The first thing that comes to one’s mind when he hears the word ‘used car’ is cost saving. Purchasing a used car can save you a handsome amount of cash compared to a brand new. Also there are lots of choices to make on such cars in the second-hand market. But what about the potential rip-offs, underhand dealings, scams and hard-nosed salesmanship that afflict the used car world? Follow this checklist and make your purchase a meaningful experience.
What purpose the car will serve
Find out your requirements, any specific uses you’d put the car to. Do you need it for intra city drive or longer highway journeys? You want a petrol or diesel car depending on your budget? When you’ve answers to these questions, you’ll realize your search narrowing down to a handful of makes and models within certain price ranges.
Older the car, the cheaper it gets
Picking at least a year-old model will give buyers a sizable price difference. Typically, there can be a dramatic slash in price of more than 27 percent in the first 12 months of a used car. This is after the vehicle clocked in few thousand miles. However, there are exceptions to this. Luxurious brands such as Mercedes tend to retain their value for long. So, you’ll find less of these cars out in the market.
Petrol cars are cheaper than diesel counterparts
Diesel engines are more economical than petrol cars in terms of mileage. But this doesn’t make diesel cars a better option. Diesel cars are more expensive, and they cost more at the gas station. Over the past one decade, diesel engines have seen marked improvement in terms of refinement and cubic capacity, but still their maintenance cost is higher than petrol cars.
Timing of purchase is critical
Once you've decided on the type of car you intend to buy, wait for the right moment. Right timing increases one’s chances of landing the best deal, both in quality and price. Typically, the the end of March, June, September and December is considered a good time to buy a used car. Dealers have quarterly targets to meet before they can move to the next, and so they are more willing to negotiate prices. Private sellers don't have targets to meet other than the price they want to achieve, and thus there's no good or bad time for private sellers.
Summary
Last but not least, don’t forget to do a car VIN check. All other considerations will come to naught if the history of a used vehicle is poor and controversial. There are many vehicle history resources online where prospective used vehicle buyers can simply enter the VIN of the vehicle in question for a comprehensive vehicle history check. Another thing is to test drive the vehicle before closing the deal to know how it feels and responds on road. Good luck with your buy.
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