Shopping around for big ticket items is always a good idea. Buying a used car is included in this. Low prices attract many a buyer to a used car lot. Actually, there are more people who buy used cars than there are individuals who purchase new cars. The challenge is, however, that not all used cars are maintained in top notch condition. There are several factors to keep in mind concerning the condition and performance capability of a used car. It’s always a good thing to search out some used car buying tips before starting to look around. Here are some used car buying tips that will help you make an informed decision. Buying a Used Car GuideUsed Car Buying Tips 1. Every safety feature of the car should be functional. This include anti-lock brakes, seat belts, hazard lights and, if applicable, air bags. Used Car Buying Tips 2. Look at the mileage. If the mileage is unusually high, you might want to reconsider. If the mileage is unusually low, you might want to find out why. Used Car Buying Tips 3. Check the over all appearance of the car. Is the car clean on the inside without rips and tears in the upholster? Is the body free from rust and dents? The condition of the car should be compatible with the age of the car. Used Car Buying Tips 4. Road test the car. This is an obvious factor. Don’t be content with a quick trip around the block. Drive the car for several miles on both expressways and side streets. Don’t turn the radio on so you can hear any squeaks, moans or groans that could be a warning sign. Used Car Buying Tips 5. Get a second opinion.  If you can get a copy of the service history of the car, that’s great. More importantly, take the car to your own mechanic to have it checked. Following these tips can save you a great deal of grief and money. No car, no matter how cheap, is worth it if you end up with a long list of repairs to make the car safe to drive. Therefore, make sure to find a good buying a used car guide to make sure you’re ready to go car shopping.

Some of these used car buying tips won’t be new to you. Often the trick is just to apply what you already know. On the other hand, when it comes to expensive areas of life like buying a car, one new thing learned can save you hundreds of dollars. Try some of the following. For more information on cars buying visit http://car-buying. am-articles. com/ 1. Make a low offer. Okay, you knew this one. A trick you may not have used, though, is to make a low offer, and then leave your phone number with the seller. Time has a way of making sellers desperate, especially after you just helped convince them that they are asking too much. 2. Be careful with car price guides. Use the “blue book” etc, but try not to pay more than wholesale. I can’t think of many times when people I know have paid more than “bluebook,” so these “average” sales prices are doubtful. 3. Talk to people. This is one of the simplest and effective used car buying tips. Just let friends, family and others know you’re looking for a car. Quite often people would be happy to avoid the whole process of advertising and showing their car if they could just get rid of it by giving a good deal to a friend. 4. Check out the engine. Have a mechanic look at the car, and tell you what it’s likely to need in the next year or so. Then make a list, so the seller can see in writing why you are offering less than he wants. 5. Auctions. See if there is a public auction in your area. If not, maybe you can go with a dealer friend and give him a $100 to buy a car for you. 6. www. carfax. com. It’s around $25 to run vehicle background checks for a month – long enough to find your next car. They’ll show the chain of title, accident reports for the car, and even safety and reliability scores for that model. 7. “Ugly” cars. Watch for cars that sit on the lot for months. Dealers will often sell these “ugly ducklings” at a loss just to move them. Again, you may want to leave your phone number with a low offer. 8. Rental company cars. They are sold fairly cheap when they get the new ones in. Buy at bluebook wholesale or less, because they have had many different drivers, so they’ve more wear than normal. 9. Repos. Credit unions and some small banks do their own selling of repossessed cars. You usually bid on paper, maybe with a $50 deposit, and then get your $50 back if you’re not the winning bidder. If they don’t sell their own repossessions, ask where they are sold. 10. Consider gas mileage. High mileage may be better, but maybe a car that costs $500 less will use only $400 more gas in the two years you expect to own it. Do the math. Use the tips here the next time you are shopping for a used car. Meanwhile, why not learn a few negotiating strategies. This helps in many areas of life, and is the most important of these used car buying tips. For more information on cars buying visit http://car-buying. am-articles. com/

â??No worries darlinâ??, you can take her for a spin, just donâ??t get lost!   I minced a smile while my eyes sneered at Kevin, the used car salesman, tossing me the keys while leaning back on the Toyota Corolla. While chewing gum, he ran his hands through his beach-bum blonde hair. When I grated into first gear, he snickered with his salesman mate as I took the car for a test drive, all the while thinking â??I just want to get this over with. â?? Iâ??m not sure what itâ??s like for men to buy a used car from a dealership, but as a woman, itâ??s got to be up there with having root canal therapy at the dentist. We know we have to do it, but thereâ??s no-one else who can take your place in the dentistâ??s chair. Maybe some women donâ??t mind buying a carâ??it is shopping after all. But as a person who adds the suffix â??thingeeâ?? to anything in the motorâ??wellâ??when the head-gasket thingee went kaput on the way to the dentist, I had to face both my fears   Used car shopping should be like shopping for fashionâ??I know my size (hatchback), budget (Sportsgirl, not Morrissey), and style (no frou frou mag wheels/sequins). The difference is not so much the act of shopping, but the salesperson. Just as snobby sneery rude salespeople put me off from buying a dress, the behaviour of a stereotypical used car salesman irks me just as much   A better experience would involve: Honesty: Really? The previous owner was the wife of a Toyota dealer? Phhhhttt. At least he didnâ??t say she was a little old lady. Explain things in plain English. I donâ??t give a toss about Magnetic pick-up assembly and doughnut coupling. I want a car that wonâ??t cause me stress, not one to cruise the streets for hot chickybabes. Donâ??t pressure: itâ??s not like thereâ??s a shortage of cars in the current economic climate. I can pick and choose. Donâ??t be patronising. I may look 17 but I ceased being a girl long ago; not a pumpkin not a darling and I am NOT â??mâ??loveâ??. And do you think Iâ??d be impressed with a statement like â??Just think of all the shopping you can fit in that bootâ?? and that I donâ??t need to get the mirror fixed because I look beautiful all the time. If things got any oilier Iâ??d assume the oil thingee was broken. Donâ??t hit on me. Really? I have to come back again because the windscreen needs to come from Wagga? Oh, and then come back to pick up the form you forgot to give me, oh and to check the fuseâ?¦sureâ?¦   Advic   Luckily there are ways to make the experience less painful.   Go in there knowing exactly what you want. Mention the basics: age, auto or manual, kms, body type, fuel efficiency etc. Then mention your budget at least a thousand less than the reality. Donâ??t let on youâ??re in a hurry or that youâ??re not feeling well (or at least wait until your face returns to symmetry after anesthetic from a root canal sessionâ?¦). Weakness is an opportunity to exploit: theyâ??ll try and fluster you. Be honest about your car if you are trading it in. Mention all the things wrong with all the thingees. That way they canâ??t come back at you after negotiating the price and say â??well, you didnâ??t tell us thatâ?¦â?? Go straight for a more expensive car, seem interested and then look at the one you really want (like a VW Golf). Say, â??ooh I love Vee-Dubs!â??. The dealer will mention all that is wrong with it to convince you to get the more expensive one. If something needs fixing, eg new tyres, windscreen; try to get that thrown in without cost. The alleged â??drive awayâ?? advertisement is bollocks. Thereâ??s paperwork, the car has to go through roadworthy, they have to wait for your funds to be approved. Leave at least two days until you really can have the car. Donâ??t believe anything they say. Do your own research. Take a person with you who has a clue about cars and their value.   As I finally left the dealership three days later with all the forms, fuses and windscreen, I waved goodbye to Kevin and smiled as I thought about what Iâ??d learned. Knowing how to deal with dealers is fine, just like how having anaesthetic for root canal makes life that little bit easier for next time. PS. Maybe Kevin was genuine after all. The fuses are working wonderfully!