Why Buying a Used Car is the First Choice For New Drivers

Every year thousands of young people obtain their first driver's license and rush out to buy the car of their dreams...or just a set of wheels to get them from point A to point B. As parents, we want our young people to be in the safest vehicle we can find for them. And because of that, in the past, parents and first-time drivers went to their local new car dealership to buy a new car. Those days are well and far behind us now. The economy dictates that such an extravagance as a brand new car for our young drivers is not a feasible purchase.

A new car has an initial down payment and then, monthly payments which can be close to the cost a an apartment rental. This is not a fair financial assumption for our young people who are just starting out and trying to live on a budget far less than their parents. Then, factor in the auto insurance for this new car and this first-time driver. New drivers are notoriously targeted for the highest in insurance ratings and that new car, along with the high ratings for the driver, just skyrockets your monthly costs.

So, let's keep our feet on the ground and look at an option that has been disregarded for too long a time. When you first think of buying a used car, you worry about all the things that could be wrong with the car and the safety of the vehicle in question. Certainly, if you are buying from the local classified ads, you will need to take extra precautions to ascertain that the vehicle you are interested in is reliable and doesn't need excessive repairs. It is always a wise idea to have the car inspected by your mechanic just to ascertain the mechanical condition.

Another place to find a used car for your first-time driver is at an auction. This could be a government car auction or a public car auction. The rules for both are similar. At either auction type, you will find quite a selection of used vehicles that are generally reaped cars due to financial reasons. Meaning, the owners could not afford to continue making payments on the car or truck and the vehicle was repossessed by the loan originator. Now, these cars sit on the auction lots waiting to be sold at a fraction of their originally cost.

You can easily search for used car auctions online and delve a bit deeper into the types of vehicles and their selling prices at local auctions. This will give you a good idea at what a great discount you can really get a used car for and provide your young driver with a safe, reliable vehicle at a price you can afford.

Toni likes to save money and learned how buying a used car at a car auction at significant discount can get your hands on a great set of wheels.

fact about used car

A used car, a pre-owned vehicle, or asecond hand car, is a vehicle that has previously had one or more retail owners. used cars are sold through a variety of outlets,including franchise and independent car dealers,rental car companies, leasing offices, auctions, and private party sales. Some car retailers offer "no-haggle prices,"certified used cars, and extended service plan or waranties

Used Car history

In 1898, the Empire State Motor Wagon Company in Catskill, New York is one of the very first United States American used car lots.100 Years of the American Auto Millennium Edition, page 18, Copyright 1999 Publications International, Ltd.

The used vehicle market is substantially larger than other large retail sectors, such as the school and office products market ($206 billion in estimated annual sales) and the home improvement market ($291 billion in estimated annual sales.

Vehicle history reports

In the United States, an estimated 34-percent of consumers (in 2006) are buying vehicle history reports for used cars.www.theautochannel.com Vehicle history reports are an inexpensive way to check the track record of any used vehicle. Vehicle history reports provide customers with a detailed record based on the vehicle's serial number (vehicle identification numberVIN). These reports will indicate items of public record, such as vehicle title branding, lemon law buybacks, odometer fraud and recalls. They may indicate minor/moderate collision damage or improper vehicle maintenance. An attempt to identify vehicles which have been previously owned by hire car rental agencies, police and emergency services or taxi fleets is also made. However, consumers should research vehicles carefully, as these reporting services only report the information to which they have access.

In some places the government is a provider of vehicle history - but this is usually a very limited service providing information on just one aspect of the history.

None of the vehicle history reporting services in any of the countries listed above offer the service for free. Several of the services, most notably those in the United Kingdom and the United States, sell reports to dealers and then encourage the dealers to display the reports on their Internet sites. These reports are paid for by the dealer and then offered for free to potential buyers of the vehicle.

In the UK, the DVLA provides information on the registration of vehicles to certain companies for consumer protection and anti-fraud purposes. The information may be added to by companies with details from the police, finance and insurance companies. Such companies are able to provide a car check online service for the public and motor trade...