What to Ask When Buying a Car?

Car ownership is an essential part of everyday life for many Americans. People rely on cars to commute to work, run errands, and get to wherever they need to be, when they need to be there. Cars range widely in terms of costs and features. It is important to ask questions of a seller and yourself when buying a car to get one that meets your needs and doesn't come with any surprise costs or drawbacks.

What is the Car's History?

A seller should be able to tell you the history of a car and why they are selling the car. This question does not apply to new cars, but the history of a used car can indicate whether it might be likely to experience problems in the future. For instance, if a car has seen several accidents in the past, it is more likely to have problems in the future than a car that has only been used for errands that has never been in an accident. Carfax and AutoCheck are vehicle history reporting services that allow drivers to check vehicle history based on a car's vehicle identification number.

What is the Car's Mileage?

A car's mileage is how many miles it has been driven since it was brand new, which will be displayed on the odometer on the car's dashboard. The lower the car's mileage the better. A heavily used car might only be a few years old but have over 60,000 miles. Mileage is a better indicator of the wear and tear the car has gone through than the actual age of the car.

How Much will Insurance Cost?

Car insurance can be expensive, but the cost varies based on the type of car you buy and how much insurance you buy. It typically costs more to insure expensive cars, and cars with safety features like anti-lock brakes and airbags may cost less to insure than cares without extra safety features. State law requires liability auto insurance.

What are the Car's Upgrades and Features?

Any car will get you from point A to point B, but many drivers demand extra safety an convenience features such as power windows, power doors and air conditioning. It is important to identify all the car's extra features and whether the car has a manual or automatic transmission. Another feature that is important to many drivers is four-wheel drive; cars with four-wheel drive will be more able to traverse rough roads and avoid getting stuck in snowy conditions.