Tips for buying a used car
Svilen Trifonov
Issue date: 2/3/10 Section: Opinion
|
Some students are lucky to have parents who have bought them a car (usually as a high school graduation gift). But there are many parents who want to teach their kids to be independent and responsible. These students often face the gargantuan task of finding and buying a used car. As challenging as it is, there are several tips that should make the process a lot easier.
The first step is to determine your budget. After you've done that, it is time for some Internet research. Everybody has their own personal preferences for the type of vehicle they are looking for. A very useful website is www.kbb.com. You can check the real value of a vehicle, depending on its condition. This should give you a good idea of what's a good or a bad deal once you start looking for potential buys.
The next step is - where to look? My personal advice is to avoid the local dealerships. Almost all of the used car dealers in the Princeton/Bluefield/Beckley area are way overpriced. It is like they have a secret agreement. Even 15-year-old econo cars with more than 150,000 miles are priced at $3,995.
A better option is to look at dealerships in Virginia or North Carolina. Cars in those states generally are priced at their regular value. The distance should not scare you. As long as you can find a friend to take you there, the rest of the process is easy. Dealerships have the practice to issue temporary registrations and transit plates. This means that you can drive your new used car home right away. For example, I bought my first car online from used car dealer in New York and drove it back to West Virginia the same day.
In addition to avoiding dealerships in our area, you should also be very cautious of any dealership. Even when they sound honest, they are still lying to an extent. There is no fault-less used car that is more than 10-years-old. You should expect to do repairs to the vehicle as soon as you buy it. As a general rule, things that need to be replaced on any old car are: timing and drive belts, brakes and fluids.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
writers jobs
posted 2/05/10 @ 12:27 PM EST
Thanks a lot for that tips, but the main problem is often connected with the amount of cash. But remember, the car - it's not the luxury, it's just a vehicle. (Continued…)
Svilen Trifonov
posted 2/05/10 @ 10:57 PM EST
You are correct, money is often the main problem. However, I disagree that a car is just a vehicle. People buy cars for different reasons. Some use them as daily drivers to go to work, others buy a car for sheer pleasure and entertainment. (Continued…)
Post a Comment