Buying a used car?

As folks who deal with automobiles on a day to day basis, friends and neighbors often ask our opinion before they purchase a pre-owned automobile. Here are a few things we tell the folks who ask us our opinion.

1) Certified used cars form a new car dealership are a good way to buy a used car, but only if the dealership is one who’ll shoot square and fair with you. While you’ll pay more for the car, it’s normally worth it in the fact that the vehicle has been thoroughly checked out, all of the service requirements have been met, and the vehicle carries a warranty.

2) Remember that emotion is most often the deciding factor when one buys an automobile. Knowing this, it’s a good idea to do a little homework before you fall in love with your next car. Here are some links that can really help you with your due diligence.

· www.autobytel.com - find out about recalls and bulletin history.

· www.iihs.org - Insurance Institute for Highway Safety - Vehicle Ratings www.Safercar.gov - defects, recalls, crash test.

· www.nada.com - check the retail price.

· www.carfax.com - check the title history using the VIN#.

· www.edmonds.com - cost of owning a vehicle by year, make and model.

3) Get someone without any emotional investment in your vehicle purchase to take a good look at the car before you decide to buy it. A close friend may question your logic and prevent you from making an unwise choice.

4) If you have a regular mechanic or garage you use, get them to take a quick look at your prospective purchase. An expert eye can spot a problem without a whole lot of effort. If you have any concerns about possible collision damage or improper repairs you should take it to a body shop and have them inspect it. Express Autobody will be glad to do a visual inspection for you at no charge. If there’s a chance there’s more that what may meet the eye. Further inspections can be performed at a very reasonable price.

5) If you are purchasing a vehicle from the original owner ask for maintenance receipts and documentation. If the vehicle’s really been well cared for this will be an easy request to comply with.

6) Talk to your insurance agent about what you’re planning on buying before you make the buy decision. Some companies don’t like to insure certain vehicles, so their rates for those vehicles can be very high.

7) Be very wary of really good deals. Normally that good deal isn’t as good as it may seem. Almost all of the “good deal” transactions involve one party being a fool. The vast majority of the time that fool is the buyer.

8) Know what you can really afford to spend before you go shopping. Remember that being able to make the payments on the car doesn’t always mean you can “afford” it. Maintenance costs, insurance, fuel costs, and other expenses can make what should be an enjoyable experience a miserable time.

9) Don’t buy the first vehicle you find. Shop around. There are times when that first vehicle you look at is really the best deal, but it’s still worth it to do some shopping if just to validate the fact that you really got the best vehicle for your money.

10) Don’t get pressured into buying anything. Even if the vehicle is perfect for you, and even if it’s a better deal than you could have ever dreamed of, you should still sleep on it. While very rarely the perfect vehicle slips away, most often folks who do this discover some fact or circumstance that they were unaware of and end up saving themselves a lot of grief.

11) Be willing to walk away from any deal. This puts you in a much better bargaining position. Just the fact that you’re willing to walk can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

12) Don’t be afraid to ask for a better price. Most of the time when someone determines what they want to ask for a vehicle they do so with the intention of reducing the price if they have to. If you hate to haggle, just ask “What is your bottom price.” If the price isn’t good enough just turn around and walk off. You can always come back later and give them what they were asking. Most of the time the seller will quickly qualify that offer and make you a better one.

Good luck. If there’s anything we can do to help you please don’t hesitate to call. Remember, if ever you have need of a body shop, there’s no better place to go than Express Autobody.