How to purchase a used car

Here is my list of buying a quality used car. A suggestion, download a droid app called "Color note" and create a checklist from the stuff below so you can remember everything and check it off as you evaluate the car.

Find a Car

Before you look at any car go to autotrader.com and see what the going prices of the same cars you are interested. Try to find a private seller price. They are generally more realistic where dealers are marked up because they have to recover overhead costs of the car sitting on their lot. Once you have checked everything out, then make a determination on offer price. If any of the things below do not measure up to what you want then you need to figure what it would cost you to fix and compare it to other similar vehicles you have looked at. Never buy after looking at one car. You really need to comparison shop for quality and price. For instance if two cars have the same mileage and the price is $2k difference but the more expensive one has better breaks, tires, etc then you have to figure which is the better deal one you replace those items on the cheaper car. If you are buying from the original owner, it is a good thing. First time owners usually take care of a car much better than subsequent owners

Before you Start the Car

Check the mileage and divide by the number of years it has been on the road. This does not mean divide by the model year. Some cars will stay at the dealer for up to a year. 12k-13k miles a year is normal driving. if the ratio is over 14K it means it has had a nice blend of long trips to short trips. Believe it or not, long trips are actually better on a car than short trips which is why you need to be careful with low mileage cars. If the number is in the 9k-11k range he car has taken a lot of short trips unless the seller tells you it was in storage. Short trips are a lot harder on the engine. I would rather have a 6 year old daily driver car that has 100k miles than a 6 year old daily driver with 30k miles.
Check the tires for even wear. This means the owner has done good maintenance on the car by carefully rotating the tires. If the drive wheels are wore down a lot more than the non-drive it usually means the driver likes jack rabbit starts and spins the tires (I would never buy a car on this fact alone)
Check the Engine. See if the engine is hot. Most people trying to hide something will start the car and warm it up just before you get there to check it out. They are usually trying to hide starting problems. Check the engine compartment for any sludge. Dirt is ok but you should easily see any oil leaks. Be wary of perfectly clean engines, they may be trying to hide something. If this is the case, put your finger in the tail pipe to see if there is a lot of carbon buildup. This means the engine is burning oil. There will be some carbon out of the pipe but if it is heavy dark stuff there is a problem.
Check the dipstick. Oil level doesn't matter as much as the condition of the dipstick. It should be perfect when wiped cleaned. People who don't change their oil often will scar the stick or it will show a white/grey sludge
Check the engine coolant. The level should be good and no brown sludge buildup, Pull the cap to check for sludge at the top of the radiator.
Check the paint. Take a long look down the sides of the car in the sunlight. It will be easy to see any dings. Also in the sunlight you should be able to see any differences in color which means it was wrecked (repaired). Factory paint will have no blemishes or rough areas. The paint color and sheen will be consistent throughout. Also check the Door jams, trunk hinges and hood area for overspray from a repair. Defects should be from road use i.e. rock chips. sun fade, grocery cart scrapes etc.
Check the disk brakes for grooves. Run your finger over the disk. If there are deep groves the brakes will probably need replacement with the first year of driving
Check the shocks. Push down hard on each corner and see the shocks rebound. Should never bounce more than twice
Check underneath for signs of rust. There will be some but heavy rust is a no-no. Look at the exhaust pipes for condition. Lots of rust will mean system will need replaced within 2 years.
Check for seat wear. If the driver's side seat is very warn generally means a lot of short trips based on the mileage. Seats should show no wear for the first 6 years of life. Lots of wear means lots of in and out action thru the door.
Check the headliner. Headliners will show if the driver is a smoker or if there has been any leaks very easy. Compare the headliner color to the color of the cloth on the pillars. Normal aging will show the same color and tint throughout.
Is the owner proud of the car? The easiest way is to check how clean the car is. No stains on the floor mats, heating/cooling vent have no dirt buildup. Interior shines but has t been freshly done? If it is freshly cleaned when trying to sell unusually means they are trying to cover something up. Check all the doors to make sure they open and close easily. You should not have to use a lot of force to close the door and make it latch. If they are hard to close it is usually an indicator the car has been in an accident.
Check for the owner's manual. A new one costs about $35. Most newer cars that have CD players will also have a disk in the owner's manual to explain all the features of the car.
Check the features out. Check for wear on the radio buttons. If the car has wear on the radio buttons and it has a CD player/MP3 jack usually means something is wrong with the CD. Take a CD with you that has lots of bass in it. When you turn the volume up you will be able to hear defects in the speakers. Check turn signals. Smell the air from the vents for "smoker's residue". Check all the settings of the lights and fog lamps.

Go for a Test ride

Best to drive the car first thing in the morning while the engine is dead cold and the air has the most moisture in it.
Start the engine. The engine should start with a touch of the key.
Do not have the radio on while you are driving. You want to "hear" the car
Check the parking break. Set it and see if it holds when the car is in gear or holds with the transmission in neutral on a hill.
Set the cruise and make sure the increase/decrease adjustment works. Brake should cancel cruise.
Drive the car at least 65mph and listen for squeaks/rattles. Also "feel" the car for shaking at speed. Lots of shaking means the tires may be out of balance.
At 55mph let go of the steering wheel and see it the car keeps going straight. If it doesn't, mean the alignment is out and you have a $80-$100 fix you will have to get done.
At 55mph nail the gas to the floor and see how the transmission downshifts. Should be smooth with lots of power
Sway the car from side to side to "feel" if it is "tight" (no popping sounds or slop in the steering wheel). Any movement in the steering wheel should make the car do something.
Brake fairly hard to see if the breaks pulsate or fade. If they do, means you will probably need breaks within 5k-10k miles. (Normally $300-$500 to fix depending on the types of breaks)
Break lightly and listen for squeaks. Nothing will be wrong with the breaks but it would be a noise to drive you crazy and will probably cost $50-$100 to fix
Check acceleration. Both slow and fast. Slow should be very smooth with little jerking. Hard acceleration may be hard jerks depending on the engine size. If it jerk hard on shifts it means the driver usually drives in that mode. The computer remembers a drivers habits and will respond accordingly. BEWARE - if a transmission shift takes a while to complete - run away. do not purchase because you will have to fix it. (very expensive)
Turn on the air conditioner and heater turn to max temp on both and make sure you get the proper air. Check to make sure the fan blower is working on all settings, if it is automatic adjusted to the temperature setting, change the temperature to see if the fan speed changes.
Check heated seats, rear window defogger, remote mirrors as well as any other accessories which needs to have the engine running. Air conditioner air at max setting should be very cold air coming from the vents after a minute or so. Heated seats usually takes a couple of minutes to feel the heat.
Check speed of wipers, regular and fast should shave a distinct difference. Also check intermittent wiper settings. Does washer fluid dispense?