5 Things To Know Before Buying A Used Car

By John Hayden

Buying a used car is a viable option if you are on a tight budget and looking to save some money whenever possible. The problem is, you’ll have to kiss too many frogs before you find your dream car. Here are five things you should know before looking for used cars in Halifax:

Never step inside a dealer’s office without proper research:

Do some legwork before you set out to buy a car. MostÂ used car dealershipsÂ maintain an online inventory. Check car models that you are interested in and look for information about these cars on Google. Car-shopping websites like Edmunds and car forums have plenty of information about specs and user experience. If you have narrowed your choice to a few vehicles, read all that you can about the vehicle, including its history and specs. Prepare as much as you can before you visit the dealer. Make a mental list of the cars that are in your budget and worth buying. This ensures that you do not succumb to temptation and go over budget.

Test drive the car:

Include a highway, side street, and roads where cornering or turning will be necessary in your test drive. Keep your eyes and ears open to make sure you don’t see or hear something unusual. Spend time driving the car before buying to make sure that you are comfortable driving it.

A leak test is very important:

A car with leaking brake fluids should be avoided; they spell nothing but disaster. Performing a leak test is easy. While on the test drive, park the car in a clean area and let it run for at least 30 seconds. Look for visible signs of leakage. If the fluid buildup is black, it could mean leaking oil. And if the fluid buildup is green, it could mean a leak in the anti-freeze. Pink fluids are usually an indication of leaks in the transmission.