14335523:KCoCM said:
thanks for the advice, i almost tagged crunchyman to ask what he had ?
I second the advice of getting an inspection. Call a local auto shop first and tell them you are looking to buy a used car and how much a pre-purchase inspection is and what they cover. Most shops are chill about it and usually dealers are cool with you dropping it off. If the dealer refuses an independent inspection or tries to bullshit you that their "In House tech" looked at it then tell them to fuck off and walk away. Inspections are usually like $80 and worth every penny. They can help you negotiate on a price too if there is a known problem that you need to get fixed. It also helps you know anything you may need to fix yourself if you do buy it. Its better to spend $80 and not buy a fucked up car.
Also, check the panel gaps around the car. If a car has a really big or small panel gap somewhere that means there is a good chance it was in a wreck before. Also check for little bubbles where there is rust that they just put some touch up paint over.
If it even remotely smells like cigarette smoke, immediately walk away.
Are you paying cash or financing?
If you are financing, never negotiate on your payment. Dealers will try to sucker you into a payment that "fits your budget" and you end up in a really long loan and pay a ton of interest. Always negotiate on actual price.
If you are paying cash, dont tell them this until you negotiate a price. They will always ask you upfront if you are paying cash and they do this because they wont negotiate a lower price on a cash buyer because they make no money on interest on the back end. Usually just be really wishy washy with your answer and say something like, "Im still looking at my options, I heard you guys do good financing though. Let settle on a price then talk about that..."
DONT BE AFRAID TO WALK AWAY! Car dealers do everything they can do get you on the lot and waste as much of your time as possible. They know every min you spend there is a min you are afraid you wasted if you dont buy a car. Even if you have walked around, did a test drive and negotiated for an hour dont be afraid to just walk out the door if it doesn't feel right. There is always another car on another lot to check out.
When you pick out a car listing on a dealer website check the Kelly Blue Book value and make sure its in line with the price of the car. Also check the history if you can. You want a good idea what the value of the car is before you see it on the lot. Also check how old the listing is. Cars cost dealers a ton of money as inventory the longer they are on the lot so if a listing is old you have more leverage to negotiate. A dealer would much rather make a little less off you than have to send it to auction.
If you are buying from a private seller, be weary of really clean engine bays. Its a well known hack to clean the shit out of an engine bay right before you show up to hide the fact the power steering rack or other expensive component is leaking.
**This post was edited on Oct 22nd 2021 at 12:01:40am
**This post was edited on Oct 22nd 2021 at 12:03:32am
