by Cody Hodge

Created on: March 12, 2009

When you buy a used car, you have to be very careful before making a purchase. Doing your homework is very important when determining what kind of used car you are going to buy. The same criteria should be applied to buying a used car as you would buying new car, but you have to be extra thorough in the research you do. You should look for price, quality, features, and reliability, but you have to check the history of the car.

There are several things you can do to help you determine what kind of used car you should buy. If you are going to buy an older car, I suggest going with a Hyundai, or a Kia, as they have longer warranties, and any repairs will be handled under warranty for a longer period of time. If you are buying a car with less mileage on it, chances are you are going to be buying a car that will last you longer, and if the car drives well, you should be OK.

Always have a mechanic inspect your car, or if you are buying from a dealer, you should request records of maintenance, and check to see when the last inspection was done. I bought a used car about a year ago, and since it passed inspection days before purchase, I knew that it was going to be relatively free of problems.

Make sure you get a Carfax report on your car, or get some sort of history on the car you are buying. Make sure there are no liens on the car, that is there isn't anyone else that could claim the car due to missed payments. You could be paying for a car that isn't even yours, and could be taken away. Likewise, you could be driving a lemon, or a damaged vehicle, and wouldn't even know it if you don't check out the history of the car.

You can go to Cars.com to get reviews of used cars, and to get the relative value of them. If you think you might be trading up shortly after you purchase, make sure you get a car that has good resale value. You can assess the strengths and weaknesses of different models, compare them with other models, and get a good idea for which cars make good used cars.

Always test drive a used car before you buy. You can get a good feel for how the car will react, and how you will think you like the feel of the car. Never just buy a car on sight, and make sure that you are comfortable driving it.

So there are some things you can do to ensure you buy a quality car, and make a good choice. Just do your homework, and always test drive. Make sure you are comfortable with the car, and that you will enjoy driving it, and get good mileage out of it. A used car can be a scary choice as far as a purchase, but with a little work, you can find a great deal.

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