nothing but a piece of junk. But if you go into the process with at least a basic knowledge of what you should be looking for, you will have a much better experience and come out of it with a better deal and a better car. Here are seven tips for buying a used car.

1. Figure Out What You Need Before You Start Looking

Looking for a good car can be an overwhelming process at best, but if you go into without knowing what you are looking for, you can come out of it a lot worse for wear. A car is a big investment, and the last thing you want is to end up spending a large amount of money on the wrong car.

2. Decide Whether to Go With a Dealer or Individual Seller

There are two main ways to buy a used car. You can either go to a used car dealer, or you can buy one from an individual seller. If you choose the latter, the chances are that you will probably have found it online. This means that you know very little about the person who is selling the car, so you will want to be extra thorough with your checks and the questions that you ask. Used car dealers often get a bad rap, but you can often get a good deal by using one, and the benefit of using a dealership is that you can often get a warranty or option to return the car if it doesn’t work out.

3. Test Drive

You should never buy a car that you have never driven. Make sure that you give the car a test drive before you buy it. Even better than this, use the test drive to take it to a mechanic and have the car checked out. Have the mechanic do a check under the hood and a general sweep of the car to make sure that there are no serious problems that could cost you later.

4. Do Some Research

Once you are looking at a car, you will want to research that particular make and model. Check the car’s blue book value, and see how much a car with that many miles should be worth. If the seller is charging a much higher price, you may want to look elsewhere. However, they may be open to negotiation.

5. Check the Mileage

Before you can research the car, you will want to know its mileage, so that you can compare it to other cars of the same age. Extremely high or low mileage might be indicative of something else, so be sure to ask why this is the case if you notice strange mileage.

6. Ask About Accident and Service History

A car might have good mileage, but had a really rough go of it. Ask about the car’s history in terms of how many accidents and repairs have been done on the car. This will help you to know if there are any recurring problems that might show up again in the future.

7. Don’t Settle for the First Offering Price

When it comes to buying used cars, the initial asking price is rarely the final one. Based on what you have discovered through research, you should be well placed to offer a lower price than the one that is offered. Do not get too carried away however, as not everybody is trying to rip you off!
 
Click here to find a course near you
 

|

Customer Reviews

Defensivedriving.com has a ShopperApproved rating of 4.6 based on 134969 ratings and reviews.

Thomas Sowell None, united states
Good
Vanessa Barrera
Easy and managable
Galiguer Manjarrez united states
it was efficient
Sallie Elliott TEXAS, united states
So far easy site to navigate
Mario Navarro Gonzalez Texas, united states
Thanks
Jose Gonzalez None, united states
super easy to start and very upfront
Channing Quincy None, united states
Good
Faith Edwin iyoha None, united states
it was easy and fast
AMITAVA CHATTERJEE None, united states
Good
Payton Cummings None, united states
Quick and easy
Stephanie DeSandro None, united states
Easy to use and pay.
Marc Meza None, united states
Fast and easy
Syed Ahmed None, united states
Simple and easy
Michael Meadows None, united states
Good
Barbara Cespedes Texas, united states
Greato
Gary Flores TX, United States
Registration was easy. But I am unable to get video to work.
Stephen Vasquez None, united states
Good so far. Should have survey at end of course.
Robert Arriaga Texas, United states
Good
JAMIE THIBODAUX Texas, United States
Signing up was easy, I'm about to take my course now!
Angel Memije Monge None, united states
its okay
Conrad Denton None, united states
You guys are awesome!
timothy stout united states
It's good
Michael Borrego None, united states
So far so good. Hope it goes pretty quick.
Marlin Foster None, united states
great job
Jamia Benjamin Texas, united states
Good
Ediover Lacle Garland tx , united states
Excelente
Sidney Smith None, united states
SIgning up was easy
John Simpson None, united states
Easy to use.
Eric Talley None, united states
It seems very easy and straight forward
Jackson Herber None, united states
Simple
Catherine Kong None, united states
Easy
BRIANNA ALLEMAN TX, united states
Easy to use and follow along.
Rhonie Robin united states
Smooth
Ashley Burch Texas , united states
It's cheap and good
Guillermina Hernandez None, united states
excellent
Rachel Maxted None, united states
Great
See all reviews on shopperApproved.com
Why DefensiveDriving.com
  • 20 Years in Business
  • Over 2 Million Customers Served
  • Highest Possible Better Business Bureau Rating
  • Award Winning Course