We all need a car sooner or later, and the best way to save a substantial amount of money is to buy a used car model instead of a brand-new one. However, it is not as easy as it sounds, as a used car automatically comes with numerous factors and pitfalls you need to know in advance and be able to spot in time, so wading in with no experience and buying the first car someone on the street offers you is a costly mistake that you might seriously regret not much later. So here is a quick article to give you a rundown on the basics you should know before starting to scour the market for a ride.

Budget

 

The first thing you want to have locked down is your budget window, which determines how much you can spend to buy a new vehicle. You have to think beyond just the monthly payment here, as that on its own may seem easily affordable, but the total cost of owning the vehicle will also have different factors. Factors like the interest cost on your car loan, how much you will have to pay for insurance for your new ride, and maintenance costs, among other things. It is a great idea to do some research beforehand, like taking a peek into a used car buying guide to just read up on the basics like finding the right insurance coverage and so on. You will want to find a balance between the cost to buy and the cost to own, which means that when you buy an older car, you can naturally expect a lower price too. However, the older and more used the vehicle, the more likely it will need costly repairs, and more of them as time goes on.

 

Finding the Right Ride

 

Shopping for and finding the right used ride is quite a bit more difficult than just getting a new car. When you get a new car that meets your requirements and budget, all you have to do is just throw on your jacket and head to the closest car dealership, listen, and nod to whatever the salesman is saying before closing the deal. A used car is a bit more complicated, as not only do you have to find the right model, you have to find one that is on an attractive sale, does not have too much mileage, is in decent shape, and has been serviced the way it should. Also, you have to thoroughly vet the seller, and make sure you are not being ripped off or cheated. As you can probably tell right now, there is a lot more research involved in evaluating a four-year-old vehicle with 40,000 miles on the odometer than there is for a shiny new ride sitting on a dealer’s lot.

 

Vehicle History Report

 

Unless you are buying from a close friend or relative who can vouch for the car’s history, and whom you trust, you are going to want a vehicle history report, an essential early step. If your new vehicle has a bad history report, the sooner you know, the better, so Carfax or AutoCheck, the most popular sources for history reports, should get a quick visit from you. They contain vital information about the vehicle, like whether it has a salvage title, which means the insurance company has declared it a total loss, or whether the odometer got rolled back. To get this information, you will need the car’s VIN, the Vehicle Identification Number, or in some cases only the license plate number.

 

 

Reach Out to the Seller

 

Once you have found a car that interests you, do not immediately run out the door to see it. Reach out to the seller instead, call or message them, establish a working relationship, and verify the information about the vehicle. Ensure they are trustworthy enough, and ask them questions like why they are parting with the car or whether it has any mechanical issues you should know about. If things go well, set up an appointment for a test drive, as test-driving is the best way to know whether it is the car for you and also a great way to assess its condition. Tune out all the distractions and just focus on the car. Is it comfortable, do you feel good driving it, how does the engine sound, and all other questions?

 

Buying a used car is certainly riskier than buying a brand-new one, but if you know what you are doing, you might save a lot of money and still end up with a fantastic car that will last you for years.