Buying used cars can be a very difficult experience. In fact, the whole process bugs most people. What we recommend to most of our clients is that you get a mechanic to inspect the vehicle.
The process for buying used cars is tedious and laborious. You have to do quite a bit of work in order to find the right vehicle. The good thing about today's economy is that the used car market is a buyer's market.
Many owners with an old used car are opting for getting rid of their car for newer fuel efficient models. Others are trying to save money. Used car dealers also have an excess inventory due to the Cash for Clunkers program. What that program did was encourage people to take out loans and buy new cars -- suppressing the demand for old vehicles.
The first thing you can do in your search for new cars is to check out the Kelly Blue Book to see how much the cars are worth. In fact, the KBB is not necessarily always accurate. A 1996 Toyota Corolla, for example, with a lot of miles on it and having been in an accident would theoretically be worth $0. But there is a demand on the market for this kind of vehicle so long as it runs. That would be true of any person. In fact, my friend had such a vehicle and was able to sell it for $2,000 just a year ago.
So keep that in mind when you are searching. Ideally, you would not pay far over the KBB value of a car.
