Shopping for a Used Car? Here are Some Must-Ask Questions Before Buying One

Buying a secondhand car instead of a brand new one is a great way to save money. However, your savings might turn to even more expenses when you pick the wrong vehicle.

You may need to do more research when shopping for a used car to ensure that you’re getting the most bang for your buck. Here are five questions you need to ask yourself and your car salesman before picking a vehicle to purchase.

Best Place to Buy

Jonathan Weiss/Shutterstock: CarMax is the largest used car retailer in the United States

One of the first questions you need to be answered is ‘which is the best place to buy a used car?’.

According to AAA repair systems manager David Bennett, independent dealers like Carvana and CarMax are great places to start shopping. You can find a variety of vehicles at different price points in these places.

Going around your neighborhood or checking out Craigslist would also get you promising leads on second-hand cars.

A Matter of Certification

Next, you’d want to ask yourself whether you need the vehicle to be certified pre-owned or CPO. Certified cars have been inspected and refurbished by its manufacturer to ensure it’s in excellent condition.

The downside of buying a CPO car though is that they tend to be more expensive. For Bennett though, it doesn’t really matter if a vehicle is certified as you can choose to buy your own warranty in case of defects.

Price Range

Of course, you should also ask yourself how much money you’d be comfortable spending on a used car. According to the auto industry analyst website Edmund, the average price of used vehicles is $21,558.

The increase in demand for cars during the pandemic has also increased the prices of cars in the market.

Testing Car Safety

Minerva Studio/Shutterstock: Bring the car to a mechanic you can trust for a thorough inspection

Next, you’d want to find out what necessary steps you should take to make sure that your used car is safe to drive.

First, you need to check the vehicle’s history to find out how many people have owned it, how many accidents it’s been in, or if it’s been recalled. Then, you should have it inspected by a mechanic in case it needs repairs.

Once you’ve gone through those steps, take the vehicle for a test drive on a route you’ve driven before to get a better feel of its performance.

Most Common Mistake

Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock: Research about the car model you specifically want before going shopping

Finally, you’d want to ask what is the most common mistake people make when buying a used car.

As Bennett observed, shoppers often get caught up in flashy features while forgetting to focus on more important details like the vehicle’s mileage, and history.