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Wednesday, January 20th
Cars allows you to find the used car you want at dealerships near you. Unlike many of their competitors, Cars does not require you to enter your contact information to see pricing, which is great if you're hoping to do your research without being contacted by sometimes-pushy salespeople. They also provide a number of resources for researching your pre-owned car purchase.
Edmunds is a trusted name in the automotive world, and their site can help you get the used car you're looking for. From their Used+Perks program that gets you savings and discounts, to the True Cost to Own calculator that tells you what it'll cost to have your car over the next five years, there are great resources on the Edmunds site. Unfortunately, at the time of our review, the functionality for getting those special offers wasn't working.
When people need to buy a vehicle, many prefer to buy a used - or "pre-owned" - car. Why? You may be familiar with the idea of depreciation, or the loss in value of an item. According to the experts, the simple act of driving a brand-new car off the dealer's lot leads to a depreciation of as much as 11% of the car's value.
For that reason, buying a used car is often an attractive option for those customers who don't mind having a vehicle with a few miles on the odometer. Of course, buying a used car also comes with several considerations that you won't find when purchasing a new vehicle.
First, there may not be a warranty on a pre-owned car. The typical warranty is three years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first. So, if the vehicle you're considering has passed one of those thresholds, you may want to pay for a separate warranty to cover any surprise repairs that may happen in the future.
Also, you'll want to check the history of the vehicle you hope to buy. It may have been in an accident, had flood damage, or some other incident that may not be visible on the surface. There are a number of free services that allow you to get the full report associated with the car you're looking at.
Finally, be sure to check if there are any manufacturer recalls that haven't been addressed with any used car you wish to purchase. Whether you buy your used car from a dealer or from an individual, there's no guarantee that they've taken care of the repairs necessary to fix the problem, which could be dangerous.
Shopping online for a used car makes it very easy to see what's available in your local area without having to drive to multiple dealerships and car lots. Most websites for buying pre-owned cars are relatively similar: enter the type of car you're looking for, along with your ZIP code, and get quotes from dealers in your area that may have your vehicle in stock.
So, what factors should you keep in mind when choosing the best website for your used car purchase? Consider these three criteria:
TopConsumerReviews.com has reviewed and ranked the best Used Car sites available today. We hope these reviews will get you behind the wheel quickly in a vehicle that will last for years to come!
Select any 2 Used Car Sites to compare them head to head