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Three Important Things To Research About A Used Car Other Than Sticker Price

When you decide to begin looking for a car, if you are like most people, you will do research into pricing for the make and models you are interested in. After this, you will look for the best deals you can find, perhaps attempting to negotiate for a better price than the one listed by the car dealer. There are, however, a few overlooked factors when buying a used car that are worth paying attention to. The following are three of them.

The maintenance costs of the car

How much money you save on a car that you got a good deal on is likely to evaporate quickly if the maintenance and repair costs are high. These costs are not the costs associated with a car being unreliable, but the costs of replacing such things as tires or a battery. Some cars have uncommon sizes for parts, so the upkeep is more expensive. In addition, spare parts may be more difficult to come by, or there are not enough aftermarket parts by third party vendors. Many replacement parts may only be available as OEM, so they are higher in price.

The resale value of the car

Certain used cars hold their value better than others. When you go to sell your car or negotiate a trade-in price for a new car, you will want to get as much as possible for your used car. This is a largely an overlooked part of research by people shopping for a used car. People are not thinking about selling a car when they are in the market to buy one. But this type of forward thinking is a part of savvy car shopping. Perhaps the best way to estimate a car's resale value is to look at the current values of a particular model of car, and then look at the percentage price drop from one year to the next.

The cost of insurance

You should know the differences between insurance rates for the different make and models that you are shopping for. You should also know exactly how much coverage you will be looking to buy for various makes and models. The cost of insurance can play a big role in your decision about which car you want to buy. At the same time, a failure to get quotations for car insurance can be costly over time. After you have done research into the two items listed above, you can then begin getting multiple quotes for insurance online.

Take your time to do effective research. How much money a car will cost you goes well beyond the car's sticker price. Contact a used car dealer, like Direct Auto, to get started.


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