Buying a used car at a dealer vs. private party?
Dealers you get guarantees and trust me you need them don't ever buy a car with one. Private party its faster at times but there is now way of knowing what they did to so it sounds good at that moment. Then when you go 50 miles or so you find out they did a lot to make sound real good but really it was just a piece of junk. Good luck My best advise is go to a well know dealer that many people have said did a good job with. Trust you intuitions. Don't let them push a car on you. ever. Good luck again.
Buying a car - private party or dealer?
when you buy from a dealer you generally get a decent warranty and the dealer will have already tuned up the car so it is in good running condition. Buying from an individual can be less expensive but gives no guarantees on the condition of the car and you will not get a warranty unless the original manufacturers warranty is still in effect. either way you decide to go you should still have the vehicle checked out by an independent mechanic.
Is it better to buy a used car from a private seller or from a dealership?
It depends. My theory is, if you are spending anywhere from $1,000USD to $5,000USD, private party will get you the most bang for your buck.You can run a carfax and get a general idea of the history of the car, and check for things like transmission shifting smooth, oil not looking clowdy or burnt smelling, and running the car for over 20 minutes and letting it idle with the air conditioner on for 10 minutes (the overheat test). Theres plenty of other simple tests you can do when buying a used car to make sure its decent.When you get to the $5,000 —$10,000 USD range it starts to flip. Your investing more money, so its kind of worse if you end up with a lemon. There is a tradeoff where you say to yourself, “Hey… Self….. I know I am getting a little bit less of a car buying this $9,000 car from the Honda dealership, but I know it has been safety checked, and it passes inspection, and most importantly, this reputable dealership has chosen to keep the car and sell it on their lot.” A reputable dealer would just wholesale a car with a major problem.You should always get *more car* shopping private party, but a little more technical expertise is needed to ensure a good buy.Smaller lots aka *Tims Autos* or whatever usually buy leftover junk from auctions that other reputable places passed on - so keep it at a reputable place. Buy here pay here places arent the best places to find a good cash deal. [Always exceptions to any rule, I have seen a decent small family owned non affiliated dealer before, but in general NO]Any questions just ask.
Buying a used car...CL or a used car dealer?
There are advantages and disadvantages to both. If you buy from a reputable dealer, the vehicles should be detailed, reconditioned and inspected. They also should be full disclosure, meaning if there was damage, it's easily available to find out (Carfax and autocheck available). The downside is that you will have to pay a doc fee and the reconditioning/inspection is factored into the price of the vehicle. The only advantavge to buying private party will be cost. If you buy from an individual, the chances of it being reconditioned and inspected are far less. You have to make sure not to fall for a scam and you have to be sure the person selling the vehicle is the actual owner of the vehicle and it comes with a clean title. I would start with autotrader.com or cars.com before craigslist. Sellers have to pay to post on autotrader.com and cars.com, so the chances of it being a legit listing is far greater. Always get your vehicle inspected by your mechanic before agreeing to purchase anything. Have fun in your Chevy Aveo, Hyundai Accent or base Nissan Versa. Not many newer cars out there in your price range.