Hi,
When you get your Canadian DL and planning to buy a car can consider following points
(1) Check vehicle history and if possible before buying get it checked (major system like engine,transmission) by a mechanic
(2) Try to buy a good or medium range car rather than spending 2500-3000 cash in buying a low range car
(3)Go for fanacing(even for private car purchase you will get a finace) then you won't be paying much per month and will have less headache on regular maintainance + you're building your credit history
(4)If you are planning to buy from a dealer watch out for promo/deal ...you might get 1-2 year free maintanance warrenty on major systems
(5)If you want fuel economy buy compact size car..fuel consumption is more in Mid / full size V6 cars.Fuel is expensive in Canada comparing USA

Although nothing is guaranteed as far as USED car is concerned in North America still you can reduce the risk factor

N.B Also be careful if someone is selling a car much much less than the book value .One of my friend burnt his finger couple of month back.. initially thought that he got a excellent deal now spent more than 2000 in last 3 month and not even able to sell his car

Best of luck

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ani

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Orginally posted by ani70


(1) Check vehicle history and if possible before buying get it checked (major system like engine,transmission) by a mechanic

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"Change before you have to" : Jack Welch

Hi,
Car insurance is another major determining factor while purchasing a used/new car in Canada esp. in Ontario.
I had one customer today only who is in the process of buying a 1999 Honda Civic , gave a deposit of $1000 to the dealer who deals only in Japanese cars, without checking the insurance rates and now, its been 5 days they are not picking up the car because they are finding the insurance premium unaffordable. Now they are stuck. If they do not purchase that particular car from that dealer, their deposit is gone and if they purchase the car, they can not afford the premium for full insurance AND they do not want to have only third party liability for a 1999 car.

So....just a suggestion

Thx and Rgds,

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Sanjeev Manocha, MBA
Real Estate Sales Representative
Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR)

Re/Max West Realty Inc, Brokerage
96, Rexdale Blvd., Toronto

Mobile: 416-843-7600
Office: 416-745-2300
http://www.manocharealty.com" rel="nofollow">LINK

Buying a used can be pretty tricky, considering the nunber of choices and number of model years that are available.

A few must-do's before buying a used car:
1. Check consumer reports - provides rating and repair costs on used car (by year and model type)
2. Pick a few models you are interested in and check the Lemon-Aid Used Car Guide by Phil Edmonston.. it is a great book with a lot of in-depth information
3. The Internet is good for research. On MSN there is a section on used cars - provides ratings and customer reviews on used cars. These are customers who have purchased the particular used model and are stating their experience with that vehicle - very insightful.
4. Once you have selected a reliable used model/s that you are interested in, find out the insurance rates on those models. Insurance rates differ signficantly for different models.. based on their crash history, repair costs, safety ratings and theft rates.
5. Look for the selected model in newspapers, autotrader, car dealers and used car dealers.
6. If you don't know much about cars, take a friend along who can test drive. In any case, a second opinion is always better. Beware of dealers who promise you a great deal if you buy today.
7. Check the car out with at least one mechanic or two mechanics if possible. Sometimes one mechanic may not be able to pick a fault - it is always good to get a second opinion. It is better to spend the $20 or $40 checking a car out rather than being sorry later.
8. Try to look for a car with low mileage - as the wear and tear increases with mileage. A four cylinder engine provides better mileage but if there are too many kms clocked then it may not be worthwhile. A six-cylinder engine may have a longer life - then again quality does differ between American, Korean and Japanese cars - do your research.
9. Ask the seller questions about the car, repair history and the reasons for selling (if private sale). You can get a used car package from the ministry of transportation for $20. It provides information on ownership, no. of owners and whether there is any lien on the car.
10. Note that you have to pay only the GST if purchased through private sale but GST&PST if purchased through a dealer.
11. Beware of curbside dealers - dealers selling you a car as a private sale or user car dealers that will not allow you to take the car to a mechanic and if allowed, you may have to pay a deposit and the condition being that if the car is approved by the mechanic you have to purchase it.
12. Lastly, don't feel shy to walk away from a deal if you feel that something is not right - after all its your hard earned money!

Never buy a used car from a mechanic ! there are all chances that he has fixed the car with the minimum requirement.
Go to the dealer who ONLY SELLS.

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Sunil Sharma, P.Eng.

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Orginally posted by sanjeevm

Car insurance is another major determining factor while purchasing a used/new car in Canada esp. in Ontario.

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Mumbai Maazi Ladki ...