Welcome to Car Buying Guide
Buy Sell Trade Car Article
You want to go car buying! You've seen the car, given it a visual inspection - but it's not enough! Use the information offered in car buying guide to "your" best advantage and get the most out of your test drive.
"Things To Look For During The Test Drive"
Assuming that you’ve had a chance to inspect your potential ride and that it went well, it’s time to actually drive the car to see how it handles. The salesman will usually want to ride with you, it will vary from dealer to dealer. If he does not want to ride with you, this is your chance to get to a local mechanic for a quick once over, but if he does, just let him as it may be their policy not to allow unsupervised test drives.With an automatic transmission, hold the brake and put it first in reverse, then neutral, then drive. The transmission should go into and out of gear smoothly in any position. If it hesitates before locking into gear, that might be a sign of trouble. Likewise, if it goes into gear quickly but makes a loud clank that’s not a good sign either. With a manual transmission, it should shift into gear smoothly when the clutch is depressed and not make a grinding sound. A grinding sound when shifting could be caused by a failing clutch or it could indicate more severe problems.
As you pull out of the lot, the car should accelerate smoothly and evenly and not lurch or balk as you gain speed. Keep an eye on the speedometer and make sure that it moves in a normal fashion, not jumping around wildly. Make a mental note of the odometer mileage and check the trip mileage as well. A car in which the odometer has been tampered with is very suspicious. If you notice that the odometer does not move, report it to the dealer as soon as you get back. Unless you are completely desperate for a vehicle, this one is not a good candidate. Listen and feel the way the transmission shifts if it is automatic. Make sure it goes through the gears and does not jump from one to the next. Transmission repairs are one of the most expensive automobile problems. For a manual transmission, get up enough speed to shift into each gear, again listening for a grinding sound.
There has been an uncalculatable amount of information added in this composition in car buying guide. Don’t try to count it!
While test driving, try to drive at different speeds to see how the car reacts. If you know the area well, see if you can find steep hills and winding or curvy roads so that you can experience the car in as many conditions as possible. Any good car should be able to go up a steep hill without losing speed, and should be able to take the worst of curves without any problem. Pay close attention to the way the steering wheel feels. If it tends to pull left or right while you are on a straight road, it may be that the front end is out of alignment, or worse, that it has been wrecked and may be permanently out of alignment. Listen for a clicking noise when turning left or right at low speeds. This usually indicates that the CV joints are badly worn and need replacing. That will cost money if you decide to buy the car. Be sure to drive the car long enough for the engine to get up to normal temperature, and as it does keep an eye on the temperature gauge or light. A car that overheats quickly could have any number of problems.
Above all, one of the things you need to be really concerned about is the brakes. The car should stop normally without having to put excessive pressure on the pedal, and the pedal should never go all the way to the floor. If the pedal goes to the floor, the brakes need serious attention. Most likely, the brake shoes are worn as well as the rotors or drums and cylinders. Again, this will be a fairly costly repair, and could be rather dangerous as well. The brake pedal should be firm and braking should be smooth as pressure is applied. If in doubt about the brakes or anything else about the car, bring your concerns to the dealer when you get back to the lot. You don’t have to buy the car just because you drove it.
Remember, never buy a car without first giving it a thorough inspection and test drive. Oh, and not without consulting car buying guide, too.
Buy Sell Trade Car Best products
Buy Sell Trade Car News
Car Talk | Don’t sell favorite car before getting it checked out
Dear Tom and Ray : What went wrong with my baby? Years ago, I owned my favorite car ever: a 1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme in Triple White (white paint, white top and white leather). That car was amazing. The best road-trip car I’ve ever seen, it would run at 2,000 rpm at 75 mph. Beautiful. Anyway, about six years ago, the car developed a strange problem. When it wasn’t warmed up, it would ...
Read more...Ford to sell $1B in bonds
Ford Motor Co. is marketing $1 billion of bonds backed by loans to car dealers as the relative yields investors demand to own the debt drop to a six-month low, according to a person familiar with the offering.
Read more...Best Car Deals on Year's Busiest Week
Along with retailers who make 10 to 15 percent of their holiday sales the week after Christmas, car dealers are likely to have one of their busiest weeks too. Alec Gutierrez, senior market analyst with Kelley Blue Book, said December sales tend to be either the strongest or close to...
Read more...How to Stay Afloat on Your Car Loan
Sounds simple, but don't buy a car you can't afford. Shop within these guidelines.
Read more...Don't buy the wrong wheels
Many small business owners stumble in buying and financing the right sort of work vehicle.
Read more...Clean Energy Becomes Harder Sell
The following commentary comes from an independent investor or market observer as part of TheStreet's guest contributor program, which is separate from the company's news coverage. By Benjamin Nanamaker NEW YORK (TheStreet) --Clean energy appears to be a harder sell to Wall Street than Main Street. Ener1, the parent company of a electric car battery maker that received a $118 million grant from ...
Read more...