A car is important to living a successful lifestyle because it provides transportation to work and other activities. Getting a deal on a used car is a wonderful way to go about purchasing a car for a variety of different reasons. From saving you money to giving you a less expensive method of transportation, a used car is the route you want to take to buying a car and getting a deal on one will help you financially. If you’re interested in saving money, finding a great deal and helping to secure your financial security through a vehicle like a car, read on to see these tips on how to get a great deal on used cars in modesto.
Why Buy Used?
Before explaining why getting a deal on a used car is important and how to do it, many people don’t know the benefits of buying a used vehicle. The best reason to do it is that new cars start to lose their value the moment you drive them off of the lot. The value that they lose is a significant amount and in some cases, they can lose half of their value immediately.
Financially, a new car doesn’t make a lot of sense to invest in for this reason. You want your money to last longer in the long run by purchasing items that hold their value or increase in value. Buying a used car is great because you can easily find a slightly used vehicle that is a few years old and has a few thousand miles on it for a discounted price compared to its newer version. Nothing will be wrong with it, it’ll look and run great and might even still be under warranty. Your money with this vehicle will last a lot longer because it will be cheaper and won’t depreciate as fast as a new car does. Now that you know why it’s financially smart to purchase a used car, find out how to find a great deal on a used one.
Where To Start Looking For The Deals
To find a great deal on a used car, you’re going to need to do some research into the automobile market to find out what is available and what fits your needs. There are so many resources available and dealerships that offer used cars, it can be hard to find a place to start your research. The best place to start to find your deal is on the internet. You can use any search engine to look up websites that specifically handle the buying and selling of used cars. Going to well known automobile websites can be a great way to get a baseline idea about what kinds of cars you can get for your money. These types of websites are great to use because they allow you to plug in all of your criteria for a used car and then filter out all of the vehicles that don’t match your criteria. The criteria for the filtering of these vehicles can be very detailed and includes things like mileage, prices, make, model, location and so much more.
Don’t find a deal online and fall in love with it immediately because this is still just the very first step of the process and you have a long way to go before finding the deal that’s right for you. Remember this as you move on to the next step of the process of finding a used car deal that is right for you.
Look At Used Cars In Person
After you’ve found some deals that meet your criteria and are in your region, the next step is to go and actually look at some vehicles in person. This is where your baseline knowledge of vehicles from doing your research comes into play. You should pick two or three used vehicles that are on the lots of a used dealership to look at. You’re going to look at these vehicles specifically, but you’re also going to look at any other used vehicles on the same lot. There might be vehicles that you see in person and weren’t able to find online. This way, you can start to build a list of options that fit your needs the best.Â
You can also fully examine any vehicle that you saw online to see how it measures up in real life. Some vehicles will look similar to their pictures online and others might look completely different. Things to look out for on used vehicles that you should avoid are rust, worn tires, bad batteries, bad interior and anything else that sticks out to you. All of these things are signs for you to avoid purchasing this car and look for different options.
When looking for a deal on a used car, it’s important to note that the region you’re in impacts the deals you might find. Some states are better at marking down the prices of used cars than others. For example, a state like Ohio is big on car sales in general. You might find buying a used car in Washington Courthouse is much cheaper than buying one in Pennsylvania. Or you might find buying a used car in Washington Courthouse, Ohio just has better deals on vehicles in general. Don’t be afraid to take your money to a different region to find a deal that fits you best.
Make sure you note which vehicles appeal to you on your list and to also take a test drive in any of the vehicles that are high up on your list. If you don’t like any of the vehicles you went to look for and you don’t see any other options on the lot, you should go back to looking online and find three more vehicles on different lots to look at. If you do find a few cars that you like and meet your requirements, you can move on to the next step.
Check the Car for Potential Issues
While a good number of used cars are usually good quality, some cars still have potential issues. This is a common occurrence for many used cars. As the buyer, you must double-check every aspect of the car. If the issue is superficial, such as a paint issue, then you could get a paint touch-up kit.
These kits could help you address minor damage, such as peeled-off paint or scratches. However, if there are bigger issues, such as engine or brake problems, you should not be in too much of a hurry to get the car. As a rule, you should always be cautious when it comes to buying a used car.
Make An Offer
This is where the deal comes in. After you’ve limited your list down to one or two cars that are in your price range, it’s best to go and talk to the used car dealer. You can either get straight to the point and say what you’re willing to pay or you can try to negotiate a price that works for both of you. It is best to start with a lower price than what you’re willing to pay because if the dealer agrees to it or offers a counter slightly above that price, you will have a great deal on a car.Â
Even under the best of circumstances, it’s common to see some fluctuation in used car sales from year to year. But since the beginning of 2020, prices have been consistently on the rise. Though used car costs continue to rise. If you’re open to various options, there are still plenty of affordable used cars to fit your needs and budget. However, if you’re particular about owning a specific make, model, or color, you’ll most likely find yourself paying a premium in the current market.
Normally when you negotiate, you don’t want to low ball anyone and the same can be said when negotiating a deal with a car dealer. Don’t offer a ridiculously low price that you know the dealer will reject or laugh at. If you see a price online that is different from the price in person, print out the ad or web page and bring it to the dealer to see what they can do for you. After you and the dealer agree on a price, you can proceed to your next step.
Make The Payment And Enjoy Your Car
Depending on your payment method, you might be financing your car or paying with a cashier’s check. After you’ve made the payment, the dealer will get you situated with everything you need and send you on your way with a car that is a great investment and won’t lose its value significantly the moment you drive it off of the lot.
