If you have ever gone car shopping, you may have experienced the sticker shock of looking at the prices on brand new vehicles. In this situation, many buyers realize that what they are really looking for is a great used car. A used car is a great option for drivers because the payment and insurance options are more flexible and affordable than with a new car. Here’s a few tips to get you started and hopefully make the used car buying process as painless as possible.
New/Used Car Dealerships
The first option that should be looked at would have to be new car dealerships that also sell used cars. These businesses can be a little more expensive than the smaller car lots, but they usually get first choice at auctions and they usually only take trade-ins from people that are buying new cars that have treated their cars well and kept them in great shape.
They do sometimes offer people buying new cars to bring in “any car you can push, pull, or tow” to their lot, but in reality, the cars from those customers are usually sent to a scrap yard and the dealerships don’t waste the time on refurbishing them. They only keep the best trade-ins and make sure that you’ll get a quality car you can count on. The only problem with these big dealerships is the price: even a used car can be surprisingly expensive relative to other options. If prices are an issue, here are a couple more options.
Used Car Lots
“Buy here/pay here” places and used car dealer in Troy MI can be a great opportunity to find a reasonably priced car with easy payment plans compared to the big dealerships. You’ll have to be very selective on what you buy and may have to get a car that you’re not 100% happy with the color and/or style, but if you’re open to giving a little bit, they are great options to get you an affordable and reliable car.
Talk to the salespeople and let them know that reliability is necessary and see if they offer warranties on certain cars and choose from those cars. These lots usually won’t extend warranty coverage on cars they are not 100% certain of, so those are the cars you want. The warranties are usually quite inexpensive and will only add a small amount to your payment.
Classified Ads/Private Sellers
If you live in a larger city or community, you can probably find a couple of web sites or local magazines that specialize in letting owners post classified ads of their cars, many of which are in great shape from reliable owners. They simply have a new car or they want a quick sale just to not have the responsibility of maintaining care of that extra car. Most of them want to just get rid of the second car and will accept a lot less than what they are asking if you show them that you’re a serious buyer.
These sites and magazines are a great option if you’re looking for a quick buy, and they offer you a wide variety of sellers that can get you driving a reliable car with very little complications in the buying process. Just make sure the owners seem responsible and the car is in good shape. Most sellers will have no problem with letting you take it to your mechanic to do a quick check-up on it before you buy it. Look for those types of sellers because they have faith in what they are selling you. Good luck and happy shopping!