President’s Day is one of the best times of the year to buy a used vehicle, as dealers are trying to get rid of their winter inventory and many will slash prices. Before you buy a used car, however, you’ll want to do your due diligence to make sure the car you buy is not a lemon. Because once you buy a used vehicle and find out it’s not a good car, it probably will be too late to take back to the dealer. And you will be stuck with it.
So here are our Top 3 Tips for Buying the Best Used Vehicle on President’s Day
- Research used vehicle ratings online. The website Kelly Blue Book.com has ratings and resale values for almost every car available. Look for reliability ratings, average repair costs and common repairs needed. Read this article from Kelly Blue Book about the best used cars to buy.
- To trade in or not to trade in; that is the question. The benefit of trading in your vehicle for another vehicle is that it’s convenient, relatively easy and painless. But you will pay for that convenience, as the dealer will give you less than the retail value of your vehicle. Think of it this way: the dealer buys the car from you at a wholesale price and then resells it at the retail price. If you want to get more money by selling the car at the retail price, you’ll need to sell it yourself. 3
- Get a prepurchase vehicle inspection. Most auto repair shops will perform a prepurchase vehicle inspection for a small fee. You’ll want to make sure it undergoes a thorough inspection so you know exactly what is going on with the vehicle. Make sure the mechanic checks all belts, brakes, hoses, the battery, tires, fluids, transmission, heater, air conditioning system, lights, seatbelts, doors, windows, and everything. Spending a $100 or so before you buy a used car can save you thousands of dollars in heartbreak.
In the end, there are countless used cars out there to choose from but you’ll want to perform your due diligence to make sure you purchase a vehicle that is in good mechanical condition.
At Meridian Automotive we provide prepurchase vehicle inspections for $99. Once you’ve found a car you like, give us a call to have it inspected by one of our experienced and certified auto mechanics. It may take a little extra time, but it will be worth it.
