Buying a used car is one good option if you need or want a car, but are on a relatively tight budget. However, you might have some fears or doubts because you've heard stories of people buying used cars that end up more trouble than they're worth. While such are indeed a regretful experience, there are also many people who have bought used cars and found great value. You can totally avoid a bad buy, provided you take the necessary care in choosing a used car.
Edmunds, an established resource of automotive-related information, published a guide in buying a used car. The steps go like this: establish your budget, build a used car target list, check reviews and prices, locate used cars that are for sale within or near your area, acquire and examine the vehicle history report, call the seller, take the car for a test-drive, have a pre-purchase inspection, negotiate for the best deal, and conclude the deal.
Narrowing Your Target List
There are many things you can do to make the said steps easier. In building your target list, it would be good to narrow it down as much as possible. The later step of locating used cars in your area helps with this. If you are in New Orleans, only looking at used cars in New Orleans or maybe nearby areas will definitely narrow down your choices. Another thing you can do is set your preference--the type and brand of car comes to mind. The fewer targets on your list, the more time you can allot for inspecting each car.
Resisting Impulse
The overall guiding principle in following the steps is to prevent impulse buying, and you should apply it to every step, especially in inspection. One of the steps is to have the car inspected by an expert, but you'd probably want to also do your own inspection. If you are impulsive, you might fall into inspecting the car in an unfavorable condition.
Additional Tip
When looking for available used cars in New Orleans, you might also be in the process of selling your current car. Selling the car yourself might get you the most possible money but it takes a good deal of time and effort. One of your options is to do a trade-in. You can contact car dealerships that serve New Orleans and nearby areas, such as Baldwin Subaru, to know more about the process of trade-ins.
(Source: 10 Steps to Buying a Used Car, Edmunds, May 27, 2014)
