buying used car

[mustang766]

dont have much experience or at all buying used car. i heard it better to buy from a dealer than buy from private as you get a company and they back u up with warranty and all
private the guy might just leave

your thoughts on a guy who has no experience in buying a used car and dont want get rip off buying a lemon, where a good place to buy a used car

[RevYouUp]

Depends on which dealerships you're buying from. If you buy from a shady dealership there will be a good chance they won't tell you hidden things about the car. But if you're buying from a big dealership like Honda everything will be good. If you're buying privately get an inspection at a shop of your choice. Make sure the transmission doesn't grind, and check for oil consumption and rust. And make sure the car doesn't have any liens on it. You also need to check the title of the car to see if it has a rebuilt status and any collision damage. Rebuilt titles might be fine if everything is fixed properly and documented properly, however it's going to be hard to resell the car in the future. If you're buying privately ask what major maintenance has been done to the car. If the timing belt, water pump, tires and brakes need to be replaced you can bargain the price down a bit.

PS: use the search function next time

[bcedhk]

find out the car model you want to buy, do a lot of research on it (forums are your best bet). Find out if there is any local specialist that can inspect the car or do maintenance work on it.

Go to CL, Kijiji and other sellers and start browsing. See what the average cost is and keep a note of it. If the car is selling a lot less than the rest, then is probably not the best option (however, you MAY just come across a really good deal)

Test drive it, bring a friend who has experience and ask for some opinion. Get as much detail as you can about the car history.

In the end, buying a used car at the dealer or private is a gamble. Most of the time, you do save more money buying it privately.

Those warranty's that dealers offer usually are quite restrictive, so is best to read through the fine print before you go ahead with it.

[Sushi604]

When buying a used car, don't forget the 12% tax you have to pay on the value of the car upon the transfer of ownership!

[inv4zn]

The best thing you can do when buying a used car for the first time is to take someone who knows what they're doing.

And trust his/her opinion.

[FerrariEnzo]

Someone with mechanical expertise is good idea when going on test drive... they can hear anything wrong with the engine when you first turn the engine to test drive... If they have body repairing knowledge, even a plus but body imperfection is easy to spot too...


Better Business Bureau Canada and check the company history.

[mustang766]

where is a good place to buy used car and not get conned or buy lemon???? dont want get rip off.
i mean what a well known place not to sell used lemons

i heard richmond auto mall is good buyt not sure

[westopher]

Originally Posted by mustang766

private the guy might just leave

What do you mean by this?

[meme405]

All those little dealerships you see cropping up in richmond and vancouver I would steer clear from. They get shady cars from the states and then hide the past history. Obviously this depends on the dealership and individual working there, But more often than you would beleieve people get scammed into lemons.

[jlenko]

What kind of car you looking to buy?

[SpeedStars]

? I would recommend checking out franchised dealerships only. This means strictly Honda dealership/Chrysler dealerships/ Toyota/ etc. The main reason is how the other dealers get their cars. IE: A Honda dealership could only resell a car they acquired through trade-in/ lease return. Bob's Auto would get his used cars from an auction or out of state if you are lucky. If not, many just buy totalled cars and rebuild em. For the slight mark up from franchised dealers, you get what you pay for.
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[godwin]

Just like a on real estate's mls.ca website there are good listings and there are bad.. it same goes for pretty much all dealerships (franchised and Kingsway). It all has to do with probability.

Typically independent dealership functions they get their product somewhere and they have to make a profit. They usually don't get car sourced from larger fanchised / marqueed dealerships, so they get the cars that has been passed over. They also don't get to even out profit with new car sales etc. So if the car is cheaper than average, you have to figure out whether the car has been damaged somehow or they have a lower overhead than others.

I would say one has to look at the car not the dealership, there can be a good deal at small independent dealerships it is not impossible.

You see a car you like, there are basic things you can test (besides test drive). 1. buy a paint gauge and test the car right there, any imperfections will display in um. 2. Carfax on your smartphone. then you get BCAA or a trusted mechanic to check it out.. especially ones that have extensive experience with the marque of the car you want to buy.. for BMW: Nixon or CG etc.

Take your time, don't be rushed.. that's why people don't like going to small dealerships because selections are often limited.

Good luck.

[imp>dom]

I always wonder how the transaction goes for higher priced cars like ~20k. Do those buyers pay in all cash? Obviously no one will take a personal cheque these days.

[SilverT]

^ bank draft

[PJ]

Originally Posted by imp>dom

I always wonder how the transaction goes for higher priced cars like ~20k. Do those buyers pay in all cash? Obviously no one will take a personal cheque these days.

I've done half cash, half draft. Draft confirmed by bank