Buying a used car is not unlike giving birth: It’s exciting but can also be quite painful.
The good news is, buying a used car makes a lot of financial sense. Because new cars typically depreciate as soon as you drive them off the lot, buying a late model used car means you can get a solid vehicle for a fraction of the price.
The bad news is, unless you do your due diligence, you can wind up with a real lemon that ends up costing you as much in repairs as a new car would have.
To save you a painful experience, here are some things you need to consider when buying a used car.
1. Know How Much You Can Afford
A used car can cost as little as $3,000 or as much as $15,000. You can pay cash for it or get financing and pay the loan off in monthly …show more content…
It’s always a good idea to bring a friend or family member on the test drive to have a second pair of eyes and ears.
4. Get it Inspected
Getting a used car inspected by professional mechanics is not just a good idea, it is mandatory, or at least it should be. While things may have sounded and felt perfectly fine during that test drive, there are still plenty of potential issues that only a mechanic will be able to spot.
If you don’t have a mechanic you trust to inspect the vehicle for you, InstaMek can send a mechanic to your home or office to do the job. We use a thorough inspection checklist and can give you an estimate on any repairs we feel the car will need. Our only goal is to give you the absolute truth about the car you’re thinking of buying. If you’ve fallen madly in love with the car, that won’t stop us from doing our job and telling you you’ve fallen in love with a lemon, though we’ll break the news as gently as we can and offer a shoulder if you need it.
5. Get a Vehicle History Report
Even if the person who’s selling the car (with the honest eyes and nice smile) tells you it has never been in any accidents, don’t take them at their word. Instead, go to a website like Carfax.com to find out the full accident and insurance history. Better safe than
The good news is, buying a used car makes a lot of financial sense. Because new cars typically depreciate as soon as you drive them off the lot, buying a late model used car means you can get a solid vehicle for a fraction of the price.
The bad news is, unless you do your due diligence, you can wind up with a real lemon that ends up costing you as much in repairs as a new car would have.
To save you a painful experience, here are some things you need to consider when buying a used car.
1. Know How Much You Can Afford
A used car can cost as little as $3,000 or as much as $15,000. You can pay cash for it or get financing and pay the loan off in monthly …show more content…
It’s always a good idea to bring a friend or family member on the test drive to have a second pair of eyes and ears.
4. Get it Inspected
Getting a used car inspected by professional mechanics is not just a good idea, it is mandatory, or at least it should be. While things may have sounded and felt perfectly fine during that test drive, there are still plenty of potential issues that only a mechanic will be able to spot.
If you don’t have a mechanic you trust to inspect the vehicle for you, InstaMek can send a mechanic to your home or office to do the job. We use a thorough inspection checklist and can give you an estimate on any repairs we feel the car will need. Our only goal is to give you the absolute truth about the car you’re thinking of buying. If you’ve fallen madly in love with the car, that won’t stop us from doing our job and telling you you’ve fallen in love with a lemon, though we’ll break the news as gently as we can and offer a shoulder if you need it.
5. Get a Vehicle History Report
Even if the person who’s selling the car (with the honest eyes and nice smile) tells you it has never been in any accidents, don’t take them at their word. Instead, go to a website like Carfax.com to find out the full accident and insurance history. Better safe than