What to Check When Buying a Pre-Owned Car

If you’re shopping for a pre-owned car in the Sussex area, there are some important things to keep in mind. Shopping for pre-owned cars is a bit different than shopping for new cars since there’s so much variety when it comes to the make, model, and condition.

Therefore, you want to go into the process as informed as possible so you can make the right decision. We’re here to make the buying process a bit less daunting, so you can focus on finding your perfect ride! The team at Mercedes-Benz of Newton has everything you need to know about what to check when buying a pre-owned car in the guide below.

What to Check When Buying a Pre-Owned Car At Home

There are some key things to check when buying a pre-owned car before making the trip from Hamburg to the dealership lot:

• Check Your Budget: The first thing you should do is review your budget to make sure you know how much to spend on your next ride. You can use our online payment calculator to get an estimate on your monthly payments and see if they fit within the budget you’ve determined. 
• Check Automotive Reviews: Since vehicle quality varies by make, model, and year, it’s worth it to do some outside research before reaching a decision. Check out websites like Kelley Blue Book and J.D. Power and Associates to get information on specific model years and how they’ve aged.
• Choose Your Year, Make, and Model: Now that you’ve calculated your budget and done some third-party research, try to narrow down your choices for a pre-owned car to a top three or four.

What to Check When Buying a Pre-Owned Car: At the Dealership

Once you arrive at the dealership to buy your next pre-owned vehicle, here are your next steps:

• Checking the Vehicle History Report: The vehicle history report will give you a lot of key information, like the vehicle’s maintenance record and any accident involvement. It’s best to choose a vehicle with regularly-scheduled maintenance, a clean title, and a minimal accident record. The vehicle history report will also tell you the number of miles on the odometer and the number of previous owners the vehicle has had.
• Test Drive: If you want to see how your next ride handles on the Hackettstown roads, get behind the wheel and take it out for a test drive.
• Inspection by a Mechanic: We carefully inspect all of our pre-owned and certified pre-owned vehicles to make sure they meet our strict standards, but you have the right to get your vehicle inspected by a third-party mechanic before buying it if you choose.

Find Your Next Vehicle at Mercedes-Benz of Newton

If you have any questions about the things to check when buying a pre-owned car, feel free to contact our Newton office anytime! You can also check out our certified pre-owned vehicle specials if you’re looking to save even more on your next ride.