Buying brand new cars is a bad financial plan because they lose 60% of their value in the first four years of ownership, but many people continue to buy them just because they won’t want the troubles that are sometimes associated with used cars. Follow these guidelines to make sure that your next used car purchase is done at a fair price and goes as smoothly as possible. Set your budget ahead of time. Determine how much you can realistically afford to buy. If you’re going to finance a vehicle, make sure that you get your financing ahead of time from a local bank or credit union. Car dealers are notorious for marking up the interest rates on loans they provide. You will almost always get a better deal on financing when you set it up ahead of time from your local bank or credit union.After you have a budget figured out and financing set up if you need it, go check Consumer Reports’ listings for car models that have performed well for the long hall. You want a vehicle that’s reliable, not one you’re going to have to pay for repairs on every few months as long as you own it. Never buy a car on Consumer Reports’ list of vehicles to avoid.After you have two or three models you might like picked out, go out and check what an appropriate price to pay for the car is. You can do this online by heading on over to the Kelly Blue Book website at KBB.com or visiting Edmund’s Car Guide at Edmunds.com. If you’re not too savvy with technology, have a friend who is check the prices for you.Once you know about what you should be paying, start looking at dealer inventories online. A simple Google search for auto sales followed by your city name “Sioux Falls Auto Sales” for example, will yield dozens of dealers with thousands of different vehicles to look at. Look for vehicles that are priced close to what KBB and Edmunds are saying that are of the same model and years that you are looking forWhen you find a few cars you might be interested in testing, go to and test-drive it. Have the used car inspected by a diagnostic mechanic! This is an absolute MUST, otherwise you might end up paying over $1,000 in repairs that you really shouldn’t have had to. The mechanic will tell you if there are a lot of things that need to be fixed, if the car’s been wrecked, or has any other major defects. You’ll also want to pay for a report on carfax.com. It will be well worth it to know what’s happened to your car in the past.Once you’ve found a car that you like and has past the muster of a mechanic and you can get it at a good price, go ahead and buy it. You can use all sorts of standard negotiating techniques to get the price down. If the dealer is just being a jerk and is playing games with you, just get up and leave. You shouldn’t have to deal with underhanded negotiation techniques. There are more cars out there and dealers who will treat you fairly. Don’t’ think you have to deal with some slime-ball.You will have to be patient when shopping for a used car. It takes a little bit of time to find a good one at the right price from the right person, and that’s okay. Don’t be in a rush to buy a used vehicle, or you’ll end up making costly mistakes! Category:Home › Autos • Will the trend toward economy-size car models lead Americans back to buying smaller-sized cars? — part 2 • You should never use after-market auto parts when maintaining or fixing your car • Should a new car be rust-proofed? • Will the trend toward economy-size car models lead Americans back to buying smaller-sized cars? — part 1 • Five safest cars in North America • How to ensure your teen drives safely after getting a license • Pros and cons of using an hydrogen generator for your car • DIY automotive maintenance: How to change the oil