1. All Vehicles Have Value Therefore Merit. There are many choices in the pre-owned market. Different strokes for different folks. Choosing the right car for the need and person driving it can be tricky. Make sure the car your buying is a good value. Notice I didn’t say cheap price. Value judgments should be made with a variety of criteria in mind. Need, condition, safety, fuel economy and cost may all be factors in determining what constitutes a good value. Remember you’re the only one that can set the criteria. In the end you have to be satisfied with your decision. Does the vehicle your looking at merit further consideration?

2. Needs vs. Wants- This is a tough one and many times confusing one. Our emotions play a big part in choosing a vehicle. After all, the car you drive is an extension of your personality. People become very attached to their cars. They even have pet names for them. But don’t let your emotions run ahead of good sense. Try to sit down and write out everything you want a car to be and do. Now separate the list into two-wants and needs. Put emotions aside at this point and be as objective as you know how. Perhaps consulting with a friend or relative will help you see the difference.

3. Priorities- safety first- Lets be honest safety is the most important factor in a vehicle. But safety can be a little difficult to put your finger on. How many air bags do you really need in a car? Are anti-lock brakes and traction control systems over kill or the new standard for minimum safety? These questions are for you to answer. Let me say though that the newer the vehicle the more likely it is to have the latest safety devices. Be care here though not all model year cars are created equal. Some models have these devices as standard equipment and others as optional. The main point is- consider safety first. If it passes here move on to other considerations.

4. Fuel Choices- This wasn’t an issue at one time. Today there are several types of fuels and systems available. First there is good old fashioned gasoline. Next there is E85 made for “Flex-Fuel” vehicles. They use regular gasoline and a mixture of ethanol and gasoline (85% ethanol, 15% gasoline). Diesels will surely become more available as fuel prices rise because mileage can be considerably higher, perhaps 30%. There are also Hybrids. These are a combination of Gas and electric. Toyota has led the way here with vehicles like the Prius. In the near future we will see Hydrogen and other fuel-cell technology on the market in greater use. What’s the best fuel to use? Make that choice on availability, ease of service and fuel economy. Again let common sense rule. For instance you wouldn’t want to pay a premium for a diesel engine and then only drive in town and relatively few miles a year. The time it would take to recover the investment wouldn’t make sense.

5. Mileage and Condition Considerations- High mileage is not what it used to be. 20 years ago 100,000 miles meant the end of life for the average car on the road. Today that number is over 200,000 for most cars of properly maintained. There are many very good pre-owned cars around with a good 100,000 miles left in them don’t pass them up. They can be great values. You can expect to pay a premium for a lower mileage car. Make sure it’s worth it.

6. Check it over- This is where you should employ the expertise of a professional. I suggest you take the car to a trusted certified mechanic. You will usually pay a small but worthwhile fee for their appraisal- that’s OK. Better to spend a few bucks than get stuck with a car that has potentially hundreds if not thousands of dollars of problems in it. North Hills Automotive has locations throughout the upstate of SC and will be happy to provide you with a thorough evaluation. Condition can be divided into three groups; body, interior and mechanical. Look for accident identifiers such as mismatched paint texture and color, missing VIN’s on body panels and misalignment of sheet metal. Interior fading and mildew smells may be indicators of previous flooded vehicles. While checking the interior, operate all lights, windows and accessories. Mechanical condition will vary depending on mileage and previous maintenance. Check to see if there are maintenance or “Check Engine” lights on. I like to look at the engine oil dipstick. A stick that has varnish all the way up is probably an indication of poor maintenance and possible sludge problem.

7. Time to buy-Well now you’re ready to buy. Have you given any consideration to the dealer your buying from? How’s their reputation? Do they look like they’ll be around if you have a problem? Are they bonded? Are they licensed? Unfortunately the Used Car industry has a bad reputation for a reason. One bad apple does spoil the whole bunch. You might want to take the “hassle” out of buying a car. North Hills Auto Sales has a buying service. Just tell us what you are looking for and we’ll find it for you at no additional charge.

8. Financing and Warranties- This is where you can really get hurt. Read the contract. Know the rate and your credit score. Never shop on payment. If you tell the salesman you want a 300/mo payment that’s exactly what you will get (when it should have been 275.00). Some warranties aren’t worth the paper they are printed on. Before you buy an after-market warranty find out if the vehicle still has any factory warranty remaining. Then purchase a warranty with your eyes open. Warranty contracts that require the part to be “broken’, in order to qualify as a failed part, are common. Instead look for phrases like “ no longer meets the manufacturers specifications”. The part could very well be “whole” but not working properly.

9. Maintain it or lose it- Many people buy a car with no consideration of future maintenance. If you want that “new” car to last the life of the loan you’d better take care of it,. This means changing oil and filter every 3000 miles regardless of the “recommended service schedule” It’s the best money you can ever spend on maintenance. Get a fresh start on all fluid and filter maintenance. This includes transmission, brakes, coolant and other fluids that are filtered. If you will maintain you car’s fluids and filters you will drive many trouble-free miles. Studies show that for every $1 you spend on maintenance you save at least 5 dollars on future repairs. That’s like going down to the bank and depositing 100.00 and getting 500.00 back- now that’s a return on investment!

10. When is it time to say when? Perhaps your reading all this and wondering if you should even be trading in that old car or not. That’s a question worth asking. Here’s some more. Is my old car still dependable? If not, what would it take to make it dependable? What is the expected life of my current vehicle? Can I possibly drive it another year or two? Does my car meet my basic needs? I’m I ready to make a change? Can I afford to make a change? If the answer is yes then “happy hunting”.