If you’re looking to buy a new car, your choices are fairly limited to purchasing from a franchised auto dealership. But purchasing used cars is another matter and you have many options available to you in your search.

Used Car Superstore

In recent years, used car superstores have popped up all over North America. Used car superstores will have hundreds, if not thousands of used cars for sale at any given time, with the majority being late model low mileage vehicles. The vehicles that are found for sale at used car superstores generally are purchased at auctions. Often, superstores can provide you with financing if you need it to make your purchase. As well, the warranty that is offered can be as good as those found anywhere else.

New Car Dealers

Many used car purchasers actually make their purchase from their favorite new car dealerships. Car dealerships know that not everyone is in the market for a new car, so they will often have some stock of used cars available for purchase. These cars may have been purchased at auctions, or they may be someone else’s trade in on a new car. Buying from a new car dealership though can be more expensive than other places - but often, dealerships have excellent reconditioning standards. Considering a new car dealership for your used car is a good option: Most dealerships want to maintain a good reputation in their community so you are likely to get good quality.

Used Car Dealers

We’ve all heard the jokes about the used car salesman - usually quite demeaning to them. However, there are many reputable small used car dealerships. Negotiating price with used car dealerships is often easier than with new car dealerships, and they may have access to financing options as well as warranties that can be offered for an additional cost. Unless it’s a used car superstore though, smaller used car dealers don’t have the same selection at any given time generally speaking.

Private Owners

Of course, you can consider purchasing directly and privately from the owner of a car that they wish to sell. There are advantages and disadvantages to this. The primary advantage is that you will usually get a better price from a private owner than through a dealership. However, you won’t get a warranty and buying privately does require “buyer beware.” As well, if you’re interested in looking at several vehicles before you purchase, you’ll have to book appointments with the private owners to view and test drive the vehicles.

Car Auctions

Originally, car auctions were primarily for licensed auto dealers and only those dealers could bid on vehicles sold at car auctions. But today, there are a number of car auctions that are open to the general public, and many do have some fine cars available. Keep an eye out for public auctions in your neighbourhood, and you just might save yourself 50 to 60% of the cost for a vehicle you’d purchase elsewhere.

Of course, the downside of car auctions is that you don’t have much time to inspect the vehicle. A thorough inspection is out of the question, as is test driving any vehicles you are interested in.

So you’ve decided that purchasing a used car is the best use of your money at this time. You realize that as soon as you drive a brand new car off the lot, it’s just depreciated by 20%. And there’s a ton of decent used cars around.

I personally have never purchased a new car even though I am 45 years old. The most I’ve ever spent on a car is $6,000.00. I’ve purchased big used cars and small used cars. My most recent purchase of a used car was over 6 years ago, when I picked up a shiny 1989 Cadillac DeVille - for $3,000.00 Canadian, on the road. (more…)

If you’re a typical guy, when you purchased your first car, you were likely thinking “sporty and fast” with thoughts of utility value being the furthest from your mind. Unless you were really lucky and had rich parents, you weren’t thinking about lots of space in the trunk and rear seats. And likely, you ended up with a car that you could afford - and wasn’t all that close to your dream machine.

But now if you have a family, your needs for transportation are likely quite a bit different than when you chose your first car, if you’re thinking of a “family car.” So how do you go about choosing the best car for your family? In the end, you’ll want the best car you can get that suits your budget. (more…)

One of the most amazing wonders of the twentieth century was the development of automobile technology. Can anyone imagine today what life would be like without the automobile? Although we have concerns today about pollution and global warming directly related to our love of the automobile, chances are it’s invention and continued development have done more good than harm, when one considers that before the auto, horses would defecate on public streets, there was no fast way to get medical treatment, and so much more work and labour would have to be done by humans. (more…)