This page covers buying used cars with some unique information and tools. Learn about the art of car buying from a mechanic that specialized in vehicle evaluation. Don't miss the more in depth articles below. Take full advantage of my experience on this subject and the tools available on this page. Let's start off by paying as little as possible, so we have breathing room just in case needed auto repairs are uncovered after the purchase. Next the car search should be based on model verses price. You want to find popular cars with lots of options at a fair price. Owning a loaded popular model is like money in the bank (it will always be worth something). To get free book values visit the Nada website (opens in a new window). After the page loads click on used cars center! This takes you to the book values section. I find Nada to be accurate and they allow unlimited searches for Vehicle book values
A newer resource I use is a twist on old fashioned vehicle history reports. Do you recognize the name Experian? They have been providing automobile history reports to Dealers and large Firms for years.They have a web based service for the public. This is a history report similar to other popular providers but with a twist. With your full report on where the car came from and what has happened to it during its life you also get a quality score. Experian are experts at evaluation and scoring. They also have a free search function that provides some insight on reported damage so you can try it out. Just plug in the VIN and get free details about past registration. If it was titled in New Orleans you may want to dig deeper or just pass altogether.
