Car Buying Tips (4) Buy A Car: Get A Vehicle Inspection

Once you’ve looked over your used vehicle, inspected it yourself, test driven it, and negotiated a price, you may think you are done and the only thing you have left to do is sign next to the little post it sticky and drive away with your practical new to you car.

Before you drive away, or sign anything, make sure that your car purchase is conditional on the car passing a vehicle inspection by an independent mechanic.

If you can’t take the vehicle to the mechanic, automobile associations often have mechanics who will travel to the car and inspect it at the dealership or the private seller’s home.

This inspection can cost between $75 to $100, so this should be one of your last steps in purchasing a car – you don’t want to spend $100 on every car you look at. An independent mechanic can make certain that the car is actually in good shape.

He or she might find small concerns with the car – brake pads needing to be replaced soon, or a worn belt. This may allow you to go back and renegotiate the price of the car, perhaps deducting some of the repair costs, or having the dealer do the repairs.

If the dealer does the repairs, you may wish to get another vehicle inspection after he or she is done. So in your deal with a dealer, or while talking to a private seller, make sure it is known and written down that the deal is dependent upon a vehicle inspection.

Have a clause added to the deal “this deal is contingent upon an inspection by mechanic Bob and my accepting of that vehicle inspection”. If the dealer will not accept this clause, simply do not sign the deal until the vehicle inspection has been done.

If the dealer or seller refuses a vehicle inspection by an independent mechanic, walk away. Better yet, run away. Also be willing to walk away from the car if the results of the vehicle inspection are not good. You do not want to spend the next few years with a car that breaks down on the way to work.

Buy A Car: Choosing The Right One

Buying a car, other than buying a house, is often the single most expensive purchases a person can make in their life. How do you choose that car? A car, SUV, truck, or minivan needs to basically do one thing: get you and your family from point A to point B.

What kind of car can do this most efficiently for you? First of all, do you want a car? A minivan? An SUV? You need to consider what you will be using the vehicle for.

Just because you have two or three kids to taxi around does not always mean you need a minivan. There are many larger sedan style cars, as well as station wagon style cars, that car manufacturers are gearing towards the family on the go.

Smaller minivans can also work well for many families, while being more fuel efficient in these days of rising gas and energy prices. A Sports Utility Vehicle is a fun choice, and great for those who like to camp and go offroading.

Judging from the number of SUVs sold in North America, that seems like pretty much a third of the population. SUVs may not be the best choice for many who don’t often camp or need a SUV, because they are big and use a lot of gas. A pickup truck with a crew cab can be a good choice for the driver who needs both the ability to haul loads, and take their kids to hockey practice.

Do you want a hybrid car? – Hybrid cars are the newest form of car designed to be fuel efficient. They have two motors, one gas and one electric. During braking, the electric motor generates electricity, which is stored and used to run the car’s lights, etc.

This can save gas, but not necessarily so much that you save enough money in gas to make up for the higher price of the car. But for the environmentally conscious, the commuter who has to drive a lot or far distances, or those who just like the look of the car, a hybrid car can be great.

The Toyota Prius, for example, can get up to 60 miles to the gallon. This can work out to savings in the long run, depending on how long you keep the car.

Electric cars – Electric cars run off of fuel cells, and are thus more environmentally friendly than gas powered cars – no air pollution. These cars may not be the best choice for everyone.

If you decide you want an electric car, be sure and research the individual model you want. Another important decision which you will need to make is whether to buy a new or used car. This is a personal decision, based on a variety of factors, including comfort, financing, trade-ins, and price.

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