A reliable used car
will save you money, time, and resale value. On the other side of that, an
unreliable car will cost you money, time, and resale value. So is it worth
going used over new? Well, the answer will vary depending on the situation, but
any time you are able to confidently buy used, yeah, it’s worth it.
The key word is “confidence.” There are too many stories of
people going to buy a used car, thinking they know enough about the quality of
the vehicle, only to end up dumping tons of money into it because it was a
lemon. Confidently buying a used car means you have done your research; you
know what to look and listen for; and you know the right price to pay. Getting
to this point before buying a used car takes a little time and effort, but it
is worth it.
Buying a pre-owned car can be tricky. When living in a city
the size of Charlotte, things can become daunting. But the risks taken can
often be minimized, or even eliminated, simply by following a few basic rules.
Here are a few tips for buying a pre-owned car to get you going in the right
direction:
- Research
the Car You Want
What car do you see yourself driving? (And don’t sell
yourself short.) Sure a Bugatti might be out of the question, but if you have
always wanted a Lexus SUV, don’t rule it out because you think it’s out of the
budget. Then again, it might be out of your range, but the point is, you have to
start someone in your search so why not begin with what you really want. Maybe
make a list of your top four—that way, if one ends up being too pricy, you can
quickly move to the next one.
Once you have a car in mind, spend time cruising around the
internet doing some fact-finding. Look especially for things to watch out for
in conjunction with your specific make and model, and narrow down your search
as you go. Read through comparison guides and reviews on sites like kbb.org and
caranddriver.com. You can also find reviews and blogs of used vehicles on
various dealer websites like ours at Liberty Buick GMC.
Once you find what you like, stay firm in the
"must-haves" (such as manual or automatic transmission, number of miles,
engine size, etc.), but also be willing to budge on the smaller things. There
is plenty of information out there, you just have to take the time to find it.
- Know What
to Spend and Have Cash in Hand
Begin by finding the highest and lowest price-points for the
car you want. Do this by visiting the same websites you did when searching for
a car—KBB and Car and Driver. Be sure and click “Private Seller” if you are not
buying from a dealership. Once you have your price range, it’s not a bad idea
to talk to a professional, such as one of Liberty Buick’s sales technicians, to
double-check your prices. Now you are ready to buy.
It’s difficult to say no to cold, hard cash. Having only the
cash you intend to spend in your pocket also keeps you honest with yourself, as
you can’t be persuaded to spend more since you only have the cash you brought
with you. It’s also a good idea to have cash when out looking at possible
purchases because you never know when someone will swoop in and buy the car while
you’re off to the bank. What’s more, since it’s tough to turn down cash, the
possibility for you to underbid a vehicle is a little better.
- Get a
Professional Assessment
Having a professional look over a potential used-car
purchase is often replaced with a few hardy kicks to a tire and a peep under
the hood. Unless you are a mechanic—an actual mechanic who works on actual cars
as a career—you need to find a trustworthy one.
It can be time consuming to take a possible car purchase to
a trusted mechanic, but it’s well worth it. In fact, it’s probably the most
important thing you can do. No matter what the vehicle history says, or how you
felt during the test drive, why not take the time and pay the $50-$100 it takes
to have a professional scour through every inch to find anything potentially
wrong or worrisome? There are plenty of shops in Charlotte that are trustworthy
and fairly priced, such as Kirk Brown & Sons Expert Auto Repair and any of
our technicians at Liberty Buick GMC.
There are many options for quality used vehicles in the
Charlotte, Matthews area. And once you have done your research, you should find
that buying from a dealership is the most reliable option. This way you can
avoid individuals trying to scam or con you into buying a lemon. And, the
dealership will have certified paperwork proving that what they are selling you
is as advertised. Still, there are a few best practices that can guarantee a
successful purchase.
It is important to understand that a purchase of this sort
is a contract. And before this contract is agreed upon, the buyer needs to
consider the following three negotiating terms of the sale:
1. No matter how good the condition of
the vehicle seems to be, you need to have the car inspected. This doesn’t have
to take long. After a test-drive and peruse of the inside and out, the vehicle
is plugged in and diagnosed. Mechanics use what is called an On-Board
Diagnostics test, or OBD, to monitor a car’s computer system. When plugging the
OBD into a car, the vehicle begins to communicate any trouble codes the system
has stored—any time something goes wrong with a car, a message is sent and
stored in the car’s computer.
The dealership should have a mechanic on site who can
conduct a thorough inspection of your vehicle. Be sure to take a copy of the
report for your files.
2. Create a detailed contract to be signed by both you and
the seller. The notion of handing over a homemade contract might seem a little silly,
but this is serious business with a lot of money on the line. In this contract,
include details such as if the car is being sold “as is,” or if there are applied
warranties. If there are warranties still tied to the vehicle, be sure and list
them all, as well as, how much they are and how long they will last. Just
remember, there is no detail too small to be included in this contract. List
the date, the time, who is present, and have everyone sign and date.
3. Lastly, it is important to understand that nothing is
final until the contract is signed by both the seller and the purchaser. And,
as the purchaser, you mustn't sign anything until the vehicle you are getting
is completely as you want it. For example, do not sign a contract with an agreement
that the seller will include new tires but has not yet done so. No matter how
trustworthy a person seems to be, big purchases like this must be done in
complete and done the right way.
Pre-Owned Vehicles at
Liberty Buick
Among the many makes and models of our used cars, one that
stands out is the 2018 Buick Regal. And we have a variety of Regal models
ranging in price from $24,000 to $36,000.
Why the Regal? Because it has plenty to offer. For one, it
saves you money by cutting back on trips to the gas station. 21
miles-per-gallon in the city and 29 highway keep cash in your pocket and allow
for longer ride times. Add in the fact the 2018 Regal wagon comfortably seats
five passengers and has over 73 cubic feet of storage space, and it's already pretty
appealing.
Inside the 2018 Buick Regal there are soft-touch surfaces
and premium materials throughout, making this wagon the most modern and
luxurious in its class. Let’s have a closer look:
- The rear seats can fold 60/40 or 40/20/40, which
enables passengers to arrange storage space in a variety of ways. Up front and
directly behind there is more than enough room to stretch and relax and just
enjoy the ultra-smooth ride.
- The Quiet Tuning technology incorporates acoustic
laminated front, side, and windshield glass, triple door sealing, and
innovative suspension tuning to block out exterior noise.
- There is dual-zone climate control that
automatically keeps two separate temperatures, one on the driver’s side and the
other for the passenger. These temps can be preset or changed at any time.
- To top it off, the 2018 Buick Regal wagon has
excellent sound with Bose Premium Audio, which has been modernized for seamless
connectivity and performance.
The 2018 Buick Regal has a unique look. It resembles
something of a low-sitting luxury sports car rather than what comes to mind
when the word “wagon” is thrown around. Its rugged styling and sleek line-work,
combined with multiple exterior features, scream adventure. Here are a few
highlights:
- The sturdy, yet lightweight, aluminum roof rails
and crossbars make it simple to attach and carry anything from bicycles, to
kayaks, to luggage. This wonderful feature opens up even more space inside,
allowing for more passengers or even more room for gear.
- The hands-free power liftgate comes with an LED
sensor that reflects on the ground so you can see exactly where to hover your
foot. Then, watch the back hatch open and close on its own. This makes grocery
shopping and kid carrying so much easier and fun.
- Signature LED headlights come with auto-leveling
technology, an advanced system to keep the path in front of you always
perfectly lit. There are also fog lights and the new Arrival Sequence, which
lights up the car as you approach (this is a great safety feature for those
nights when you have to walk to your car alone. Just hit a button and the
lights turn on).
The combination
of a push-button start and keyless entry keeps you, well…keyless. No bundle of
keys to keep up with, to lose or forget. Now, it’s just buttons to be pushed
and you are on your way. It does not get more modern than this.
Once you have
done your research and you know the price you want to pay, come see us at
Liberty Buick. We’ll get you in the (reliable and used) car of your dreams.
