When you want to buy a car, a used car is an excellent choice. You get an almost-new vehicle for several thousands of dollars less than what you would have paid for it new. Yet, you probably did not know that you can get a car for even less, if you can hold out and wait. Here is how to buy a used vehicle for hundreds to thousands less than the sticker price.
Find Cars You Want
The first step is to search for cars you want. Find them online or on used car lots. Make note of them (e.g., color, make, model, year, price, etc.). Make it a short list, because the next steps are going to require extra effort on your part.
Find out How Long These Cars Have Been on the Lot Already
Knowing how long your selected cars have been on their respective lots will help when the time comes to make a deal and purchase one. Ask the dealers how long these cars have been on the lots. They can tell you when they were last driven, and under what conditions the cars came to rest on their lots. Make notes of the times as well. You will need this information later.
Watch and Wait
It is really hard to wait when you want to make a major purchase like a vehicle. However, if you do wait, you can watch the chosen vehicles week by week, month by month. If one or more of these vehicles remains on their own lots for more than six months, dealers are going to want to slash prices and sell. If you can wait longer than six months, cars that have been on the same lot for a year or more will need to be moved to make room for more inventory. Somewhere between six months and a year, make your move on the car you want most that has not been sold yet. Make an offer on a vehicle that is in line with the length of time that the car has been on the lot, and the age of the vehicle itself.
Haggle, Even Though It Is a Used Car
Dealerships will still try to make quite a bit of money on a vehicle even when it is a used one. That said, haggle. Haggle using all of the data you have gathered on the vehicles you were considering, and use that information.