How to Buy a Used Car

The day I bought my first car, I did almost everything wrong. I was a senior in high school and tired of waking up at 5:30 every morning to drive my mom to work just so I could have the car.

So when a friend told me that her friend's brother's friend wanted to sell his 1969 YW Bug, I leapt at the chance. Research? Sure. I asked my friends if they thought I was a Bug kind of person. Yeah, they could see it. Research done: I wanted that car.

When my mom and I went to check it out, I sat in the driver's seat and pretended I was driving. Felt good to me! (Okay, the exposed seat springs were a little uncomfortable. Nothing that a pillow can't fix, I toId myself.) Test drive? I couldn't work a stick shift, so my mom had to do it for me.

"Bugs last forever," my friend's friend's brother's friend told us. That was good enough for me. I dug $726.51 out of my pocket and told him it was all I had. He was feeling extra nice that day and took the money. He even let me keep the fifty-one cents.

I was the proud newowner of a Bug! I ended up driving that car for four years without a hitch-that is, if you don't count the new clutch, the new brakes, and the rebuilt engine I had to put in. The point is, buying a used car is a big deal, and I had let myself be taken for aride.

Sinking your savings into what could be a bomb is scary. But according to the National Automobile Dealers Association, the cost of a new car runs about $14,000, while a used car averages $6,000.

That's same difference. And if you know how to pick 'em, a use d car can be just as reliable as a new one.

THE DREAM: LITTLE RED CORVETTE

Before you even begin to look for a car, you need to figure out what you want and how much you can spend. Do you want a four-door, a two-door, or a convertible? A big car or a little one? American or foreign?

You also have to decide how you'll pay for the car. Will you tap into your sayings? Get a loan from a bank? Beg your parents to pay? Whatever the method, work it out now so there won't be any snags once you find the car you want to buy.

To get an idea of how much cars cost, turn to the classified section of your local newspaper. "Go with what you can afford, " advises Brad Crouch, the author of How to Buy and Maintain a Used Car: For the NonMechanical Person (American Pacific Publishing Co., 1986). if the car you picture yourself in is consistently advertised for more than you can afford, you'll have to imagine yourself driving around in something else.

THE REALITY: LITTLE RED CHEVETTE

The way to decide on a car is not by going to a lot and looking at hat bodies-it's by going to a library first and doing same research. Check out books on how to buy a used car. Ask the librarian for back issues of Motor Trend, Automobile, and Consumer Reports. (Every April Consumer Reports rates different models of cars in terms of safety, price, and performance.)

Once you 've narrowed your search to the kind of car you want, call a few insurance companies (including your parents') to compare rates, asking how much it will cost to insure that model. In most states, it's required by law that your car be insured before you even get behind the wheel. But whatever the law, it's a good idea to get coverage in case you're ever involved in an accident. Insurance rates vary according to the car's model (as well as things like the driver's age and driving record), so be sure you know that you can afford the payments before you put any money down on a car.

SHOP AROUND

You 've narrowed it down; the hunt is on. But don't rush into anything; finding the right car could take two days or two months.

"You'll want to check out a lot of places to find out about their prices, reputation, and salespeople," says Jim Mateja, the author of Used Cars: Finding the Best Buy (Bonus Books, 1987). The best times to shop are around the holidays and tax season, when people need extra money. Try to buy a car from someone au know-a friend, relative, or neighbor hat way you 're more likely to know the car's history and whether or not it's been, I neglected. Andlet's get one thing straight: A friend's friend's brother's friend is basically a stranger. The next-best option: Go to a new car dealership and ask to see their tradeins (these cars may cost more).

The classifieds is an option but be careful: It may be difficult to find out about the car's past. While they're not all bad, it's best to be cautious with used car dealers. "You can get burned," says Mateja. Another no-no: Rental cars or vehicles once used by the police or as taxis. They usually take a real beating.

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Source: Seventeen Magazine