Used Car Buying Tips

By: Paddy Moogan

We have all been there. In the car showroom looking at the endless line of shining used cars, not knowing which one to buy. Then it happens, instead of being left to our own devices to decide which car we like, we get a salesman appear out of no where and pull us towards a certain car. Now Im not saying that all car salesman are out to con you and sell you a used car you dont want. But it is something that most of us have experienced at some point of our lives, therefore it is good to have an awareness of the tricks used by car salesman to get you to buy what they want.

First of all dont let the salesman pull you towards certain parts of a car. Take your time and look at the entire car yourself slowly. Keep a look out for any spots of rust or any different shades of paint that may indicate previous damage to the car. Look at all of the windows and check for any cracks or chips that can develop into serious repair jobs. If the salesman doesnt offer already, ask to take a look at the engine and in the boot. You dont have to be a mechanic to do this, try to look at the salesmans reaction when you ask these questions to see if they are reluctant to show you.

Also make sure to ask for the vehicle history and see how much repair work the car has received. Check the dates and the locations of where the repair work has been carried out to try and see if any of the history has been falsified.

Before you go to look at used cars, be sure to have a rough figure in your head on how much you wish to spend. Also if you have a particular type of car in mind, do a little research in car magazines and online to find out how much a car of that type is currently worth on average. The main thing to remember here is that if you have a budget stick to it. You know how much you can afford to spend, going over this is just not worth it if you get yourself into further debts in the future.

If you find a car that you like and it is within your budget, then the next step is to take the car for a test drive.

On the test drive dont be afraid to push the car a little, safely try some sharp braking to test the response of the brakes. Watch the steering wheel and let it go briefly if it is safe to do so, if the wheel moves to one side without you touching it then there may be a problem with the wheel alignment. Open the window and listen for the sound of the engine when starting it up and when you brake and accelerate. If the car has electric functions test all of them, even if its a sunny day test the window wipers and washers.

Well you have the basics to go into a car showroom and find a great car.

About the Author



Patrick Moogan is the author of http//www.used-car-buying-online.com