Shopping for a vehicle can be a stressful and confusing process, but here at Briggs Automotive we want to make everything about car buying and owning easier if we’re able. So, if you’re trying to figure out how to choose the right used vehicle to suit your needs, we’ve got a few easy steps you should consider before deciding on which vehicles you’re going to purchase. We assume you’ve already determined your budget, but it’s definitely a good idea to start there if you haven’t already. Once you’ve got that done, dive into the steps below to move through the process.
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What are your needs?
First and foremost, you should probably determine what exactly your needs are when it comes to your vehicle. You should have an idea of what exactly you’re looking for in a vehicle before you start researching models. Don’t be afraid to get out a sheet of paper and pencil and jot down the things that are important to you in an automobile.
How many passengers are you going to need to cart around on a semi-regular basis? How much space do you need for cargo? Do you need your vehicle to be able to tow or go off-road? Would it be better for your amount of driving and the distance you travel to get an electric vehicle or hybrid? And so on. Determine what’s important to you and what you absolutely need, and then you can make sure any vehicle you look at has those and if they don’t, move on! It makes the whole process much easier.
Reliability Reputation
You always want to make sure to get a vehicle that has a good reputation for reliability. We would never sell a vehicle that’s completely unreliable, but there are certainly makes and models out there that are known to be more reliable than the rest of the crop – they’re the cream that rises to the top. Check automotive resources like Kelley Blue Book and J.D. Power to get an idea of a brand or model’s reliability.
Maintenance & Other Long-term Costs
You should also look into the costs of maintenance and other long-term factors, such as insurance rates and repairs. You can typically do some quick google research to find out average costs for things like this on a given vehicle, and it’ll help you with your long-term budget in addition to your up-front budget.
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Resale Value
Finally, resale value is always something you should have in the back of your mind. There’s a good chance you won’t want to have this vehicle forever, but rather trade it in for something new in a few years. While this is certainly more important for new vehicles, it’s something you can research for used models as well, especially if they’re only a year or two old.
If you have any questions about this process or anything else having to do with used vehicles, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us right here at Briggs Supercenter.
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