The Benefits of Buying from a Used Car Dealership

Buying a car at used car dealerships can be a good or a bad experience, depending on where you go. We’ve all heard about the shady dealers that put sawdust in the car in order to turn back the mileage, or however Matilda’s father did it. Or even in non fiction life, we all know someone who’s paid way more than the car was actually worth. It’s stories like these that make us wary of used car dealerships from well knows names like used Chevy dealers or used Subaru dealers to the local used car dealerships on the corner. However, there are some great reasons why you would shop at used car dealerships. Let’s take a look at some of the good things about them.

Variety
This means everything from price to type. Used car lots tend to have a much wider selections of cars ranging from all different prices as well as age, mileage, color and more. They aren’t restricted to the one or two year rule of new car lots. They can reach as far back to the classics if they so feel inclined. If you are looking for something specific as far as type or color and you don’t see it on the lot, sometimes you can ask them to keep an eye out at an auction or when they are buying cars and for a fee, they will purchase that specific kind for you.

Price
This is the main difference, really. New cars have such a high price and really are you are paying for is bragging rights that no one has driven your car before. When the average mark up of a new car is $20,000, those are some expensive bragging rights. Used cars are generally much less expensive and still very reliable and well maintained. For the most part, it all comes down to money as do many things in life!

Financing
Many people want new cars because they don’t have to pay up front and financing a car also builds credit. Well, you can do both of those things and still not pay as much. Used cars can be financed and most used car lots will report to the credit bureau, so as long as you are making your payments on time, you will be building credit just the same. Don’t get caught up in the thinking that you have to have a new car in order to build credit. Even if you don’t finance your used car and buy it outright, there are plenty of ways that you can quickly build credit. Speak with a credit adviser and they will let you know all of your options.

Negotiating
The great thing about used car dealerships is that everything is negotiable. There might be a sticker price on the window but there is a lot more room to haggle than there is for a new car. If you are a good negotiator, you can walk away with a car at a much lower price than you even expected to pay. However, if you are not a good negotiator, you may end up disappointed by what you have to pay for your used car. If you know that you don’t have those skills, try and bring someone with you that can step in the gap and get that price down for you.

Extras
New cars come with a string of fees and requirements. You may need to still have full coverage insurance on a used car if you are financing but you can forego any of the extras that you don’t feel you need or don’t want to pay for. Typically, there aren’t many requirements when you are buying a used car. However, if you don’t go for any of their extras, chances are, they won’t throw in any freebies either so it’s a bit of a toss up.

There are many pros and cons to buying both used cars and new cars, you really just have to look at your personal situation and figure out which would be best for you to do. There’s no right or wrong answer to this dilemma; it depends on your current situation, your budget and your needs and wants.