On the outside, the car looked good. Black car with black leather interior, sun roof and of course those “to die for” Bose speakers. I think the Bose speakers and the sun roof were a major draw for him.

Usual Wear and Tear

Of course, when you purchase a 15 year old car Nissan Maxima, you expect for it to have some wear and tear. It has about 100,000 miles on it and needs a tune up, brakes, oil change and the usual. What he didn’t take into consideration was that the car was driven in the “salt belt.” Old cars and salt belt spell rust and corrosion.

Not so Usual Wear and Tear

After purchasing the car (yes, I said after), he had a mechanic friend gave it a once over. He discovered that the bottom of the car is rusting out. There’s excessive corrosion on the underside to the point where it needs to be reinforced so it won’t lose its integrity.

As an ex-football player, he’s not a little guy. Driving around in a car where the bottom is about to fall out isn’t a good thing. The seller of the car (who took the money and ran), must have known the condition of the car. A CARFAX report after the fact is pretty much useless.

School of Hard Knocks

Here’s another car lesson learned via the school of hard knocks. Get the CARFAX and the vehicle inspection before handing over the cash!

Many car buyers understand the importance of obtaining a CARFAX history report (learn how to get a CARFAX report for free) on a vehicle prior to purchase, however, a CARFAX report is only necessary when the final decision is about to be made. Before potential car buyers get to the decision phase, there are preliminary phases they must go through first.

While in the preliminary shopping phase, car buyers are faced with a plethora of purchase options. Most shoppers usually have a good idea of the budgetary limitations and whether or not to buy a private passenger car or a sports utility vehicle, but that doesn’t narrow the playing field very much. Whether the consumer decides to go with a used car or pre-owned sports utility vehicle, the choices are many.

Pre-Owned Vehicle Reputation

A used car’s reputation is one way to help narrow the playing field. Anyone old enough to have lived through or had owned a Ford Pinto can vouch for how a car’s reputation can affect the way shoppers view a car’s reliability. The Ford Pinto won the dubious honor of being included in Time.com’s list of the Worst 50 Cars of All Time. Hardly a vehicle buyers would flock to.

CARFAX Free Safety and Reliability Ratings

Consumers can now avoid purchasing car models with a known history of safety defects and poor reliability. By visiting the CARFAX Safety and Reliability service, car buyers can narrow their used car selection.

The CARFAX service offers safety and reliability ratings for vehicles manufactured from 1991 to current year. The benefit of this service is that car buyers can narrow the pre owned auto playing field. For example, if Suzie happens to browse the morning paper and finds a seemingly great deal on a particular car, she can access the CARFAX safety and reliability ratings to see if that model car has any known safety or reliability problems.

She doesn’t have to wait until she obtains the vehicle identification number before she starts her preliminary auto research. Suzie can go to the CARFAX site, select the year, make and model of the car to find out a host of information to help to her narrow her car selection choices.

Free Used Car Reliability Information

Once a car buyer locates the vehicle in CARFAX’s safety and reliability service, the buyer will gain access to the following reports specific to the auto:

Safety reports from:

• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Crash Test Results
• Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Crash Test Results
• IIHS Low Speed Damage Repair
• Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) Injury, Collision and Theft Indicators
• NHTSA Safety Recalls

Reliability reports from:

• J.D. Power and Associate Ratings
• Identifix Reliability Ratings
• Intellichoice Cost of Ownership & Value Rating
• Original Manufacturer Warranty
• New Car Test Drive Automotive Review
• Vehicle Awards

The vehicle reports are extensive and potential car buyers should allow ample time to review all of the information provided. Depending on the data found in the reports, the consumer can either take it to the next step or go back to the drawing board to find a different car.

New Car vs. Old Car

If you’re buying a used or older car that only costs $500 or $1,000 and you have the money saved up in your account, you can purchase the car out right. In such situations you don’t need a job to buy the car, you just need to have the money to purchase it.

Similarly, if you’re purchasing a new or more expensive car, if you have the money to pay for it, you don’t need to have a job. However, if you need financing in order to purchase the car, you had better have a job.

Banks and other lending institutions do not like lending money to people who don’t have the means to pay them back. They usually like to see that you not only have a job but a good credit rating that will make them feel comfortable enough to lend you the money to purchase the car. If you have poor credit and no job, it will be tough to finance a car purchase.

Car Related Expenses

No matter what type of vehicle you buy, whether new or used, there are car related expenses. You may not need a job to buy the car but it costs money to register and insurance the car.

If you have someone funding your expenses such as a parent or spuse, then no, you don’t need the job to buy or maintain your car. Unfortunately, most of us are not so lucky. We have to work to pay the bills that are associated with car ownership.

With the rising gas prices, you bet that you’ll need a job to pay for gas, oil changes, regular maintenance and the monthly or annual insurance bills.

To sum it up: It’s not absolutely necessary to have a job in order to buy a car as long as you have the financial wherewithal to cover all of your expenses. If you don’t, then you need to have a job.

According to Edmunds.com, the Hyundai Elantra was awarded the annual Used Car Best Bet award. Because of their safety, reliability and availability Hyundai Elantras along with 14 other select few vehicles were given the prestigious award.

Edmunds provides a listing other top performers by category. If you’re looking for a Minivan, you’re pretty safe choosing a Honda Odyssey manufactured in the years 2003-2008. However if your more of a pick up truck type of driver, the compact Toyota Tacoma (2003-2008) or the large Ford F-150 (2003-2008) are winners.

Here’s Edmunds listing of the 2010 Used Car Best Bet awards:

Searching for a used car can sometimes be a crap shoot, but selecting a vehicle from the list above may help to stack the odds in your favor. For more information on how Edmunds chooses its winners and more details about each winner, visit their website.

The Other Way Around

The American and Indian consumers should take a page out of the Chinese car buying book. Save money and buy cash. Why go into debt over a commodity that starts to depreciate the moment you get into it.

Because the Chinese consumer prefers to save money and buy items only when they can afford it, I wonder how much money on advertising, rhetoric and persuasion the large auto companies will have to shell out in order to sway the Chinese public to abandon long standing traditions.

Struggling American Families

The American spendthrift mantra of buy now, pay later doesn’t always work. Too many Americans are paying now for foolish impulsive spending earlier. If the Chinese consumer is smart, all they have to do is look at a few American families who are living paycheck to paycheck as a result of their buy now pay later habits.

To the Chinese car buying public I say…Resist!

When a manufacturer releases a redesign of a particular car model, the older version drops in value. It doesn’t drop in reliability, efficiency or any of the things that really matter, it drops in value because it no longer looks, feels and smells like the latest and greatest edition of the style (if the Jonses purchase the latest model car, everyone wants to keep up with them).

If you’re truly looking for value in your new car (not just to keep up with the Jonses), check out Edmunds Upcoming Model Year calendar l when you begin shopping for your used car. Knowing which models have undergone a total redesign will be very helpful in getting a good deal on the newly outdated older model.

The old fashioned practice of “kicking the tire” and going with your gut seem to place a distant third, fourth or fifth when buying a car. After all, who can kick a tire of a car bought through eBay that is shipped hundreds of miles to your door? Don’t let technology replace the human factor when buying a used car.

Here are a few old fashioned car buying basics that worked back in the stone age:

1. Actually test drive the used car. Shopping online is fine, but you won’t be able to tell if the car smells like a dog pound if you don’t get into it.
2. Bring it to a trusted mechanic. Don’t let CARFAX make that determination for you. Although CARFAX is a great tool, it is not all knowing and all telling. CARFAX can only report information that was available and reported to them. Some things are just not public knowledge (like the back door must be jimmied in order for it to open).
3. Trust your gut. Too many times we allow the used car sales person, online information and our desire for the car to cloud our judgment. After researching, driving and inspecting the car, spend some quiet time. If you give yourself enough time, that quiet little voice, or feeling in the pit of your stomach can help you to determine if you should buy the car.

Remember, technology is there to help you make the decision, not make the car buying decision for you.

They have recently announced that they will recall an additional 379,758 US vehicles to fix the driver side airbag. Apparently there is a problem with the airbag inflator which may cause it to deploy using too much force thus causing injury or even death to the driver.

Honda first issued a recall in 2009 which affected some 2001 and 2002 model year cars, but recently they expanded the recall to include the 2001 and 2002 Accord, Civic, Odyssey, CR-V and some 2002 Acura TL, Honda Pilot and Acura CL vehicles.

Find out if Your Honda is Affected

Honda is working diligently to notify drivers of the recall. They are sending notifications by mail. If you’re not willing to wait for your mail notification, you can go online to find out if your car is affected.

Honda owners can find out more about Honda recalls by visiting the Honda Recall  website or calling 800-999-1009. Similarly, Acura owners can learn more about Acura recalls by visiting the Acura recall  website or calling 800-382-2238.

Make sure to have your vehicle identification number (VIN) when visiting the site to obtain information specific to your vehicle.

Fixing the Airbag Problem

If your vehicle requires repair, make an appointment with the nearest authorized Honda dealership to have the defect repaired as soon as possible.

Let’s start with the Used Vehicle Information Packet. This handy little packet provides potential buyers with the basic information required to help make a car buying decision.. The Used Vehicle Information Packet (UVIP) contains the following info:

1. Description of vehicle which includes:
   • VIN (vehicle identification number)
   • Year, make model
   • Plate number
   • Color
   • Body type
   • Number of cylinders
   • Power
   • Brand
   • Status (such as suspended, unfit or wrecked)
2. Ontario vehicle history
3. Outstanding liens
4. Odometer info
5. Wholesale and retail values
6. Sales tax requirements
7. Bill of sale
8. Tips on vehicle safety standard inspections

This is a pretty comprehensive packet of information. There are some instances where this information is not required, for example when transferring the car to a spouse or child. However, to be absolutely sure of whether or not it is required, contact the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.

Where to Get the UVIP Packet

The packet is available for sale from any office that issues driver and vehicle licenses or it can be purchased online from Service Ontario . The UVIP must be shown to all prospective buyers and finally given to the party that purchases the used car.

• Who are you buying the car for?
• What is your auto purchasing budget?
• Where do you live and where will the car be driven
• Why do you need to buy a car?
• When you need the car?
• How are you going to pay for the car?

I don’t want to sound like a killjoy, but sometimes answering the above questions you might find that you don’t really need a car…at least not now.

You’ll find that the 5W’s and one H may overlap when thinking it through, but I’ll try my best to keep them separated.

Who are you buying the car for? Who is the primary driver?

Buying a car for a newly licensed teenager might require different features than buying one for a mom with four children than buying one for a single business man who is on the road visiting client after client. A teenager in a minivan is just as undesirable as a mom with four kids in a two seater and a traveling business man with a gas guzzler.

Take the time to take a realistic look at your situation. You may fancy yourself as a ‘player’ and buy a sexy sleek car, but once you drive it home, your wife meets you in the doorway looks at you with hands on hips and tells you to take it back. “And where are the kids supposed to fit?”

What is Your Auto Purchasing Budget?

Take a realistic look at your budget before you go to a dealership. Auto sales people are great at selling. If you’re not firm with your budget, they’ll have you overextended in no time. Go to Bankrate.com and use their auto loan calculator.  It will give you a good idea of just how much car you can afford (knowing your credit standing will also be a help).

Where So You Live and Where Will the Vehicle Be Driven?

Let’s get basic, if you live in New York City or any other large city, think twice about buying a car. If you can get away taking the subway, bus, taxi or walking, you should do so. It’s a lot cheaper and healthier. However, if you don’t have the luxury of a reliable transportation system and you must use a car to get around, consider the type of driving (local or highway), the weather conditions (Miami vs. Buffalo) and parking availability.

The cold and snowy conditions in Buffalo make 4 wheel drive vehicles a necessity, while the Miami warmth makes convertibles more attractive (be careful of sun burn). If you live in more moderate areas, you get to pick the best of both options.

Why do You Need a Car?

Can you get away with renting a car occasionally or do you really need the full time expense of a car. The convenience of owning a car comes along with a lot of expense. If you can survive without one, renting on occasion, you might be better off.

When do You Need to Buy a Car?

It’s better to buy a car near the end of the year when dealerships are anxious to get rid of their inventory to make room for the following year’s new models. According to CNN the day after Thanksgiving, known as Black Friday, is the best day to buy a new car.

Edmonds.com has a handy article on When to Buy Your Next Car. They mention tricks like, come in 15 minutes before closing to get a good deal; rainy days because most car buyers won’t come out in the rain, end of the month because dealers are trying to meet their quota and a few other tips. Check out the article to see if you can employ some of their money saving tips.

How Are You Going to Pay for the Car?

This question ties into the “What is your budget?” question. If you have cash, then you know exactly what your budget is and you won’t incur interest charges financing a pre-owned car. However, if you’re going to seek auto financing, make sure to do your homework first by pulling your credit report to get an indication of exactly how much car dealerships are willing o finance.

Sorry for being so long-winded, but I had to get that out of the way. Next we’ll address things that most folks don’t consider when buying a used car. Things like gas mileage, car safety, car reliability, used car history and a host of other things.