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Cars.com did some market research on used car sales based on email requests to private sellers and used car sales dealers from July – December 2009 and came up with a list of the most popular used vehicles.
The two most popular used car models inquired about were the Honda Accord and Honda Civic, followed by the Ford Mustang and the Ford F-150 truck. Many other manufacturers are included on the list as well, such as popular used cars from Toyota, Jeep, Nissan, and Chevy. If you’d like to learn more about what made these particular used cars popular, you can access the Cars.com data at http://www.cars.com/go/advice/Story.jsp, which gives you an image of the vehicle, what they like and don’t like about it, as well as basic features information. You will also see the Kelley Blue Book value, which is really helpful to know when you are looking for used car sales deals.
Used Car Sales Features To Look For
You may have recently seen a lot of marketing about Carfax® on television. It’s always good if your used car comes with a vehicle history record. Carfax® is a service that provides information on a particular used vehicle by attaching the data to a vehicle information number or VIN. You can view a sample Carfax® vehicle rating at http://www.carfax.com/phoenix/vehicle_history.
Asking your used car sales dealer to give you the Carfax® report on your vehicle can give you useful information such as any problems with the car title, past accident history, warranty issues and coverage, as well as information such as rating and comments from consumers on your vehicle. Many used car sales dealerships are using Carfax® as a marketing tool to help show you that they have quality cars and aren’t hiding anything from buyers. So, if the car dealership has gone that extra step and has a Carfax® history for you, you can be pretty sure that nothing unknown is going to crop up the moment the keys and title are yours.
However, not having Carfax® doesn’t mean you’re getting a raw deal either. Another very popular and reliable vehicle history reporting service is Autocheck®. You can view the Autocheck® article about the difference between their services and Carfax® at http://www.autocheck.com/consumers
What it means if the used car you are looking at does not have Carfax®, Autocheck®, or a similar service is that there may be an incomplete vehicle history if the used car you are looking at has had multiple owners. This means you have to take a little more time to really have a good look at the car for any suspicious problems. It is best never to purchase from an individual or a dealership that doesn’t have some sort of three day return policy, which is law in many states. Otherwise, just use common sense. If a deal looks too good to be true, it usually is.
Find Used Car Sales Deals Online
You can find used car sales deals online through websites. In some cases, you may need to go to an actual dealership to test drive the vehicle, and in others, you might be purchasing the used car vehicle based only on online photo galleries and information. You want to always make sure your seller is reputable, and you can do this a couple of ways. If the online website is registered with the Better Business Bureau, you can check them out. If the website is affiliated with an actual brick and motor retail lot for used car sales such as a dealership, you can visit the dealership, and if you are thinking about purchasing from an online auction used car sales dealer, you can look at their feedback and make sure you purchase with a method that offers you buyer protection.
CarsDirect® Online Used Car Sales
CarsDirect® has been rated one of the best online websites to buy used cars by popular groups such as Forbes, Time, and PC Magazine. At http://www.carsdirect.com/, you can search used car sales in your area by entering your zip code, and then refine your search with make and model from among available listings. Perhaps one of the things that makes CarsDirect® the most popular and well rated online used car sales venue is that along with listings of used vehicles, they also provide a wealth of information about purchasing a used car that is unbiased and directed at educating the consumer.
eBay® Motors Online Used Car Sales Auctions
By far, one of the most popular online websites for used car sales is eBay®. At http://www.motors.ebay.com/, the first thing you’ll see is a search box for New or Used Cars and Trucks. If you select the Used portion and enter your zip code along with make or model if you are looking for a specific vehicle type, you will be taken to a listing of the most current auctions. Many brick and mortar dealerships use eBay® Motors to sell their used car inventory. When you select a particular vehicle, you will be given information on the vehicle, a photograph or several photos, a vehicle history report if there is one, as well as information on payment, shipping or pickup, and an important section called Before You Buy.
The Before You Buy Section details any warranties, buyer protections, or the location of the actual vehicle if you want to come in and test drive or see the used car in person. This section will also tell you if the used car listed qualifies for the eBay® Vehicle Protection Policy (VPP), and if so, how much is covered if you purchase through the website. There is also a handy email the buyer form where you can ask questions about the used car.
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