Buying a Used Car: 5 Best Ways to Buy a Used Car

Top 5 Ways to Buy a Used Car

Nowadays, consumers, especially in the United States, where a new car costs averagely almost $30,000, prefer to buy a used car than a new one. Therefore, the market of used car keeps growing. Moreover, consumers have easy access and more choices to purchase a used car just like when they buy a new car. The marketplace of used cars is evolving. Once, consumers searched for a used car from classified advertisements in the local newspaper or through an intermediary. Today, there are more ways to look for a used automobile. Even consumers are able to buy a used car online. Below are the five ways to purchase a used car.

1. Certified Pre-Owned (CPO)

CPO cars are used cars with a complete inspection and refurbishing by either the dealer or the manufacturer. Any damages and worn parts have been already fixed before the vehicles are put on sale. In addition, the CPO vehicles are certified by the manufacturer. Therefore, buying a CPO car can minimize the risk of buying a used car. Consumers can be sure that the vehicles are in good condition. CPO vehicles come with an extended warranty and some special offers regarding the payment and finance. The price of CPOs are generally higher than non-certified used cars because they come with the extended warranty and other benefits.
There are some sites that consumers can visit to search certified cars. For example, they can go to Edmunds (www.edmunds.com). What you need to do is just to click on “Certified Cars”. Or, you can take a look at www.cars.com. Find the Used Cars heading and click the “Certified Used” button. You will be offered lots of choices regarding the make, price, model, and location. There is also a CPO Users Guide to help you get the right car.

2. Government Auctions

Government auctions sell forfeited, surplus, and seized vehicles which actually belong to the federal government’s assets. Because the storage costs are very high, these vehicles needs to be sold and in order to be quickly sold, they come with cheaper price. These vehicles are sold at either live auction locations or online. If you want to buy a used car online, you can check www.govsales.gov. It is the official website to purchase U.S. Government assets. You can find not only vehicles but also other properties. So, you should first search by categories. There are other car auctions sites you can find by searching in the internet. One of them is www.car-auction.com.
Consumers have some options to pay for the vehicle such as using cash, traveler’s checks, a bank cashier’s check, and others. However, this kind of auctions does no offer financing

3. Superstores

CarMax is one of the popular superstores that sell used cars from over 500 companies with more than 100 locations all over the world. From its website, www.carmax.com, buyers can find thousands of vehicles in various models, types, and features. They can simply make a search selection to buy the car that they want. To find local deals, they can enter the zip code or the radius of the area. CarMax offers some added benefits for buyers such as a limited full month warranty, money-back guarantee, and extended service plans.

4. eBay

Since this website launched its Motors area in 2000, eBay became one of the popular sites for selling and buying used cars. However, buying cars from such websites can be unsettling. There are two ways that buyers can do to protect themselves in buying a used vehicle from eBay. First, they can bid on the auction. Second, they can inspect the seller’s feedback. The payment method varies depending on the sellers but some of them want to be paid in cash. If sellers ask for upfront money transfers, buyers should not do that.

5. Private Sales

Private sales are usually advertised in the classified ads in the local newspaper. It means the distance between sellers and buyers is close. However, as online marketplace is growing, some sellers also advertise their cars online such as at www.craiglist.com. Buyers do not have a lot of choice as usually sellers just sell one car.

The Bottom Line

Consumers indeed have lots of choices in buying a used car. Regardless where you buy a used vehicle, you should be careful. Make sure you do thorough research prior the purchase. The options are endless out there but there are also bad cars and bad deals. One of the ways to protect yourselves in the marketplace is to use services like CARFAX (www.carfax.com) or Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com). Those are the trusted sources to find the best value of a used car.