When looking for a used car, what are the main things that you should look for?

Question

*i'll be looking for honda accord or civic in particular

Answer 1

1. make sure you like the car

2. always by used from a new car dealer not a used car lot

3. make sure you can get an extended warranty on it

4. certified is good because you get the warranty and its cheaper to certify then buying a warranty

5.used suv and trucks are a steal right now dealers cant get rid of them, i know gas is more but a nice truck suv is 5000 under the money!! 5 grand is a lot of gas, if gas was 2.99 the trucks and suv would be about 5k more,, im a pro i know this stuff

Answer 2

If the previous owner did any "mods" to the car, don't buy it.  Those extra loud mufflers, engine mods, and other c**p shorten the life of the car, and will cost you a lot in mechanics fees in the long run.

If he or she put those big speakers in it, odds are the car will have hidden electrical problems that you won't know about for months.

Keep in mind that most people that install that c**p are not professional mechanics.  Odds are the person who did the work is somewhat inept when it comes to cars.

Here is another clue.  Look around you as you drive.  How many of that model do you see driving around that are ten years old?  You see very few ten year old civics, but many ten year old Accords.  You see very few ten year old Hyundai, but a lot of ten year old Ford Taurus.  That should tell you a little something about the long term reliability of the car.

The last item is who is the car popular with?  If the car is popular with under 25 male drivers, the insurance on it will be higher.

Answer 3

look for basic wear and tear..if the mileage looks to good to be true..look at the seats as well as the "pedals" and carpets..if you see an inconsistency you know the mileage has been rolled back..look for rust, or repair work, its pretty obvious when you look for it..when you are test driving a car..turn of the air, and listen to all the noises the car may make, when you accelerate, brake and turn.... never pay over private party KBB blue book..unless the car is impeccable

i suggest an accord over a civic, quality wise the accord is better

also you want to ask for maintenance  records..and check the oil and air filter, (if its dirty you know the owner doesn't take care of there cars)

Answer 4

I guess you should also check insurance quotes for the car before buying one, for example here: http://autoinsurance.noneto.com

Honda is a good choise.