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Buying a new-to-you car can be one of the most exciting purchases you get to make. Driving off the lot, smiling, thinking about how everyone is looking at you and how cool you are…. The journey to get to that point, however, isn’t always as awesome. Shopping for a used car is a tough process. Every single used car, no matter how similar it is to another, has its own personal history of care, maintenance and potential accidents. Buying a used car always involves some risk but used cars can be a smart purchase if you know what to look for. It’s important to do plenty of research before signing on the dotted line.
One tool to make that job easier is .
allows you to begin your search by browsing for vehicles by make/model, body style or price. Once you get to the search results, you can dial it in by limiting mileage, features, colors or price. If you are still uncertain, you can search using broader terms and get ideas as to what might suit your needs. They even have test drive review videos so you can see the car in action.
Bob and I took for a spin over the weekend as we began our search for a possible used car. My car is now paid off and while I love having an all-wheel-drive SUV for bad weather and kid hauling, we are considering adding a smaller, more gas efficient car to our garage for every day running, as well as the many times we find ourselves in the city (NYC or Philadelphia). The hassle of parking an SUV in a city garage is outrageous and fuel efficiency is not its strong suit. We frequent the city as we run Lily to auditions and acting jobs that she has booked, so it would be nice to have a more convenient car for those drives.
CarGurus offers many insights into the history and condition of a car right on the vehicle information page. You are given insights on items such as a title check, reported accidents, and number of owners.
The easy deal ratings make it easy to know if you’re getting a great deal or not. What’s special is that the deal ratings take into consideration more than just the price of the car. It considers the market of that specific make & model in your local area, as well as the vehicle’s accident history, number of days it’s been on the lot, dealer ratings, and many more pieces of information you can’t get anywhere else.
I love the dealer ratings. Dealer ratings come from real customers who have shopped with the dealerships and then rated their experience. If two cars are about the same price, I would prefer to give my business to the dealer that has treated his customers right.
I also love that the site gives you an adjustable estimated monthly payment calculator. It’s so much easier to think about how much a car will cost you on a monthly basis if you’re looking to make a payment plan.
So far, we are really enjoying this site! It has been a helpful tool as we begin to search for a used car and we love the extra information that other car shopping sites lack. It makes me feel confident and educated about what my choices are and what kind of deals are out there. Check out and make that used (or even new) car search a lot easier and get into your dream car a lot faster.
