Buying a used car may be a little trickier than it is when buying a brand new car. If you are buying from a private seller, there is no such thing as a money back guarantee or an extended warranty. Although you may have some safety precautions in place when you purchase from a dealer, there are still many consideration to keep in mind. The following article will walk you through the 5 stages of buying a used car.

1) Research Stage
There are many options to help you with your research to find a used car that is right for you. The internet makes searching for cars easy. If saving money is your biggest concern you should try to remain flexible in your search, this includes being flexible on the make, model, and even location of the vehicle.

2) Communication Stage
Once you've narrowed down your search to potential vehicles that you would like to purchase, your next task is to inquire about the condition of the car. Whether you are using email or speaking to the seller directly the following questions will help you get a better idea on the condition of the car:

Why are you selling the vehicle?
Can you describe the condition of the car?
Has the car ever been in an accident?
Do you have all the mechanical and maintenance records available?
Do you have any objections to me taking the car to my own mechanic?

3) Inspection Stage
Once you have gotten all the information and narrowed down your list to vehicles that seem to be a good deal your next step is to set up a time to actually go see the vehicle. Don't feel bad about asking someone to come with you, if they have a better understanding of cars than you do they may help you to avoid a potential money pit.

4) Test Drive Stage
If the used car has passed your rigorous visual inspection it is now time to take that puppy out for a test drive and see what it can do. It is not a bad idea to take the seller along with you so you can ask about any unexpected noises that pop up while you are on your test drive. If the car is an automatic look for signs of slippage, slippage occurs when there is an obvious hesitation between you pressing down the accelerator and the car responding. This could be a sign of a major transmission problem, which will be costly to repair.

5) Negotiation Stage
When it comes to buying a used car from a car dealer and a private seller they are two very different experiences. This is most apparent when it comes to negotiating, as car dealers have a lot of experience when it comes to negotiating and most individuals do not. If you are not comfortable negotiating you can bring someone along with you that is or seek out a used car dealer that offers a Value Pricing System where the pricing for vehicles are fixed. In a Value Pricing System dealers have already dropped the selling price so negotiations are not necessary.