Do Research on the car/truck
The Internet is full of research material – way too much of it. Luckily for you I’ve distilled all that into a few places that give you all the facts you need. Bookmark these websites for fast research. Do some general research first and then drill down to the facts you need.
This research has nothing to do about current prices – it has everything to do with safety, reliability, cars to avoid, cars that hold their value, etc. Of course you have to have a ballpark figure in your mind when doing research but you will be amazed how doing the research will change your opinion as to what car to buy.
AutoTrader.com
AutoTrader is, without doubt, the king of used car classified ads. Nothing even comes close. Your neighborhood new and used car dealer lists in AutoTrader and if you ever sell your car(s)/trucks(s) AutoTrader is the ONLY place to list your car/truck. So your first stop is to just sniff around in AutoTrader.com and get a feel for what’s for sale nearby or in another location.
Start your search here, start by looking at:
- Price Range
- Equipment
- By Manufacturer
- By Specific Model
Price Range
$0 – $10K the first price range, is way too big for me. If you want a run around car to take to the airport and leave in the parking lot for weeks at a time then $3K is more like it. Personally, I’d make the following sub-price ranges:
- $0K -$3K
- $3K – $5K
- $5K – $7K
- $7K – $10k
Equipment
Although this is not a search category in AutoTrader it is something you might be interested in. If this used car is a first car for a teenager then you might want side impact air bags. Newer cars have them, older generally don’t. A/C is another consideration. Some cars are sold with broken A/C’s since they are so expensive to fix. If you can live without A/C you might find a gem of a used car.
By Manufacturer
If you have your heart set on a Bentley, then there is no reason to search for Rolls Royces. Don’t forget that some manufacturers have gone out of business or are in the process of declaring Chapter 11 bankruptcy or Chapter 7 which is going out of business. This might influence your decision – you might actually seek out a manufacturer in trouble since the prices are much less.
By Specific Model
If you feel like buying a muscle car you need to do specific model searches, same with a minivan, or convertible, etc. Again, keep in mind that new models start and old models terminate. Price might be in your favor if you seek a model that just terminated. There should be plenty of parts for 5+ years to come.
Other Locations
This may sound crazy, but some cities/areas like certain types of cars/trucks over other cities/areas. Take Chicago for instance. In Chicago they love BMW M3′s – I don’t know why but in the Midwest you will probably have to buy an M3 in Chicago if you really want one.
My favorite AutoTrader page
Click this and see the page that I like to use – you can do a lot of planning with this one page. The simple fact is that if you want a certain type of used car there might not be any for sale today in your area. You might have to check another destination or simply determine that you must watch AutoTrader on a regular basis until you find what you want.
Lifestyle Centers
On the Model Info Center, my favorite search page, there is a selection labeled “Lifestyle Centers” – you can choose from:
- Family Focus
- Going Green
- Trend Watch
- Work & Play
Give this page a try – have fun.
Consumer Reports
Without a doubt THE place to find independent opinions on just about every car/truck is Consumer Report. Consumer Report is not free, they are not paid for by advertisers but more than likely your neighborhood library has a subscription and more importantly they have access to the online version of Consumer Reports. Give them a call and see if you can’t get free access to the online version.
Link to this page