When it comes to buying used cars, or vans for that matter, there’s not going to be a lot of handholding on your part. Much like walking into a car dealership a lot of people can be smooth talkers and are looking to make a sale. However when it comes to second-hand, there are more problems with it.

At the same time as there are many problems, there are certainly a large number of them as well. With a wide selection to choose from, you have a market for used vehicles and it’s well worth considering when you are looking for a new ride.

With this guide, we’re going to talk about some tactics to keep in mind so you don’t find yourself buying a dud.

Research The Car

There are no doubt many car review websites hanging around that offer professional views as well as comments filled with other peoples experiences. These are very helpful tools when buying new vehicles. The problem is it can be tricky when you are looking for experiences for used cars. In a lot of cases the review only covers new cars which of course don’t bring up many car related issues you may face later down the road. This is why checking the comments in those reviews might help out. Furthermore look for any sort of angry responses to certain cars. You can use that as leverage when negotiating price.

Shopping For Less Popular

When you are looking at cars there are some brands that are priced higher than others. Sure you may be getting a discount if you buy second-hand, but you could save more if you went for the lesser-known competitors. You may actually find it surprising that they charge a fraction of the more popular branded one, yet offers the same level of quality. Brands like Suzuki, Mitsubishi and Kia all made great models that are both undersold and often overlooked.

As long as you have an open mind about them, you may find yourself saving money and getting the exact same thing you were looking for.

Rely On Word Of Mouth

Never underestimate the power of word of mouth. Tell friends, family, and colleagues that you are looking for a used car and they might be able to lend a hand. You never know if one of their friends’ or someones aunt or other relative is looking to get rid of their practically mint-conditioned van. Still be cautious about it as some people may have some unrealistic price ranges, but it’s still worth looking into.

Keep A Budget

Before you start looking around, make sure you plan out a budget as well. If you are dealing with a car dealership look at how much you are willing to spend but also how much your trade-in is worth. In many cases with trade-ins if the model is recent, then chances are a car dealership won’t offer much for it. In those cases you are better off selling it privately. Clean it all up and you could make a couple thousand more than what a dealership would offer.

With that in mind paired with your initial budget you should have a good amount of money to negotiate. Of course the more money you keep in your pocket the better.

Conclusion

These are the basics of the basics but applying them when you are getting into it is key. If you keep a level head and plan things out carefully you can make sure you walk away with a good deal and maybe save some money in the process too!