Sadly, you have a limited budget and cannot finance a new car. What will you do?

Well, you can try getting a used car. More and more people are drawn into buying used cars today. Since there are many financial options and cars manufacturing companies claim that cars are ?living longer? now, you may find a good investment in a best buy used car.

If you decide to buy a used car, you should know about before eventually purchasing one a few things. Do not just get the first or cheapest one offered along. In getting the best buys in used car, you should have a meticulous eye.

If you are a smart consumer, there are ways on how to estimate a used car's value. This way, you will not have to settle for second best. Since it is already used, the important factors to consider before settling on one are doubled.

In getting the best buy used car, double check whether it is worth its tag price. You might think you are already looking at a good bargain, but then, if you dig deeper you might find you are being ripped off.

Here are a few tips in estimating a used car's value:

1. Research ? doing a little research will not hurt. Find out how much the used car costs if it were brand new. Check out if the car is still produced and if its parts are easily available.

When you find a used car that catches your fancy, make sure you do research on that car. Find out how much that car costs if it were brand new. You should also look into whether the car is still in production and if its parts are still available. Research on used car tag prices on different used car shops and compare them among those with the same value and age.

Once a used car's price is too low, that will alarm you that the car can be more trouble than it is worth. If, it is too expensive, ask why.

2. The rule in older used cars ? in 3 years, brand new cars depreciate by 30% of its original value. When it is 5 years old, it might depreciate to as low as 65%. It helps to know the used car's price when it was brand new, and from this fact, measure up from the mentioned rule.

3. Brand new cars typically lose up to 30% in their value in 3 years, and by the time, the car is 5 years old, it may have lost up to 65%. If you know the car's original price, you may want to use this rule of the thumb for your estimation.

4. Third ? Party Information ? check out the used car's history. There are online services that give you a detailed history of a particular car you are interested in. They will even give you its accident history and insurance data. There are also online sites with used car value listings that can be valuable information for you.

5. Get the help of a Mechanic ? a best buy used car is still in good running condition. Take a mechanic along when you check out a for-sale used car so that he or she can evaluate if the car is still in overall good condition and worth the price.

If ever you are not well versed in the mechanical aspect of a car, you can also ask for the opinion of the mechanic if there are repairs to be made and what other expenses you will need to undertake when you buy a car.

The reputation of the used car dealer is also important. Remember not to be enticed easily, be meticulous and shrewd!