Really?
100+ tips for used-car shoppers?
Maybe. Maybe not. Depends on how confident 鈥� and experienced 鈥� you are buying used, we suppose.
But those shoppers who are neither may want to consider the compilation from experts at Edmunds.com, a well-known online resource for automotive information.
And even if you are confident and/or experienced, you may pick up some ideas you can use.
While a little heavy on promotion of the resources available at Edmunds, the list is wildly ambitious, delving into virtually every aspect of the used-car-buying process from getting auto loan pre-approval (No. 1) to remembering that private-party purchases are 鈥渁s is鈥� (No. 106).
Edmunds takes you from 鈥�Getting Started鈥� to 鈥淲here to Shop,鈥� 鈥淭ips on Pricing,鈥� 鈥淰ehicle History Tips,鈥� 鈥淭est-Drive and Inspection Tips,鈥� 鈥淣egotiating,鈥� 鈥淏uying a Used Car at a Dealership,鈥� 鈥淔inalizing a Private-Party Used Car Deal鈥� and 鈥淗andling Private-Party Complications.鈥�
Among the more entertaining tips are:
- 31 鈥� Some used cars listed in classified car ads are being sold by curbstoners. These fly-by-nighters resell cars they have purchased from a variety of low-level sources …
- 38 鈥� Some used-car dealers present the Kelley Blue Book price as though it has been written in stone. In fact, Kelley is just one of many pricing guides 鈥�
- 61 鈥� Bring golf clubs or other large items you often carry to test the cargo area鈥檚 capacity …
- 66 鈥� Don鈥檛 test-drive a car in the rain or snow if you can help it. You won鈥檛 get a true feeling for how the car drives under normal conditions 鈥�
- 78 鈥� As hard as this may be, don鈥檛 show enthusiasm for the car. This weakens your negotiation stance. Use your best poker face.
- 90 鈥� Just as you do with a new car, you’ll conclude your used car purchase at a dealership’s finance and insurance (F&I) office. If you’ve had a long negotiation, you might be tired. But be sure to keep on your toes. Don’t sign a purchase contract just to “get it over with.”
Although you may think all of this would lead to information overload, just remember that purchasing a vehicle is the second-largest purchase most people will make.
If that鈥檚 not worth a little research, what is?
Even if you don鈥檛 use all of them.
