Review Car

How can I find used cars for cheap?

The great thing about shopping for a used car is that it’s really rather easy to find a great deal on a pre-owned vehicle. The wide variety of ways to purchase these vehicles, from dealer lots of private individuals, ensures that competition is rich and prices are driven ever-lower by people who urgently need to sell their old vehicle. If a new vehicle is on the horizon for you, it’s important to start the process today and find the most affordable used cars in your area. Using a smart combination of both online and offline sources will help you secure the best deal during your search — and set you up for long-term savings for as long as you own the car.

Be sure to search for a variety of auto insurance options by entering your ZIP code into the FREE comparison tool above!

Craigslist.org

Buying a used car without seeing and driving it first is a huge gamble, and it’s a gamble that many buyers no longer have to take thanks to Craigslist. The community of buyers and sellers is intricately organized into country, state, and city categories, allowing users to narrow down their search by proximity to home. For those in need of a used car, this is often an asset — many people don’t want to take their chances by driving a long distance to test drive a used vehicle, nor do they want to buy something without testing it first.

Craigslist enables direct buyer-to-seller interaction via email, without requiring any expensive membership fees like some of the bigger used car websites online. It also doesn’t require a user to create an account with the website in order to peruse deals and even secure a new vehicle. Because all of the listings are local, no shipping charges are incurred. In short, for those who loathe hidden charges and “gotcha” pricing, Craigslist is a goldmine.

Users can, of course, narrow down their search for vehicles in a certain price range, and they can exclude listings which do not have pictures. That’s a great way to weed out the problem sellers from those offering a reliable and high-quality used vehicle, and it makes the shopping process easier.

eBay

For customers who are more willing to take a chance on a car they may not be able to test drive beforehand, the eBay Motors division of this popular online auction website offers a chance to score same great deals on a new set of wheels. Customers can participate in the same type of comparison shopping on eBay as they would on Craigslist, and they can limit their search to items which are local to them — or to those which must be shipped to their address.

Unlike Craigslist, eBay allows a buyer to view a seller’s reputation in the form of customer feedback. That’s a great tool when deciding whether or not a vehicle is worth the purchase or whether it might be a lemon — or an outright scam.

Newspaper Classifieds

Nothing is as tried and true as the newspaper classified listings which have been selling used cars to new owners for decades. This more traditional form of vehicle advertising is, essentially, the offline version of the Craigslist website. The difference is that these sellers are far more easy to negotiate with, as they’ll be approached via phone or in person, instead of email. It’s widely known that negotiating with someone verbally, rather than textually, is bound to be more effective and result in a more affordable price on a used car.

Rules of Thumb

All of the above options direct customers away from traditional dealership lots and the “big name” used car websites online. That’s because they simply don’t offer the best value on used cars. Sure, they offer low prices and greater opportunities for financing — but those things come at a price. Customers are more likely to incur more fees, hidden costs, and even taxes, at these dealers than they are by dealing in person with a private seller. When cheap is the name of the game, dealing face-to-face with a private seller is the best way to achieve an affordable victory.

The Next Steps of Used Car Purchasing

Purchasing a used car is only the first part of a multi-step process. Buyers must then transfer their title and registration to the new car, and inform their insurance company that they’ve changed their primary vehicle to a newer, or better, model.

This is the perfect time to comparison shop for a new car insurance plan — after all, a cheap used car is only as good as the affordability of its insurance coverage. Just like buying a used car, it helps to be informed before calling an insurance company and asking about the best rates on your new vehicle.

Take Time to Compare

Customers would be well-advised to take a few moments to comparison shop for insurance quotes online before calling their existing provider to transfer insurance coverage to the new vehicle. And remember, insurance companies will often give customers an extra discount for switching, which may help ease (and promote) the transition away from a long-held insurance policy. Adequate research will ensure that these comparison quote

Armed with a new vehicle, a series of car insurance comparison quotes, and a confident attitude, it’s easy to turn a cheap used car into the even cheaper car insurance plan that you deserve. Simply enter your ZIP code now into the FREE  tool to compare auto insurance rates instantly!