You should first plan on spending as long as possible on your test drive. Fifteen minutes is not enough time. You want to thoroughly examine the car and definitely have a mechanic check it out.
Take a look at the vehicle overall. Do the body parts line up? Does the paint match? Will doors open and close easily? Do the tires look like they wear evenly?
Check under the hood. You may not know exactly what you are looking at, but that is okay. Look for leaky hoses, worn belts, and dirty oil. Ask the dealer to show you the automatic transmission fluid. Smell it. If there is a burned odor, steer clear. The fluid should be clear and reddish. Transmission repair costs are not pretty.
Have someone show you the radiator water. It should have a light yellow or green color.
Make sure all of the warning lights and gauges work. Start the car and check all lights and functions. And here is a no-brainer - make sure no warning lights remain lit on the dashboard.
Look at the airbag indicator lights. If these lights do not illuminate as you start the car, or if they stay lit after the car is running, they are not working correctly.
Try on the seat belt. Test the vehicle in the early evening to determine the headlight visibility. If you already have a child safety seat, go ahead and install it. Not all seats are compatible with all cars.
Accelerate up to 35-40 MPH. Is shifting smooth and steering straight? When braking, a pull to the left or the right could indicate a problem.
If you buy via the classifieds, make sure to check the name on the title and match it to the name on the sellers drivers license. Just to be safe.
It would be nice to find the little ladies almost new car that was not driven more than 15,000 miles a year. Of course, low miles on the odometer would be a big plus, too. Even then, you can not assume that a low-mileage car is necessarily in great shape.
One major concern is odometer tampering. So do your homework. Ask for a detailed service history report. If records were not kept, you can check things out for yourself with the vehicle identification number. Provide this VIN number to your state vehicle history company to get a record of the cars former life.
Remember, no matter how in love you are with a car, think twice before purchasing one that has been wrecked. You do not need anyone elses problems. There are dozens of other cars you could enjoy just as much.
So test drive more than one car. You will never regret a wise, well-thought out purchase.
Many people who need tips on turn to the Internet for everything from specs to financing. And if you really want to uncover the best deals whether you're considering new or used vehicles, you will need to check out several different Web sites and really do your homework. There is a lot of information easily accessible including everything from sticker price to customer rebate information, that this chore can seem to be overwhelming. Particularly since much of the information and the tips about buying a car will differ among various sites. So, the best thing to do is to get in touch with an car manufacturer or Montreal car dealer directly if you have any questions. Your preliminary work will inevitably be worth while by letting you avoid some of the pit falls of buying a car and turn you into a much more knowledgeable purchaser. So take as much time as you need and educate yourself well. To assist you in your efforts to find useful Montreal car buying tips, this is a short list that will increase your chances of getting the best bargain for your money. 11 Car Buying Tips 1. Before you even start shopping for a car, you need to decide what your budget is and what your Montreal bank's interest rate is for new and used cars. If you can get pre-approved you should do so because this will enhance your negotiating position and get you your best bargain quickly. 2. The next move is to investigate new and used car prices online, in the library, bookstore or other Montreal dealerships. Otherwise, make the salesman show you the dealer's invoice. The dealer can still make a profit selling his new cars at his invoice price. 3. Do not waste your funds improving your old car so you can get the best on the trade-in. Instead swap out new tires, radios, trailer hitches and other accessories with friends for money you can use to minimize your loss when you do trade it in. 4. Once you start shopping at Montreal dealerships try to arrange not to go alone. Taking someone else with you will give you an edge over the salesman. 5. Only buy used cars from lots that are connected to new car dealership. They only keep the best trade-ins to sell themselves. 6. This next car buying tip is ignored by many a buyer. Don't get too attached to a car before you buy. This makes it much more difficult for you to negotiate in your best interest and you might also find out that you actually can't afford it later on. 7. Do not ever purchase a used car without first getting it thoroughly inspected by an independent mechanic. 8. When you have a trade in as part of the deal make sure you get back the keys to your trade-in before you start your negotiations so that you can leave when you want to and not when they want you to. 9. Take the time you need and shop on your own schedule and not that of the salesman's. Don't fall for the pressure that you need to rush your decision. 10. However, for the best bargain, negotiate your buy during the last two days of the month and the last two hours of the working day for the dealership. This is always rush time for Montreal dealers and can work in your favor as they want to close sales at this time so they can get them on the books before the month's end. 11. The final one of our car buying suggestions is this. When checking out mileage and the age of the car remember that the average for most used cars is 25,000 kilometres per year. After passing the 150,000 kilometre mark they can be a chancy investment.
Both Terry Parker & Rankin Mackenzie are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Terry Parker has sinced written about articles on various topics from Debts Loans, Modelling and Cars. To get into your next test drive vehicle from visit our site.. Terry Parker's top article generates over 246000 views. to your Favourites.
Rankin Mackenzie has sinced written about articles on various topics from Used Car. Shopping? Searching for businesses, restaurants or entertainment in Montreal? Use our exhaustive . Rankin Mackenzie's top article generates over 4400 views. to your Favourites.