Used Dozers

Okay, a really basic question for you. What make more sense – buying a used car for $8,000 that will cost $5,000 to maintain over the next 3 years, or, buying a car for $8,000 that will cost you $1,500 to maintain over the same period.

The question and answer are simple, but more important than many people realize – you want to pay less in maintenance and repairs. This takes us to the one thing you must know when buying a used car — it’s condition.

Maybe people know this, but like a lot other things that people know, they don’t always act in step with the knowledge. They know that the condition of the car will determine the cost to maintain it over the coming years, but they don’t take the steps needed to determine the condition of the car.

The first step in determining the condition of a used car is too look carefully at its appearance, and be super-diligent when driving the car. Listen for unusual noises and pay attention to how it feels when driving. If it looks good and seems to run well, we can move to the next step.

You need to tell the dealer or private owner that you are taking the car to be inspected by your mechanic. Then, you do it. You take the car to a mechanic you trust and have them inspect the major systems for current problems and hidden problems. Good mechanics know what to look for, but tell him you want him to treat it likes he’s buying the car.

Another point to keep in mind is that lower mileage cars really don’t cost that much more than average or higher mileage versions of the same make/model/year. Take the extra time to find the low mileage car. The average mileage of a car is about 12,000 miles per year. A car driven less than that should require less and less costly maintenance.

There is much hype and confusion about certified used cars. A certified car may be right for you, but know exactly what the certification means. If there’s a warranty know what’s covered and for how long. Even though everything seems right, still have the car inspected.

It won’t cost much to have a mechanic inspect the car you want to buy. Think of it as very low cost insurance. You won’t know everything about the car, but you will know much more about the one thing you need to know – the car’s condition.

Want to find out more about buying used cars, then visit Daytona Beach Used Cars site to get your complimentary Used Car Buyers Guide.

Tags: buying a used car, cars, Used Automobiles, used cars

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 3rd, 2010 at 5:57 pm and is filed under used cars. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.