How To Find A Reliable Used Car

So, you've decided to buy a used car. Good choice, you're going to be saving a lot of money. However, you might be worried about what almost all future used car buyers worry about: how do I make sure I buy a reliable car? After all, buying new seems so safe, since a new car has never seen more than a few miles of test drive wear. You also have that sweet warranty backing you up.

The truth is, though, that buying used affords you several advantages over a new car in terms of finding lasting reliability. Think about it: a new car is unproven. You won't find out until a few years later whether that fancy new transmission design has an irritating tendency to explode while downshifting. With a used car, though, you can easily read up on the model's history, and find out how its reliability record is shaping up.

So, how do you go about determining the reliability record of a specific used car model? The answer is to visit the appropriate owners forums. Simply search for "[my car model] forums," and you should find what you need. On these forums, users will be discussing an incredible amount of minutia concerning their beloved cars. Start reading around, and looking for trends.

What do I mean by trends? I'm talking about posts with titles like "Another '99 Transmission Explodes While Downshifting," and other similar headlines. Basically, if there is a known problem with a given model and year, the people on these forums are sure to know about it. Many forums even make up guides detailing the different flaws in different model years. Read through these, and see if you can find a particular model and year that has very few problems. You can then count on these to be fairly reliable across the entire used car market.

Also, don't be afraid to ask questions yourself. The people in these forums are passionate about their cars, so they're more than often thrilled to share with you. Just be sure that the questions you're asking haven't been clearly covered elsewhere, or you might catch some flack.

So, using car owner forums is just one way of finding a reliable used car, but in my opinion, it is one of the most effective. Trust me, this kind of research will pay dividends when it comes to actually looking through the listings and finding that perfect, super reliable used car.


Cheap Used Cars Under $20,000

It pains me a bit to put these on a site called "Cheap Used Cars," but not everyone else shares my same financial perspective, I understand. For this much money, you can walk away with many of those new cars that your rich neighbors bought, only to turn around and sell once the new car smell went away. They took a huge hit, but you don't have to. Pick up one of these sweet rides today and start driving in style.

Infiniti G35 G35 2006 Infinity G35
Infiniti G35 G35 2006 Infinity G35
Paypal   US $15,800.00
Jeep Commander SERVICED 2006 JEEP COMMANDER 4X4 DUAL MOONROOFS 20K
Jeep Commander SERVICED 2006 JEEP COMMANDER 4X4 DUAL MOONROOFS 20K
Paypal   US $14,888.00
Chevrolet Corvette FLAWLESS NJ 03 Chevrolet Corvette 50th ANNIVERSARY MINT LOW MILES
Chevrolet Corvette FLAWLESS NJ 03 Chevrolet Corvette 50th ANNIVERSARY MINT LOW MILES
   US $18,000.00
Volkswagen Jetta 2006 VW Jetta Silver very clean
Volkswagen Jetta 2006 VW Jetta Silver very clean
   US $10,000.00
Chevrolet Corvette INDY 500 Nice Florida Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car NO RESERVE
Chevrolet Corvette INDY 500 Nice Florida Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car NO RESERVE
Paypal   US $19,900.00
Chevrolet El Camino ss 396 1970 el camino ss 396
Chevrolet El Camino ss 396 1970 el camino ss 396
   US $14,000.00
Ford E Series Van POWER STROKE 03 E350 CHATEAU PASSENGER VAN 73L TURBO DIESEL 77K
Ford E Series Van POWER STROKE 03 E350 CHATEAU PASSENGER VAN 73L TURBO DIESEL 77K
Paypal   US $16,950.00
Mercedes Benz E Class E320 1999 Mercedes Benz E Class
Mercedes Benz E Class E320 1999 Mercedes Benz E Class
   US $18,000.00
Mercedes Benz C Class C230 Kompres 2005 C230 KOMPRESSOR ORIENT BLUE S NICE WARRANTY
Mercedes Benz C Class C230 Kompres 2005 C230 KOMPRESSOR ORIENT BLUE S NICE WARRANTY
Paypal   US $10,900.00
Nissan 350Z Touring RWD 2005 350Z TOURING LEATHER HTD SEATS L MILES WAR
Nissan 350Z Touring RWD 2005 350Z TOURING LEATHER HTD SEATS L MILES WAR
Paypal   US $10,100.00
BMW 3 Series 323CI BMW 323 CI CONVERTIBLE
BMW 3 Series 323CI BMW 323 CI CONVERTIBLE
Paypal   US $15,000.00
Mercedes Benz C Class C350 2008 Mercedes C350 Sport pakNavigation Only 6K Miles
Mercedes Benz C Class C350 2008 Mercedes C350 Sport pakNavigation Only 6K Miles
   US $17,600.00
Ford Escape HYBRID 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID 2WD IN VIRGINIA
Ford Escape HYBRID 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID 2WD IN VIRGINIA
   US $13,300.00
Acura TL LOW MILES NJ 05 Acura TL VERY CLEAN LOADED MUST SELL SAVE THOUSANDS
Acura TL LOW MILES NJ 05 Acura TL VERY CLEAN LOADED MUST SELL SAVE THOUSANDS
   US $10,300.00
Land Rover Defender Soft Top landroversforsale presents 1997 Land Rover Defender 90
Land Rover Defender Soft Top landroversforsale presents 1997 Land Rover Defender 90
Paypal   US $14,100.00
Cadillac Eldorado Touring 2000 ELDO ETC CONVERTCOACH BUILDERS LOW MI FLA CAR
Cadillac Eldorado Touring 2000 ELDO ETC CONVERTCOACH BUILDERS LOW MI FLA CAR
Paypal   US $15,500.00
Jaguar S type R w navi 05 JAG S TYPE R SUPER CHARGED NAVIGATION FACTORY WTY
Jaguar S type R w navi 05 JAG S TYPE R SUPER CHARGED NAVIGATION FACTORY WTY
Paypal   US $18,990.00
BMW X5 30i BMW X5 30i
BMW X5 30i BMW X5 30i
Paypal   US $17,700.00
Ford F 150 XLT 2006 FORD F150 4X4 SUPER CREW XLT IN VIRGINIA
Ford F 150 XLT 2006 FORD F150 4X4 SUPER CREW XLT IN VIRGINIA
   US $13,500.00
Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Sahara Unlimited 2005 1000 made
Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Sahara Unlimited 2005 1000 made
Paypal   US $18,000.00
View Page:   1  2  3  4  5