ALT-1 The best Places to Find used Cars for Sale
The purchase of a brand new car ,for most of, is just a dream. It is of course the best way of buying a car for the simple reason that you know it's history . Unfortunately as soon as you take possession of your car the price you have to pay for being the first to own that car is called depreciation. Year after year the value of your car continues to slide until it becomes worth a fraction of what you paid for it.
I would say that the history of a car should be the most important factor in deciding to purchase a second hand car. The first place to search for a second hand car would be your relatives who are deciding to trade in their car. Not only would you know whether or not the car has been in an accident but also you would know how the car has been treated. You should also be able to negotiate a fair price.
Thousands of dollars can be saved if you have sufficient funds to wait until a new model comes out and the car dealers are offering big discounts to clear the old model. Swallow your pride. The new model may be quite an improvement on the run out model but generally speaking you will find the price of the new car has increased. You are still getting a new car plus warranty and most important you are the one to establish the car's history.
Next on the list I would look at cars that are used as "demonstrators" These cars are offered below new price because a variety of people have driven them beforehand in order to make a decision to go ahead with purchase. These cars would have low mileage , warranty and again offered at a price well below the cost of a new car.
Are you a mechanic? Is some relative a mechanic? Do you know a friendly mechanic? If so then a motor vehicle auction may be the place to go. To purchase a car at an auction may be a costly affair however it is probably the cheapest place to find a used car. Try to establish the car's history if you can and use all your skills to try an determine how the car has been treated. Seek advice as to what to look for at a car auction. Basically keep your fingers crossed that if you do purchase a car at an auction you don't end up with a car requiring extensive and expensive repairs.
Secondhand car yards may be a safer way of selecting a secondhand car rather than taking a gamble at a motor vehicle auction. It should be not be too difficult to obtain details of the previous owner and it may also be possible to obtain a reason for why the car was traded in. Be wary of a car that is offered for sale where there is no log book or the log book indicates that the previous owner lived far away in some other state. Naturally you would want an independent mechanical inspection done on the vehicle before purchase and insist upon a written guarantee from the car yard specifying the duration of the warranty and what was actually covered. It may be worth your while to discuss who would carry out the repairs if for some reason a part was discovered to be faulty under warranty. Some car yards may insist on their own repairers who may not carry out repairs to your satisfaction.
Newspapers are full of private owners wishing to sell their car. I am always wary of private car sales. If you have a car yourself and it drives perfectly well why would you want to sell?If on the other hand you have a car and know that certain parts which will require expensive repairs in the not to distant future are on the way out , you would want to sell that car well and truly beforehand. Come in sucker. Buy a car from a private seller and you could well be the person that has to pay the expensive repairs. Definitely have this car independently inspected before purchase but try to have a mechanic accompany you prior to any indication to purchase to see if there are any obvious faults in the car.
With the advent of the computer there are now numerous sites which offer cars for sale. This method is rapidly becoming the best way of seeking a secondhand car without having to do any leg work. You can hone in on several cars which you may want to inspect. You also have the benefit of knowing the asking price ,level of equipment and have a wide choice of car color.
It all gets back to the history of the car which I have previously stated in my opinion is the single most important factor in making a decision to purchase a car. If doesn't matter where you buy your car if you buy a "pig in a poke." If you don't know the meaning of "to buy a pig in a poke" then I suggest to do so otherwise you could find yourself with a "lemon" instead of a "pig." Don't know what a "lemon" is? Buy a car without proper care and you soon will.
