The Used Car Blog

We want consumers everywhere to feel confident about their ability to engage in the used car process on their own terms. We’re going to be posting articles about every aspect of buying used cars, from giving you tips on how to judge the condition of a used car to knowing your way around financing options to what you should look for when test driving a vehicle.

Adding New-Car Tech to Your Ride

When you make the smarter financial decision to buy a quality used car instead of spending more money on a brand-new car, your new ride might not have every single piece of technology you would like to have. The good news is that adding new-car tech to your ride is surprisingly affordable. This article will outline some of your many options to bring your ride up-to-date with add-on tech available today.

Why Millennials Should Buy Used Cars

If you're a Millennial and need to find your next car, then you have to face the question of whether you should buy a brand-new car or purchase a used car. How do you go about answering this question? You must consider a variety of factors, and this article will outline them in a way that helps you figure out what's best for you. Spoiler alert: We believeyoung people should buy used, and we'll explain why.

How to Avoid Buying a Lemon: Our Top 7 Used Car Buying Tips

In a perfect world, no one buying a used car would ever end up with a lemon, but it does happen. Sometimes people selling a car try to hide damage or tamper with the odometer or cover up a serious accident. The best way to protect yourself from buying a lemon is to follow our top 7 used car buying tips found in this article. Use these tips when you shop for your next used car and you'll easily avoid buying a lemon and all the frustrations that come with it.

How do I Know if a Dealer Trade in Value is Fair?

When it's time to sell your car and get another one, you're faced with the question of what to do with the old car. Should you sell it yourself privately? That can be a long, drawn-out process that involves a lot of leg-work with no guarantee you'll get the price you want, although it's normally the way to get the highest price possible. What about trading it in at a dealership? That is certainly the easiest and fastest way to sell your car, even though it usually doesn't get you the most money. But how do you know if the trade in value the dealer offers you is fair? Follow our advice in this article and you'll figure it out in no time.

The Best Used Cars for Uber and Other Ridesharing Services

If you've joined the growing ranks of Uber drivers out there, or are thinking about it, owning the right car can be a difference-maker between putting more cash in your pocket each month, or not. Buying new is probably not an option for most due to several factors, starting with the higher price of a new car which will jack up your monthly payments. Insurance premiums will also be costlier for a new vehicle, and it will then probably depreciate in value by up to 20% soon after you drive it off the lot- but more on that later. So for most Uber buyers, purchasing new simply isn't practical with respect to your profit margins, which then leaves you with the option of targeting a qualityusedcar for your business.

When and How to Change Engine Oil in Your Car

When you get into a new car or used car, one of the first things you likely will ask is how to maintain it or how well it has been maintained. In the case of a used car, knowing whether or not it's been maintained, such as by seeingoil change recordsand other service information, could make or break the deal. When it comes to engine oil, why does it need to be changed? How often does the average car need an engine oil change? Can you change engine oil yourself?

How Should I Inspect a Used Car?

There's an old saying that you should never "buy someone else's problems". When shopping for a used car, those words certainly hold true, whether it's through a dealership, online, a private seller or even a friend. There are many top-quality used vehicles out there, but avoiding a lemon is so important as choosing poorly oftentimes leads to unexpected repair bills and a depleted bank account. To guide your decision making, industry experts have developed some prudent used car inspection tips for buyers to remember when shopping for a vehicle. What follows are some of their most important used car inspection pointers. Here is how to inspect a used car:

Why Used Car Price Haggling is a Thing of the Past

Used car price negotiating, or "haggling", is an American tradition nearly as old as apple pie, hotdogs and filing one's tax return by April 15th. For anyone who's experienced it, price haggling can be awkward, uncomfortable and downright stressful at times. There are anxious give-and-take moments between the customer and the salesperson involved, as both sides try to seek an advantage for opposing financial benefits. Under traditional compensation plans, salespeople are paid a commission as a percentage of the profit when they sell a used car. Those commissions are factored into the car's sale price, which is referred to as commission "padding", and increases its cost to the customer. On the other hand, of course, the buyer wants the best value they can find for the lowest possible purchase price. The ultimate goal for both is meeting somewhere in the middle and reaching an agreement that moves the transaction forward. Unfortunately, the haggling process itself can sometimes become downright confrontational.

How to Buy a Used Car for a Teenager

Buying a used car for a teenager in your life can be both rewarding and challenging. If it's their first vehicle, it means an exciting new world of independence and responsibility. You want to present them with the keys to a car that's fun to drive, but on the flipside it needs to be safe, economical and come with a good maintenance track record. There are a number of places to shop for a high-quality used car including online, a dealership or through a private seller. Getting the most bang for your buck is certainly important, and there are ways to ensure that your purchase will be a wise one for both you and the teen driver it's entrusted to. With all this in mind, here are some important factors to consider when buying a used car for a teenager.

The Auto Auction is Where Your Used Car Comes From!

The Auto Auction. When you hear this term, what goes through your head? I'm willing to bet the majority of your impressions out there are less than favorable, that dealer car auctions are brimming with the worst of the worst. Cars that have been impounded, abandoned, repoed, unclaimed stolen vehicles, salvaged and flood damaged cars... the worst of the worst. And yes, there are auto auctions out there that carry these motorized misfits, police or insurance auctions for example. But the world of auto auctioning spans so much further.