Buying a used car is a money saving attempt but if not done right, it might end you costing more with the regular servicing. There are certain things that you need to know before purchasing a used or second hand car.
There are a lot of middle men or dealers who hide a lot of things just for the sake of selling the used car. If you want the car to last for long, here are 15 tips and tricks that will definitely help in making the right choice.
1) One year old cars are much cheaper
It is noticed that a car that is just one year old is much cheaper as compared to cars that are more than a year old. It is highly recommended to pick a car model that is most likely to be just a year old and most for luxurious cars.
2) Petrol engines are cheaper
The cars that are uses and are driven on a petrol engine are cheaper as compared to the diesel engine. However, diesel is cheaper as compared to petrol. It is important to decide what is important for you. Go for petrol engine if you want to make cheaper purchase.
3) Hybrid cars are cheaper to manage
The convenience and comfort of the hybrid cars makes it a lot more comfortable but it is slightly expensive as compared to normal cars. However, the management and maintenance of the hybrid cars does not end up costing you a lot of money and its servicing is also affordable.
4) Find out the sale season
There are times and particular season when the sale pressure is high for a company and that is when the company sells out the used cars at cheaper rates. It is highly recommended to find out the time when you get an used car at comparatively even cheaper price.
5) Make a checklist
Before making the purchase, make a checklist of features and things that you want the car should be having. This helps in narrowing down your options and chooses a used car that is according to your requirement. Things like fuel cost, extra cost, and maintenance cost etc. are all important.
6) Search for more options
Research and finding good options is integral because this is what help you getting the best service. There are many options when it comes to buying a used car and hence things like word of mouth, finding over internet and researching about the car is important.
7) Set a budget
When you decide to buy a used car, always have a budget in place which helps in streamlining things to a great extent. When it comes to the budget make sure you take into the account all sorts of costing that includes price of purchasing the car and its maintenance.
8) Consider the maintenance expanse
This is one of the major things that people tend to ignore and the whole idea of saving money goes haywire. The more or higher is the cost of maintenance of car it is likely that is available for purchase at slightly lower price and end up gradually costing more.
9) Make a comparison between dealers
There are many dealers who deal with used cars and it is better to buy it directly from them than from someone privately. However always compare the dealers, find out their reputation and accordingly approach for finding out a good deal in used cars. The reputation and professionalism of dealer is important.
10) Check for some discounts
There are some discounts that are available with some used car dealers in San Diego, try to get best available deals or discounts. Make a search of all the discounts that you can avail, check the choice of cars personally and then decide gradually if you want to make the purchase.
11) Find out the car’s information
When you choose a car, it is important to find out more technical information about the car. There are important things that you need to consider like the average mileage, overall condition of the car, checklist of the repair, condition of the engine, scratches etc.
12) Drive and check
It is important to drive the care personally and check for the condition of the car. Plan out and decide for what purpose you want to buy the car and find your comfort zone accordingly. While driving, keep a note of things like comfort, pick up power, boot space, brakes etc.
13) Dealers provide better protection
It is an obvious thing that the dealers provide better protection when you purchase the car directly from them. The motive of the private sellers is to get rid of the car and get good money. However, the dealers also have to take care of their reputation and hence provide good protection.
14) Check for additional accessory you need to buy
When you purchase a second hand or used car, there are lot of additional things that you might have to buy. Hence it is better to search for a car that has maximum things that fits your criteria. Make a note of your expenditure when you buy a car and the additional expanse.
15) Insurance
Insurance is one of the most important things that you need to look for. It is always better to purchase a car that already has insurance on it. The insurance can be transferred in such case with the price includes in the overall cost of the car.
Conclusion
It is true that buying a used car is one of the best money saving way but purchasing without a proper research might end up costing you even more than you expected. This is not a good thing as you might have to pay hefty for maintenance.
Always purchase the used car from a reputed car dealer because they make sure to keep no hidden cost and give the best deal. Prepare a checklist of thing you want in your car, check for the car features and services and make sure to take a self drive for final analysis.
Author Bio:
Lisa Mitchell is a San Diego based Auto Financing blogger with many year of experience covered with Car sell/buy in San Diego, Financing and trading Autos. She has started her carrier from Auto City in 2010. Auto City only offers the highest-quality used cars for sale at extremely competitive prices. That special combination of quality and affordability adds up to one thing – real value to you, the customer.