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Archive for the ‘Used Car’ Category

It seems like some folks are new car people and some are used car people. To some, buying a new car every several years might feel like something of a birth right. The only problem is that it isn’t. In the current tough economic climate, a lot of us are being forced to economize in many new ways. In the past, some of us used to be the kind of gearheads who could afford to lavish our beloved Beamer with the latest in expensive aftermarket BMW wheels. Today, however, we might suddenly find that we can’t even afford a new Nissan Versa. The fact of the matter is that you can often afford to get a lot more car for your money by buying autos that are a few years older. So, how do you make the most of your used car buying dollar without ending up with a dreaded lemon?

For starters, you’re already in a great place to look for used cars. The Internet! From Craigslist to eBay and innumerable sites designed specifically to sell cars, you can quickly and easily get a pretty decent idea of a realistic purchase price in your area for the car you have in mind.

Now, we know that, historically, used car salesmen have a pretty awful reputation — and they can be a bit much for people who are not used to dealing with high pressure sales techniques — but that doesn’t necessarily mean you should avoid car lots entirely if they happen to have the kind of car you’re looking for. Of course, there’s an extra mark-up they are forced to charge, but there are certain conveniences associated with used car lots as well. Our best advice is to be careful and to always, always, always be ready to walk off the car lot.

The last person you should ever be intimidated by is a salesperson. If you don’t love you deal, just start to walk away and you’ll likely find the price has suddenly improved. If you’re buying a used Beamer, you might even find the salesperson has thrown in some BMW wheels for you.