Buying your first vehicle
When you go to a dealership remember that it is ALWAYS in the best interest of the sales person for you to purchase a car. When they see you walk in there goal is to convince you to purchase something, regardless if it really is or isn't the right car for you. This is why it's important to know your shit beforehand.
If your knowledge of cars is limited, bring someone who does know about cars. If you do not have a trusted friend in the auto industry, you can pay a mechanic to complete an inspection on it if purchasing a used car. It should be around 75 – 100 bucks. It’s important to check the mechanics reviews before the inspection. Also when purchasing a used car, it’s important to get a Carfax report. A Carfax report will give you a detailed history of the automobile that includes service/maintenance records, history of accidents, and other things. This is important because if you find out that the used car you want to buy has been in multiple accidents, but looks good on outside, there is a good chance it's not perfect on the inside. To use Carfax, all you need is the car’s VIN number. The VIN(vehicle identification number) is typically located either on the driver’s side of the windshield or on a sticker when you open the driver’s door.
BELOW ARE SOME THINGS YOU SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE PURCHASING A VEHICLE.
Where is it from?
So first things first, ALL cars eventually have some sort of maintenance issues. It's important to pay attention to where the vehicle you are buying is actually from, because that determines whether you can go to your local dealership and purchase new parts, or have to get them imported. For example, if you are purchasing a BMW (German car) maintenance will be more expensive than a honda or toyota, which has locations everywhere and doesn't need to import parts as often. And able to charge less.
Test drive ALL vehicles before you buy them!
Check the brakes!! How does the car accelerate? Does the seat feel comfortable? Do you have any blind spots?
How is it on gas?
Understanding a car’s MPG(miles per gallon) is important. This can help you estimate what it will cost you for gas on a consistent basis. Equally its important to understand how MPG changes even within the same car. For example, every car has two listed MPGs, one for city and one for highway. Highway gas mileage will always be better than city gas mileage. When driving in the city, your car constantly uses more gas due to continued stopping and going.
Do some research and understand what suits your needs best. Maybe you drive mostly in the city so city MPG will be more important to you. Maybe you have a long commute to work where you drive mostly on highways so highway would be more important to you. Whatever your needs are, just remember you still have to afford gas. Owning a car is cool and all, but it’s a hell of a lot cooler if you can actually drive it somewhere.
How big is it?
So, if you live in busy New York City and have to park on the public street everyday, we would not advise you to buy a big car. Parking is hard out here! If you are someone that plans on having a lot of friends in your car, don't get a two seater! Or if you are usually driving alone it would be more resourceful to get a smaller car. When it comes down to it, just make sure you understand first what your NEEDS are, then if the car meets your needs, does it also have any of your “wants”? Not the other way around.
WHEN BUYING USED CARS:
Never buy a frame damaged car.
You can find this information usually from CARFAX. If the car’s frame was ever damaged, do not buy it. That car should have been totaled, but some mechanic probably picked it out of a junkyard and fixed everything to look like new and then sell it. Bottom line, do not buy a car that has frame damage.
Check the odometer of the car for the mileage.
This is important because the mileage indicates the car’s age. On average, a normal driver will drive between 10,000 to 15,000 miles (16,000 to 24,000 km) a year; however, this depends on many factors. Remember, cars age by time, mileage, type of driving, and maintenance history. A 10 year old car with very low miles can actually be a great car to buy since it wasn’t driven that much and could even be under warranty still. On the other side if you buy a car that is two years old, but has over 100,000 miles you know that whoever owned this car previously drove that shit all the time and put a lot of miles on it in a short amount of time. Also, why would you want to get rid of a car after only two years? Just something to think about..
Check the interior
Check to make sure the air-conditioning of the car is working, check the radio, test the mirrors, seatbelts, windows, seat movement, and any other functions inside the vehicle.
How old are the tires?
The tires should be worn evenly and they should match. Look at the surface of the tire for bad alignment. Bad alignment can be caused from a worn steering/suspension components or even the giant pothole down the street. Ask when the tires were last replaced or if it needs an alignment.
Do the brake lights/tail lights work?
Check the headlights and brake lights. Check the turn signals and the windshield wipers.
How many owners has it had?
First check CARFAX! This gives you the repair history, owner history, etc. Ask for all the paperwork associated with vehicle such as oil changes or part changes. You can also ask for the repair record of the make and model.
If you are trading in your vehicle...
Check Kellys Blue Book where you can get a sense of the value ahead of time, but understand when trading in your car, the value the dealership gives you for your car gets taken away from the value of the new car your purchasing. Used Car dealerships always have room to negotiate for a better value, but new car dealerships do not have much room since they basically put the info into a computer and give you the approved price.