Thursday, June 26, 2008

Used Car Reviews

Buying used cars is an art. Whether you are buying them in the interest of restoring them and reselling them, or simply looking for a cheap and efficient form of transportation, paying the appropriate used car prices and knowing which cars will last and which cars won't is crucial. A lot of people aren't aware of used car reviews. Although many of them look at used car price guides in order to figure out how much to spend on a particular model, few people understand how much information you can really find out from these guides. A good used car review will tell you everything you need to know. It will tell you how fast it will depreciate, what is likely to go wrong with the car and when it is likely to go, and how long you can expect it to last before you have to replace it entirely.

Of course, used car reviews only to half of the story. In general, you really can't get by without having a qualified mechanic look at any car you are considering buying. You never know when it has gone through, after all. Even if you look up the Carfax automotive history for that model, you might miss things. Title washing is very common, and even legal in some places. A used car review will tell you what to look at and what not to look at, but it won't tell you what to buy.

What I would like to see more of is used car dealer reviews. Used car reviews are great, but they only get you so far. A lot of people are unable to take advantage of the warranties offered by used car dealers because they are, naturally, distrustful of the claims these people make. Used cars buyers need to know what businesses they can trust, and what each dealer specializes in. The fact is, most used auto dealers won't let you take their cars off the lot to check them out with a mechanic. You need to know if they are honest so that you can figure out how long the car will last.

Of course, in this day and age you need to own your own set of used car reviews. Things move so quickly without online car sales that, if you aren't able to check out the Kelly blue book value quickly, you might miss an excellent deal. Shopping for a used car can be nerve wracking, but it can also be exciting! Happy hunting!