What should you look for when buying a used car? There are a number of things you could look for to find out how abusive the former owner or owners were to the car. Take it from me, the salesman at the dealership probably is not looking out for your best interest. All he wants to do is make a sale!
I know cars, and I know performance. I have seen the behind the scenes action that takes place at dealerships before a used car goes out on the lot. One major thing to remember when looking for a new car is pay attention to detail. Look for any scratches on the paint, on the dash board, upholstry and any other spot you car see. Look under the hood! Is there fresh paint that does not match other areas under the hood?
If so the dealer probably painted over any blemishes to make it look better than it is. Look at any decals or striping on the vehicle. If one side of the cars stripes or decals don't match the other, than it has probably had a body panel repaired at some point. Look at the tires, how much tread is left? Are they close to bald? Make sure all the power options work, don't just assume they do. When you take it for a test drive listen carefully for any noise that don't sound right. Don't let the salesman whose riding with you turn the radio up loud so you can't hear the car. Some salesmen who know there is a problem with a car will often times do things like that, and if you ask them what the sound is they will probably give you some silly answer. Always get a carfax report on a car before you buy it. This will tell you if the car was in an accident, or damaged in someway. Always be patient when buying a car, and never jump into things.