We can all picture it in our minds; the the stereotypical thought of a scheming, shady, fast-talking car salesman. Are those deals really rock-bottom prices? Did they just make something sound or look better than it really is?

There is an art of making a used car look presentable. Just because the car you might buy looks good on the outside, it doesn’t necessarily tell the whole story. For example, the car might have several exterior peices replaced from a bad crash. Sure the repairs might have been made, but it probably shook a whole bunch of other stuff loose in the car.

Get the Car Facts

If you ask for the car facts from a used car saleman and they try to talk around it, then there is a good chance that the automobile was in a bad accident or has something about it’s past that would drive down the total money you might pay for the car.

Look for things you might notice later

Once you buy something used, many people tend to notice small dents and cosmetic details that were covered up by the the presentation of the used car. Minor flaws are often covered up in the best way possible so that the car can be sold.

Look at reviews for the used car dealership

There are many reputable dealers that are very honest about disclosing information about vehicles. There are also dealers that take better care of their cars. Like any business, depending on who you buy from can make a big difference in the quality and price of the product you are purchasing.

Check the odometer

If the odometer doesn’t work, beware of the car. Sometimes salesmen will say that a car has a much lower mileage than it actually has.

Check engine lights can lie

Sometimes shady used car dealers will poke out the “check engine light” with a needle or find another way to turn it off. Think about it, would you want to buy a car with the check engine light turned on? Probably not, so it’s important to beware of this short-cut when buying a car. After all, it could be a lemon!

Do research on the car you might buy

The older the car is, the more important it is to understand this research. You don’t want to buy a vehicle that is notorious for breaking down when it reaches a certain mileage. I bought a dodge spirit one time. It looked like a nice car. It was fully loaded and very clean looking. After I had it for a couple months, the transmission started slipping big time! When I did some research afterwards, I realized that the engine that my car used was the same engine used in Dodge Caravans. That same engine just so happened to have a huge track record of having the transmission fail. I could have saved a ton of money down the road if I would have just taken the time to find this info out before I bought the car to begin with!

Know what used cars are good to buy

A newer car is going to be more reliable than an old one, obviously. If you are looking at older cars from the early 90’s, there are some defnite cars that are known to be reliable. Toyota Corollas are generally good vehicles. Also Honda Civics before 1995 are also known to be really reliable. There is a pretty good list of what used cars are best to buy.