Prepare For Used Car Shopping
But before you get to the used car lot, you should be doing some homework. A great place to start is by sitting down and making a list of the things your used car must have, and the things that would simply be nice additions.

This is a pretty easy list to make. Once you’ve got a pen and a sheet of paper, start by thinking about your life. Do you have kids? Does your job require you to drive a lot? Does it require you to carry heavy loads around town? Do you have anything that needs to be towed? Anything that needs to be carried on a roof rack?

These lifestyle questions are a good start towards helping you figure out what you need.

Then you should think about the future a little bit. Maybe you don’t have children now, but if it’s a strong possibility in the next couple years, getting a larger vehicle with some extra safety features and storage space might make sense.

You also might want to think about the state of the vehicles that your friends, family or spouse drive. If you’re in a long term relationship with someone whose vehicle accomplishes certain things, it may make sense to divide and conquer a little bit, by purchasing a vehicle that you can use for other stuff.