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Buy a Cheap Used Car – Not a Crappy Used Car (Part 3 Of 3)

April 25, 2007 | Leave a Comment


By Steve Faber

continued from part 2

Check the tires for uneven wear. If the tires need to be replaced soon, that may not be a trivial expense on many cars. You could spend $350 – $600 on a new set of treads, mounted and balanced. It may also be indicative of a greater problem, such as a suspension or alignment issue. It could also mean the car has been wrecked in the past and not repaired correctly. The car’s tires are extremely important to vehicle safety, handling, braking and acceleration however, so don’t skimp if you do have to put on a new set of tires. Just be sure you use the fact in your negotiations.

You need to decide where you want to look for your car. You can choose a private party. You can often get a great deal from a private party. See if you can discover their reason for selling the car. Some insight here may determine if you have a highly motivated seller and give you the upper hand in the negotiation. Another benefit to buying through a private party is that you’ll often get the car’s service records. These can boost the resale for you later and shed light on any past problems.

You can obviously buy from a dealer. There are hundreds of lots brimming with great used cars in most metro areas. You won’t get as good a deal from a dealer (?) in most cases, but you won’t have to meet 46 different sellers either. In addition, you can possibly get some kind of warranty of the dealer offers one. If you do elect to avail yourself of a warranty, read the entire contract very, very carefully. Many of them only cover things such as internally lubricated parts, and leave other areas of the car uncovered.

The other downside of buying your used car from a used car dealer is actually dealing with the dealer. Many of us have an aversion to sitting at the sales desk, or in the F & I office, and with good reason. In many cases, we’re getting taken advantage of. Face it, the sales person negotiates car deals for a living. They do it dozens of times a week. You, on the other hand, may only find yourself in that position every few years.

You can also buy your cheap, used car from an auction. There are many different kinds of vehicle auctions. Many law enforcement agencies sell off vehicles confiscated according to property forfeiture laws. These laws allow the agencies to keep property of those arrested for a variety of crimes, particularly drug crimes. If the perp had pride in his ride, you can get a very nice vehicle. Other auctions are held to dispose of vehicles seized by customs officials, abandoned at towing yards, or to satisfy tax liens. You can also find fantastic deals at auctions held to liquidate vehicle fleets of large businesses, such as phone and utility companies. It’s not uncommon for vehicles to be sold for far lower than they would in any other marketplace, often at only pennies on the dollar..

The downside of auctions is, you guessed it, you know nothing about these cars. In addition you can’t drive them in most  cases. In the cases where you can drive them, you’ll only be permitted to take them for a slow spin around the auction yard. Another downside is inventory selection at many vehicle auctions. The selection can range form outstanding to very limited. You know what, though? Many used cars on dealer lots are found at auctions. The dealers keep this little secret tucked safely away inside their little book of tricks. If you could get your new car at an auction you could pay what the dealer’s pay, sometimes less.

Next time you need to buy a cheap, used car, remember there is one for you out there somewhere. You just need to find it. Remember, cheap and good!

About the author:
For more resources that’ll help get you that great, cheap, used car you really want, without getting taken to the cleaners, see the How to Buy a Cheap Used Car Guide. You could save thousands dollars and endless frustration.






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Related Posts:

 Buy a Cheap Used Car – Not a Crappy Used Car (Part 1 Of 3)  Buy a Cheap Used Car – Not a Crappy Used Car (Part 2 Of 3)  Where to Buy Cheap Used Cars (Part 2 Of 2)  Buy Your Next Car At Auction And Save (Part 1 Of 2)  Buy Your Next Car At Auction And Save (Part 2 Of 2) 



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