About Used Cars

This is short and sweet.

Here’s lesson 101 on what not to do when buying a used car!

‘Nuff Said.

The internet has made it virtually easy to buy a used car. With tools like CARFAX reports, Kelly Blue Book values, Edmunds reliability ratings, Government sites that list vehicle fuel economy and more consumers can caught up in information overload and forget about the old fashioned basics.

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.

Anyone in the market for used car understands that one of the first things you to figure out is how much you can afford and whether or not the car that you’re looking at is worth the money.

The Internet has made it so much easier for folks to determine a used car’s value. You don’t have to rely on the price as set at the dealership or the asking price from a private party. With a few mouse clicks, you can find out for yourself whether or not the asking price is within reason.

Kelley Blue Book Value

Just about everybody knows and respects the folks that put together the Kelley Blue Book. Now you can determine a car’s Kelley Blue Book value online for free. All you need to do is visit the Kelley Blue Book and click on the used car link.

Once you’re on the used car page, select the year, make and model for the car you’re interested in. If you’re not quite sure what type of car you want, use the “Select Car Category” option. That way you can browse the value of sedans, SUV’s, luxury cars and more.

Before you can go any further, you must decide what type of valuation you want. Car value differs depending on the situation. A private sale price differs from a dealership price which differs from a trade in price. Before you can go much further in calculating the used car value, select one of the valuation methods. You can always come back and re-evaluate the car’s price. As a matter of fact it is recommended that you do.

Used Car’s Special Features

To get an accurate price quote, you should get a list of the car’s features from the dealership or seller. Although listing car features is not absolutely mandatory, it will help you to get a realistic value for the used car. Features such as heated front seats, alloy wheels or even a built in MP3 player all help to increase the value of the car. The more information you tell Kelley Blue Book, the more accurate the number.

After inserting the features, insert the car’s condition. You have four choices: excellent, good, fair and poor (if the car’s condition is poor, I think you need to choose a different car). Once you select the condition, Kelley Blue Book will display your car’s value.

Car Price Negotiation

Before you leave your computer to begin negotiating prices with the seller, do a VIN check. If you have the vehicle identification number, insert it in the VIN check box below the car price to get a free VIN check.

In addition to a VIN Check, you might as well take a quick look at the used cars for sale in the Kelley Blue Book database. Look through the database to find comparable cars to use as a basis for negotiating the price with the dealership.

Isn’t Technology Great?

Way back in the Stone Age, determining a used car’s Blue Book Value was relegated to those who actually owned a copy of the book. Now you can check car values for free online in a matter of minutes.