Buying a used car can be a tough process that most people don’t get any satisfaction from. Myself being a uncommon exception. One of the top concerns most buyers have is if they’re getting the most for their money. Whether that means the most car for their dollar or the best price on their model it is hard to scale these numbers. There are a lot of things to think when buying, but here are some top tips for getting the best price on your next used car.

Know what the pricing guides say.
Any weak timer will tell you to look up the “Blue Book” on a car you’re considering, but what does that mean exactly. Well, nowadays that means logging on to a few crucial sites. Do not expect a used car to be priced fairly. The blue book value can be found on Kelley Blue Book’s site. Most people in the car industry regard Kelley as the lowest quotes available, so don’t terminate there. Edmund’s, prides themselves as being the most accurate pricing guide available, which is probably accurate. While all of the sites list different conditions the vehicle may be in Edmund’s has a detailed questionnaire to determine a vehicle’s worth, which even takes the car’s color into consideration. The last guide is NADA. NADA is most often used by banks and insurance companies. When applying for a loan they will use this number to determine if the loan is a good risk. Also, insurance companies use it in the case of a vehicle loss to choose their payout. Making sure you pay at or below the NADA price guide is a good way to protect yourself financially and have an upper hand while dealing with these companies. In order to get accurate prices from these sites you will need some basic information. The car’s year, do, and model, the trim package (IE: the extra words or letters like EX,) mileage, and condition. If you don’t have every bit of information listed you can still regain a roundabout figure, but expect variation. My suggestion is to shop online before walking onto a car lot. Browse all local dealers and other listings and print off the estimates for cars you’re interested. When going to review the car in person you will be prepared to negotiate a exquisite price.

Also, while you’re on these websites you will notice different prices for the car’s condition and whether you’re buying from a private seller or a dealership. Some will even ask for your zip code so they can tell what the car will cost in your local market. Remember that less than five percent of used cars on the market are in “excellent” condition. Most are in “satisfactory” condition, even the ones at dealers, and major expenses or blemishes should nick even the good label. This is why you need to know the prices! Once, you’ve inspected the vehicle you can use anything gross with the vehicle as leverage and will have a printed document with you backing up your case.

P.S. Don’t forget to have service record’s and the value of your car to negotiate the trade in price if you plan on doing this.

Know where to shop.
Every local market is different so taking the time to investigate can really payoff. There are four main options to settle from. The dealerships, old car lots, private sellers, and friends and family. Inquire the dealership prices to be highest and the stamp should descend as you go down the aforementioned list. Re,member, you may get a better price by purchasing a ancient car from a private buyer, but ask yourself if you would prefer a more reliable source. And, if you’re really daring and have a mechanical minded friend to drag along, you could also investigate cars at auctions and repo/police impound events etc., but this is a mammoth leap of faith to take requires more knowledge and research than most private buyers are willing to save in. In the end this will be a personal decision which has to feel right for you. People have been buying used cars in all of these ways for years and each has it’s own benefits. Before you hit the car lots spend sometime asking people you know who have recently purchased cars how their experiences were at different lots. Most people will visit more than one lot before buying and can give you some insight about the selection, customer service, and pricing. Ultimately, find out where they ended up buying from, why, and are they happy with their decision now. You should devote a couple of weeks to researching the local market.

AutoTrader
I can’t say enough for websites like AutoTrader.com, other sites like it, and the related local news ads. Using sources like these lets you realistically see what kind of used cars are available in your area and how much sellers are asking for them. Learning a lot of theory about prices and the current market wont do a bit of good if you don’t research the actual conditions. Surfing these sites early on can save a lot of time, heartache, and not to mention face, considering nobody likes to ask “stupid questions.” Reviewing these sources can tell you things like, just because you want a 2001 Volkswagen Beetle doesn’t mean there are any for sale within 100 miles and even if there were they’re out of your price range.

Don’t settle for a sub-par salesperson.
A bad salesperson or seller should never be tolerated. I’m proud to say I’ve been used car shopping three times in the last year and have never bought from a person I felt didn’t deserve my business. Whether you’re dealing with a pushy salesman or a rude seller their attitude reflects how important your business is to them. Some warning signs include shifty or vague responses to your questions, badgering you to fill out a credit application or paperwork before you’ve committed to buy, refusing to show cars in your range, or anything that rubs you wrong. A salesman is your go between, they will talk to the sales manager and negotiate a sales price for you. If you feel they don’t have your best interest from the begin it is best to leave and try somewhere else. If you seem to get these responses several places invent sure to wear your best outfit next time and go reach the end of the month when salespeople are pressed to meet quotas and earn one last sale. These methods have never let me down.

Never buy without a vehicle history.
A vehicle history, like Carfax, is essential information to have before you pick up a pen and sign. All vehicles in the United States must have VIN numbers on them. These numbers are used to compile vehicle histories that will help you build informed decisions. Any warnings in the report could show that a vehicle is not as great a deal as the seller is making it out to be or could be used to lower the price. Pricing guides do not include police, taxi, rental etc use, or accidents, floods, etc. in their quotes. A car with warnings in the report should be considerably less than the list prices. Not getting a report on my last car left me with a former rental that probably wont fetch a great price on the resale. as if depreciation wasn’t enough. Most sellers will already have these reports available. In that case just check the paperwork against the VIN on the dash to make sure it is accurate. If not capture your enjoy report at Carfax.
if the report alone doesn’t resolve your fears i always recommend taking the car to your mechanic. While car lots always have vehicles looked over there’s nothing like having your guy engage a magnifying glass to it to be sure.

Sometimes it isn’t about the bottom line, it’s about value
Don’t let yourself be too tall of a penny pincher unless you’ll starve otherwise. Buying a conventional car is a decision you’ll most likely be living with for a long time. While you could buy a 1990 Plymouth Acclaim for a mere few hundred bucks that doesn’t make it the car you need. Make definite you’ve put together a list of all of your needs and a separate lists of your wants. Research used cars that fit the bill and compare the prices. Sometimes it’s worth the extra time and money. After all if spending and extra $50 gets you a working sound system or alloy rims instead of steel with wheel covers it was probably money well spent.