Beating recession with pre-owned vehicles

It cannot be argued that these are difficult times. From big corporations to small business-owners to individuals, everybody is feeling the credit crunch.

A car is an expensive acquisition second only to buying a house. But amid the global financial crisis, we still need a vehicle to take us from place to place, something to use either personally or for business purposes.

It is perfectly understandable that consumers are reluctant to dig into their pockets for their hard-earned cash in these trying times. But what is the answer for this? What if you really need a car but can’t seem to justify the expense?

Buying a used car would be a good idea.

Not convinced? What follows are several points that, hopefully by the end of this article, might change your mind.

Just remember that the most important thing you should consider is that someone affected by recession, someone who absolutely needs a car, is more likely to buy used than new. Why?

Here are but a few reasons:

When you buy a pre-owned car, you avoid overpayment

With the economy in bad shape, the first ones to feel it are new car manufacturers and, in turn, new car dealerships. They would be the last to admit it, but car salesmen will most probably jack-up the price of their cars to add their own personal fee to the total price you pay.

When you buy a pre-owned car, you own it outright

One sage advice during a recession is to own things outright to avoid monthly payments. During lean economic times, it is easy to get behind on your monthly payments and this can ruin your credit history. It’s much easier and wiser to purchase a pre-owned vehicle outright than it is a new one.

When you buy a used car, you save on insurance and taxes

When buying a new car during a recession, you will probably end up paying a huge amount of money for both the vehicle insurance and taxes. This will eventually add up to your monthly bills. However, if you choose to buy a pre-owned vehicle, the tax and insurance payments will be minimal.

Because most of us are already tightening our belts amid hard economic times, it’s just not a good idea to add to our financial worries.

With this said, it’s pretty safe to say that buying a pre-owned vehicle during a recession is one of the best decisions you might make.

How to detect hidden defects in a used car

Imagine yourself in the seller's shoes. You are trying to sell your old coupe for a bigger sedan. You gather the keys, rummage through your pile of junk for the owner's manual and old service records. You clean the engines, vacuum the interiors, rub out the stains on the cushions and put your coupe through a car wash.

When you get home to admire the sheen of the freshly polished wax, you notice some scratches and dents. Luckily, you have the cosmetics for such a contingency. And if your luck holds out, buyers wouldn’t even notice the dents and scratches. You are now ready to meet the buyers with a smile borne out of a clean conscience.

Imagine and remember this because this is exactly how a private seller with an ounce of business sense would prep his or her vehicle before a sale. Dealers could do it a lot better when they try. So, how do you see past the haphazard paint job? There is a way to detect hidden defects on the vehicle.

Body
• Check if the paint on the outside of the car matches the paint inside the door frame. Check for gritty surfaces and paint overspray on chrome – possible signs of a new paint job or masking body dents and scratches.
• Check if the panels line up evenly. Also check if there are any scuffs, scratches, dents or irregular protrusions in the wings and bumper – these could be warning signs of past accidents.

Doors and Trunk Lid
• Make sure that doors and lid open without any creaks and close smoothly without being slammed. A door or lid that doesn’t fit evenly could indicate that the vehicle was involved in a collision or was regularly driven in rough roads.
• Check that the locks work properly.
• Look for rips and stains on the interior panel of the door and scrapes on the bottom edges.

Windows
• See if there are any hairline cracks or tiny holes in the glass.
• Make sure that they move up and down smoothly and if they fit snugly when fully rolled up or down.

Tailpipe
• Check if the tailpipe is damaged from poor reversing.
• Examine the rear bumper for excessive soot from the exhaust. If the tailpipe has black gummy soot, this may indicate that the engine has worn rings or bad valves, which could mean expensive repairs.

Tires and Shock Absorbers
• Check the tires (don’t forget the spare) if they are unevenly worn as this may indicate either bad alignment or worse – damaged suspension.
• Put your full weight on a corner of the car and release – if the car keeps rocking up and down, be wary about the condition of the shock absorbers.

Interiors
• Check if the steering wheel points straight when the wheels are aligned ahead.
• Check the upholstery for cigarette burns, rips, stains or scuffs. Low mileage readings but worn out driver’s seat and brake and accelerator pedals could mean that the odometer has been tampered.
• Musty smell, dirt under the mat, moisture inside the trunk and watermarks on the interior panels of doors are likely indicators of flood damage.

Lights and Mechanical Devices
• Make sure the lights, air conditioner, heater, windshield wipers, radio and other accessories work properly.

Already sounds like too much work? This doesn’t include checking out the engine and gauging the vehicle’s driving performance yet. That’s a long topic that needs to be addressed in a separate article. Nevertheless, what we’ve discussed could help you unmask any hastily dressed up lemon to reveal its true colors, so to speak.

If you want convenience, buy from a reputable dealer who sells the vehicle “as is.” The dealer does the checking for you, documents all the dents, scratches and damages worth noting and includes the information in the vehicle description. Then all you need to do is negotiate the price.

www.autoterminal.com

Things to look out for when buying a used car

Usually when selecting for a used car, “essential factors” should be looked at first to ensure that you’re really buying your money’s worth.

1. Watch out for that lemon- Probably the danger in buying used cars is when you don’t know much about the history of repairs and cranks of the vehicle you got, without proper vehicle inspection, probably you’ll end up stuck on the road and spending hundreds or perhaps thousands of dollars on repairs. If you bought a lemon, your car’s better off at a local junkyard.

2. Odometer Readings – Be on the lookout for Odometer tampering. Perhaps you might like a car based on odometer reading, as you thought that the lower its reading, the better the chances that you’re getting a good car.

3. Vehicle Ownership history- This one has got to be the worst. Suppose you got a car that you thought was good and you drive it, then suddenly you get pulled over and cuffed by the cops, then too late, you found out that the vehicle you’re driving is a “hot car” or stolen one! It’s much better that before you buy the car of your choice, you should be acquainted with its qualities in or out. That way you’ll have worry- free driving!

4. Purchase only from reliable dealers- Perhaps the best part of them all, is buying your car from a reliable dealer. You see, a good dealer will always see to it that the best service is given as possible according to the satisfaction of his customer in order to protect his name and reputation.

With a whole field of dealers to choose from nowadays, seeing this part thru may come as quite a burden; but with used car dealers like AutoTerminal.com you can worry no more as their vehicles has passed the most stringent of inspection services plus more to make sure that you’re getting your money’s worth and to your satisfaction.

Browse their website and avail of their services at -- www.autoterminal.com