New or used?
Used cars can be a great bargain, if they don’t have too much mileage and their previous owners have taken care of them — such as regular maintenance. You might even find a luxury car a few years old that costs about the same as a brand new economy model. But don’t act too quickly. Make sure you ask for repair records and title history for the used vehicle to get a sense of the car’s history. With the car’s vehicle identification number (VIN), you can track that information online. Probably the best-known online car title search service is Carfax, at www.carfax.com. Others include Auto-Check (www.autocheck.com) and Consumer Guide (www.auto.consumerguide.com).
It’s also smart to do some research on how various brands and models hold up over time. You can find detailed reviews at www.edmunds.com and from JD Power and Associates, at www.jdpower.com. Many car magazines also publish reviews and rankings. So does Consumer Reports magazine.
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