There are over 20 Used Car dealerships in the Oakville area, meaning you have lots of choices when it comes to purchasing a pre-owned car. There are many benefits to choosing a pre-owned car over a new car such as cost and selection. If someone really wants to drive a BMW, but can’t afford a full priced new one, getting a used one is probably a better option. The downside of buying a used vehicle is that there may be some issues with the vehicle. A lot of issues with a car can be showcased with something as simple as a CarProof, but those depend on the honesty of the previous owner. There are some simple things you should do when you’re looking at purchasing a used vehicle which could save you time and money in the long run.

Do Your Own Inspection

Just because a salesperson says that the vehicle is “dent-free” or “scratch-free”, doesn’t mean it’s true. Look for yourself if there are any scratches, dents or blemishes on both the interior and exterior of the vehicle.

Test Drive The Vehicle

As we mentioned in the Buying A Car article, you NEED to test drive the vehicle. You need to make sure the vehicle feels right and handles the way you expect. Just because you find a really good deal on your dream car, doesn’t mean it’s the right car for you.

Do A Leak Test

During your Test Drive (which you are of course going to do), pull over on a clean road and let the car run for 30 seconds. Move the car and see if anything has leaked onto the road. If you see fluid of any kind on the road, there might be a leak in the vehicle which could end up costing you to fix it.

Get The Vehicle Inspected By Another Mechanic

While this is an up-front cost you may not want to spend, it could help you in the long run. A mechanic can tell you if the vehicle has any issues that may need to be addressed soon that the salesperson may not have mentioned. If he tells you that the transmission is going to blow up in the next six months, you may not want to purchase the vehicle.

Do Your Research

Just because you found that beautiful ’67 Impala that you saw on a TV show once, doesn’t mean you should just pull the trigger and buy it before someone else discovers it. You want to make sure that what the dealership is asking is a fair price by looking up other prices online. These days, price shopping cars couldn’t be easier. When you are looking at used vehicles on auto trader, scroll down on the page, there will be a graph that will tell you how fairly this car is priced to the market. Do keep in mind, that graph doesn’t take into account trims, if you’re looking at a luxury version of an RX it’s obviously going to cost more than a base model.

Weins Pre-owned Centre, and other successful used car dealers are successful because they price their cars correctly. We have pretty incredible tools at our disposal that help us price our cars at a fair market value. We are constantly checking the market pricing for all of our inventory and making changes whenever needed! We know you’re not coming here if you can find the same car priced cheaper somewhere else!

You may want to read reviews about the make and model to make sure it’s a reliable vehicle. Most importantly, never trust what you see in the media. Believe it or not, a DeLorean won’t actually send you back to 1955 after going 88mph.

Review The Vehicle History Report

There are many resources out there that can help you look at the history of a vehicle such as a CarProof Report or a CarFax. But as I mentioned earlier, that’s based on the previous owner fixing any repairs through insurance. Almost half of all accidents in the GTA aren’t reported so these won’t show up in a report. But at the very least, the report will give you a good base to start your own research.

Conclusion

Buying a pre-owned vehicle can be a lot cheaper than buying a new car. But with that also comes the risk of having pre-existing issues with the vehicle. So make sure you do your own research and protect yourself so you can drive away in your new dream car. At Weins Pre-Owned Centre, we stand by our pre-owned inventory and will make sure you’re properly taken care of.