Blog: Buying a Used Car (Vaden Nissan Hinesville)
With ever-advancing technology, it has never been easier to find a used car, or get one that is least likely to cause problems in the immediate future. Still, the traditional rules about used car buying still apply. Here are 5 golden steps to buying a used car:
Start off by establishing the amount you are willing to spend for getting a used car. If you are considering taking out an auto loan, it’s essential to calculate your maximum monthly payment; generally, it’s advisable to keep it at no more than 20 percent of your income after taxes. Some sites have auto loan affordability calculators to give you an estimation of your car note, and you can choose to either get the loan from the dealership (if the car of interest is sold there) or your bank or credit union. Also, you will have to consider the cost of tax, title, registration, and insurance associated with the type of car you intend on buying.
After determining the price or price range of your desired car, it’s time to figure out what type of car you want. It could be a fuel-efficient ride or a performance-oriented sports car. It could be a small vehicle enough for five people or an SUV with cavernous interior space for extra cargo. It could have comfort features like heated seats or nice technological touches like Bluetooth connectivity. You can even decide on the amount of mileage you are not willing to go over. It’s important to determine your criteria for your ideal used car to narrow things down and avoid getting confused with the choices out there.
Once you narrow your choices down with your criteria, you can focus on doing research on the models in particular and the brands in general. Some vehicles are simply more reliable or are less susceptible to certain issues than others. With specific cars you have picked, you can pull out or request their CARFAX reports, which provide vehicle history information and can reveal if there have been issues in the past, such as an accident or flooding.
Now that you have decided on one car to go with, it’s time to meet with the individual seller or the sales professional at the dealership for a test drive. That gives you the opportunity to check out its features, get a feel of how it drives, and spot any defects or questionable things about the vehicle.
After the test drive and you express continued interest, you’re ready for the finish line. This is where you can negotiate with the seller about price or ask any follow-up questions to make sure you are about to make the right decision. Once there is an agreement between parties, the transaction is completed, you get the keys, and you drive off in your new (used) ride!
Have you narrowed down your search to a car or a nice range of choices? If so, then we’re waiting for you to stop by our showroom at Vaden Nissan of Hinesville. We are part of the Dan Vaden Automotive Group family, which is committed to outstanding service. We would love to help you with your used car search, so give us a call today!
Determine Affordability
Start off by establishing the amount you are willing to spend for getting a used car. If you are considering taking out an auto loan, it’s essential to calculate your maximum monthly payment; generally, it’s advisable to keep it at no more than 20 percent of your income after taxes. Some sites have auto loan affordability calculators to give you an estimation of your car note, and you can choose to either get the loan from the dealership (if the car of interest is sold there) or your bank or credit union. Also, you will have to consider the cost of tax, title, registration, and insurance associated with the type of car you intend on buying.
Create a List of Used Cars
After determining the price or price range of your desired car, it’s time to figure out what type of car you want. It could be a fuel-efficient ride or a performance-oriented sports car. It could be a small vehicle enough for five people or an SUV with cavernous interior space for extra cargo. It could have comfort features like heated seats or nice technological touches like Bluetooth connectivity. You can even decide on the amount of mileage you are not willing to go over. It’s important to determine your criteria for your ideal used car to narrow things down and avoid getting confused with the choices out there.
Research and Check History
Once you narrow your choices down with your criteria, you can focus on doing research on the models in particular and the brands in general. Some vehicles are simply more reliable or are less susceptible to certain issues than others. With specific cars you have picked, you can pull out or request their CARFAX reports, which provide vehicle history information and can reveal if there have been issues in the past, such as an accident or flooding.
Test-Drive the Car
Now that you have decided on one car to go with, it’s time to meet with the individual seller or the sales professional at the dealership for a test drive. That gives you the opportunity to check out its features, get a feel of how it drives, and spot any defects or questionable things about the vehicle.
Close the Deal
After the test drive and you express continued interest, you’re ready for the finish line. This is where you can negotiate with the seller about price or ask any follow-up questions to make sure you are about to make the right decision. Once there is an agreement between parties, the transaction is completed, you get the keys, and you drive off in your new (used) ride!
Have you narrowed down your search to a car or a nice range of choices? If so, then we’re waiting for you to stop by our showroom at Vaden Nissan of Hinesville. We are part of the Dan Vaden Automotive Group family, which is committed to outstanding service. We would love to help you with your used car search, so give us a call today!