To Buy or Not to Buy
Record your findings in the Inspection Checklist and use the checklist to talk about the car when you take it to a mechanic for a full inspection.
Ask the mechanic to give you a written estimate of the repairs the car requires. You can use this to:
- determine if the asking price is justified;
- negotiate a lower price based on the estimated cost and importance of the repairs; and, ultimately,
- decide whether or not you want to go ahead with the purchase.
You can also make use of the Comparative Price Chart and Car Rating Chart in comparing the used cars you look at. Even though the price chart is primarily designed for new-car shopping, it's handy to have when shopping for used cars too. Just fill in the year, make, model and price of the cars you're considering and tick off the features and options of each before you continue to the car rating chart.
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