According to a Newsweek article from February 2009, used cars are outselling new cars, and this should be no surprise. Most American drivers trade in their cars every two to three years, which puts a lot of great used cars with low miles on the lots. With drivers wanting to save money and still drive a great car, a used car is the obvious solution. Many used car buyers jump head first into test driving the used car of their choice, but there are some steps you should take before your test drive to get the best deal on your next used car purchase.

 

Narrow Your List. Pick your top five to ten used car choices that are in, or close to, your price range and that suit the needs and wants of your ideal used car. This is not the time to set your heart on one specific used car. You will get a far better deal on your used car purchase if you are not emotionally attached to the car until after the paperwork is signed.

 

Used Car Financing. If you need to get a loan to purchase your used car, get your financing lined up before you contact the sellers or dealerships. You will be in a far better negotiating position for your used car purchase if your seller sees that you are a serious buyer with financing available. Local credit unions, regional banks, and internet banks often offer very competitive rates. Shop around for the best rate to get the best deal.

 

Know The Other Costs. Whether you have one type of used car you are interested in or several, give your insurance company a call and get a soft quote on insurance costs for your possible used cars. Insurance, as with a monthly loan payment, is a cost of ownership and should be taken into account before you purchase your used car.

 

Make A Deal. With all of this up-front work on your used car purchase, you may think now is the time to start test driving. You will get a better deal if you wait to test drive a car until you discuss price with the used car seller or dealership. Contact the sellers and dealerships of all of the used cars on your list. Let them know you are inquiring about their specific used car and that you have financing in place, but before you take a look at the car, you want to get the price right. Used car dealerships, and even independent sellers, will try their hardest to get you in front of the car and to use high pressure sales tactics. It's much harder for them to use sales tactics over email or the phone, so it is in your best interest to try to work a deal on the price of a used car before you make a site visit.

 

Sellers and dealerships get inquiries left and right on their used cars, so letting them know you have financing lined up tells them you are a serious buyer worth their time. If a seller or dealership isn't willing to wiggle with you on price for the used car, there is no point doing a test drive. Pass over that car and move on to the next one.

 

Test Drive! After you've followed all of these steps, your list of five to ten cars cars has likely narrowed down to just a couple. With your list of possible used cars narrowed down, you are getting close to make a decision for your used car purchase. So while you have the car out and are test driving it, have a reputable auto mechanic on hand to take a look at the car for you. With a quick inspection under the hood, he can give you a good idea of any maintenance issues that are needed or will be needed soon. When you finish your test drive of the used car, let the seller know what the mechanic said so you can knock the cost of those repairs off your already whittled down price you negotiated over email.

 

A used car purchase is a major purchase - one that you will likely be living with (and paying for) for several years. You will get the best deal on your used car purchase if you do this extra legwork up-front!

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