The 5 Simple Steps of Buying Used Cars

You've made up your mind: it's time to buy a Used Car. Of course, this means that you are now embarking on a journey that can be stressful and difficult. Finch Used Cars aims to take all of that stress and difficulty out of the Used Car buying experience with our massive inventory, flexible financing options, helpful products experts and more. That's why life is easier when you choose to buy a Used Car from a dealership.

To make things even easier for you, we've condensed the Used Car buying experience into 5 simple steps so that you can be as prepared as possible for the journey that lies ahead.

Step 1. Determine Your Budget

The very first thing that you need to do when purchasing a Used Car is determine precisely how much you are prepared to spend. When determining your Used Car budget, it's important to give consideration to three key elements: down payment, financing rate and term and monthly payment.

If you are planning on financing a used vehicle, One best practice is to be prepared to pay roughly 10% down on your purchase. Of course, if you are able to comfortably put more money down, bear in mind that every dollar down is one that you won't need to pay interest on.

Once you've determined how much you are prepared to use for your down payments, then it comes time to calculate a monthly payment that you're comfortable with. Another best practice is to limit your car payment to no more than 20% of your monthly take-home income, so it would be best to determine your preferred monthly payment by working backwards from there. There are a number of auto finance calculators available online (and every piece of Finch Used Cars inventory comes with a Financing Calculator built on the vehicle's detail page) that will allow you to factor in sales tax, estimate your interest rate and end up with an accurate monthly payment.

Step 2. Do Your Research

Now that you've firmed up your budget, its time to figure out what vehicle or vehicles you're looking for. What are your needs and priorities? Is outstanding fuel efficiency the key? Do you need a vehicle with all-wheel drive? Are you on the lookout for a ride with the most cargo space possible? Asking these questions should help you narrow your search down to a specific body style, be it a Crossover, SUV, Pick-up Truck, Car, Minivan or anything else.

Once you've got a rough idea of what you're looking for, it's time to research the various vehicles available within that class. Obviously you can do much of this research online, but be sure to talk to your friends and family members as well to get their thoughts.

This research should point you in the direction of a particular model or a couple of different options on which you can focus your search. It allows to factor in vehicle quality, consumer satisfaction and price to hone in on the Used Car that's perfect for you and save you plenty of time and money in the future.

Additionally, doing your research can help you realize the benefits of purchasing from a dealership rather than buying privately and it can help you determine which dealerships offer more bang for your buck. For example, Finch Used Cars come with an unprecedented guarantee that includes a 90 Day Exchange Privilege, two years of free oil changes, free vehicle pick-up and drop-off for service and so much more!

Step 3. Find Your Ride

You're making progress; you've determined your budget and you know what you're looking for. Now it's time to look for the actual used vehicle that will serve as your trusted steed for years to come. This step is where the Finch Used Cars online inventory really starts to flex its muscle.

You can shop our massive inventory of over 300 used cars, trucks, vans and SUVs in London and filter down by body type, year, make, model, price range and any number of other options. When you find the Used Car that fits your criteria, we encourage you to fill out an online request, call the dealership at which the vehicle is located or simple stop by in person. One of our many Used Car Experts will be happy to provide you with complimentary CarFax Vehicle History Reports and offer you detailed walkarounds of the vehicles in question.

Step 2. Time to Test Drive

By this point, you probably just want to drive some cars! Now that you've completed the first three steps and you have a vehicle or vehicles that have piqued your interested and passed all of your various personal checkpoints, it's time to hit the open road.

When you test drive any used vehicle, be sure to really test all of the vehicle's features and put it in a variety of scenarios. Blast the heat and A/C briefly, adjust the seat and steering wheel to your preference, play with the radio or touch screen and test any other feature that the salesperson points out. Then drive off the lot and be sure to hit the highway and some backroads. Put the vehicle into some stop-and-go situations and even get yourself stuck in traffic.

Both during and after your test drive(s), it's critical to test the vehicle against all of your senses. Check the vehicle's interior and exterior for any imperfections, use your nose to ensure that there are no unusual smells and be sure to keep your ears open for any strange noises while you're out on the road. If you notice anything, just ask the salesperson about it and they'll be happy to offer you an explanation.

Step 5. Closing Time

You've now taken some test drives and found a vehicle that exceeds every single one of your expectations. It's time to close.

Finch Used Cars utilizes market-based pricing to ensure that our customers never overpay for their used vehicles. Of course, haggling over used car pricing is a time-honored tradition and our representatives and Sales Managers will be happy to have an open and honest discussion with you regarding the price of any vehicle.

It's also important to note that the All-In price of the vehicle will include taxes and fees and, as such, will exceed the price that find advertised online. We certainly are not doing this to try and trick you but rather to simply price our inventory competitively against all of the other dealerships and private sellers who are pricing their vehicles the exact same way.

Once a price is agreed upon, financing is worked out (if applicable) and you've had the opportunity to explore a variety of warranty and protection packages, all that's left is to fill out your paperwork and determine a delivery date for you to pick up your awesome used car from one of our incredible Finch dealerships in London. How's that for a happy ending?

You might just be surprised at how easy the Used Car buying process is when you work with Finch Used Cars. Our helpful Sales Representatives, Finance Specialists and Sales Managers are here to assist you every step of the way and work with you towards the common goal of getting you into the perfect used car to fit both your needs and your budget.

Start shopping now.