Used Car Search Engines

I just bought a used car. That statement alone makes the process alone seem like a snap, right? Well, yes and no. The final transactions went beautifully, but only after months of careful research, planning, and discussion (the latter of which some would call “negotiation” or “haggling”). And I bought the car online, so to speak. That is, I used a classifieds board to find my dream cars and ones that would fit my budget; I researched all I could about how to buy a used car; and I took advantage of used car search engines—which also have much research and how-to material.

So I want to share with you what works when you are used car shopping (online, in this case). In a loose order and fashion, here are some things to take into consideration and things to do:

PLAN

Plan your time. Plan to spend quite a few weeks shopping, for that first one isn’t necessarily the one you’d be lucky enough to get. For example, I wanted a truck, a Chevy from the 70’s of my Hicksville teen years. I found many on Craigslist.com (the number one and free place for anything); I took notes, made calls, and finally went to see a classic 1972 Chevy, for starters. The guy spent 45 minutes with me, allowing me to scour the engine, brakes, electrical, etc.. He told me to call on Monday if I wanted to make an offer. I called. I emailed. The guy just never responded! What the?

Plan your budget. This, of course, shouldn’t need to be said, but some of us can get carried away searching in the upper echelons of used car search engines, finding awesome vehicles we cannot afford! I found Mazda Miatas, Monte Carlos, and many hot rods and classic cars I nearly convinced my stoned desirous brain I could not only buy but maintain (on a writer’s budget—ha).

PAY HEED to EXPERTS

Study the specific info. I just told you about how I thoroughly investigated the Chevy truck. I would not have known how to do that without having first researched, making a chart to fill in, and using the chart—without shame.

For example, you can make a chart with blanks that will have the following information. Next to some of the entries are a few hints, whys, and wherefores:

ASK

--Why selling—honest answers are best, of course
--Stick or Auto.—if you can’t drive a manual transmission…well….
--Prior mechanical problems/current mechanical problems
--A smog certificate; maintenance log; receipts for check-up and repair history

LOOK FOR/AT

WHERE AUTO USUALLY SITS—is there oil or other fluids in a puddle?

VIN (vehicle identification number)—make sure the number exists and matches on the dash, doors, and in the trunk.

RUST—check wheel wells, bumpers, engine mounts, mounting brackets under seats….

ACCIDENT?—check the lines of the auto, making sure doors, trunk, and hood close flush, for example.

UNDER HOOD—look for exhaust manifold rust; that the engine mount paint matches the car (if not, it may have been in a crash and the paint job is a ruse); valve cover oil leaks; head gasket oil leaks; particles in the oil (checking this by looking at the dipstick); bubbles in the antifreeze (on a cold engine start-up, means head gasket bad or blown); oil in the antifreeze; milky/watery fluid or condensation in oil-fill cap (means water in oil tank); rust in radiator cap; exhaust pipe blue residue (means burnt oil or that oil is passing from valves/piston rings; tranny fluid; and brake fluid.

CHECK FOR

Brakes—wear on pedal, squealing, distance it takes to stop.

Tranny—with the e-brake on, shift through all the gears, feeling for unusual pulls and listening for any grinding sounds.

And study the general info. The used car search engines (which you might have found before this) are fantastic. Well, the fantastic used car search engines are fantastic. Such resources, consumer proactive, offer value guides (trade-in, independent buyer values); consumer ratings; EPA emissions reports; and warnings and advice.

Absolutely indispensable to me were such used car search engines as:

Edmonds.com (be sure to read the “Confessions of a Used Cr Salesman” there, which reveals a writer going undercover as a used and new car salesman: what he learned, what he uncovered…in a funny and exposing way!)

Kelly Blue Book (kbb.com) is, of course, the premier site for value assessment.

Fueleconomy.gov tells you of the legal epa standards, and calculates gas mileage, too.

Carreview.com is wonderful, as it features personalized reviews written by car owners of every make and model (and year) on the planet.

Samarins.com is the glossary of glossaries, in case you were reading the above and balking, “Huh? Engine mounts? Tranny?”

And while it is informative, it is also great fun, especially for car enthusiasts: Caranddriver.com.

For when you admit it, a commuter car without a bit of a challenge is just wheels to haul the carcass about. Bleh.