buying pre-owned car?

[kcandz]

I want to buy a certified pre-owned car from a dealership but I am nervous about being taken advantage of. I already test-drove the car.

Search turned up this thread but it seemed to be geared more towards new cars.

http://www.windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=319273&highlight=pre-owned+car

If the car is certified pre-owned should I still get it checked by a mechanic? Are prices negotiable on certified pre-owned as they are new? I guess everything is negotiable.

I am still digging around google for consumer advice sites but I find the BTDT stories here so helpful.

[wellyes]

We always buy used. I think it's a extremely practical way to save money. I think certified pre-owned is as safe as new if the car is less than 5 years old.

You can definitely negotiate..... my last car, the asking price was $12,000 but I paid $8000 (plus taxes and fees). Go to Edmunds and Kelly Blue Book to get realistic prices.

Used cars don't always come with extensive warranties, but you can buy a warranty from the dealer & have it rolled into your auto loan. If they won't budge on price, ask for a big discount on the warranty.

We typically get a 5-year that covers everything mechanical except normal wear and tear. We normally don't end up frequently using it - but with one car, the front passenger wheel bearing would go out almost ever year. We had that car 5 years and the warranty, which I think was about $1200 or so, saved us from paying over $3000 on that stupid wheel.

[codex57]

Certified pre-owned generally comes with a decent warranty. That said, despite their claims, you're just at risk with a "certified" one as you are with any other used car. If you can, your own trusted mechanic's inspection can help, but it's no guarantee or anything. That's what the "certified" warranty is for.

And yes, everything is negotiable. They're gonna argue that the "certified" status justifies a higher price. I really only consider that the premium as for the better warranty. So, compare warranty prices and compare that with the higher prices asked for "certified" cars vs non-certified ones.