You’re over the moon about buying your first vehicle. You Googled a picture and saved it on your phone. You even keep visiting the dealership website because you’re just so excited to get it already. But don’t forget: it’s not just a purchase—it’s a process. It’s more than just going to dealer and buying from the lot. You have to know what you’re getting yourself into. This car is a long term commitment and you wanna make sure it’s not only worth your hard-earned money, but that it’s something you see yourself driving for the next several years.
We at Ducharme Motors want to help you out with that, so we compiled a list of questions you should be asking a seller when it comes to buying your vehicle. We also narrowed them to the 3 most important questions so you can get a better idea towards what you want to look for in a car. After this, you won’t only be an educated buyer but an experienced one, too!
How many kilometers are on the vehicle?
When buying a used vehicle, this is a great question to ask a seller because it gives you an idea about the condition of the vehicle, especially if it’s an older model. The kilometers on a car usually indicate how long the car’s been driven, and when it may need maintenance for things such as oil or tire changes. However, there have been cases where sellers alter the amount of kilometers travelled by rolling the odometer back, hiding the true condition of the vehicle. This is why you should also ask for a CARPROOF vehicle history report to see if the odometer reading makes sense and aligns with the information provided.
What kind of drive does the vehicle have?
Because of our weather, every Albertan has looked into the drivetrain for a prospective vehicle. It’s usually better to purchase an All-Wheel Drive (AWD) vehicle because it provides better driving power when driving through the snow or ice. Front-Wheel Drive (FWD) and Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD) can be just as sufficient, but you’d just have to make sure you purchase winter tires for them to have better traction over the winter conditions—although, we’d still recommend you having them, no matter what kind of drive your car has.
How often has it been repaired?
In the same vein as asking for the car’s kilometers, asking for the frequency of the car’s repairs gives you a great idea on not just the condition of the vehicle, but an estimation for future repairs to come. Since your vehicle is a long-term commitment, you don’t want to budget your money on spending a bunch of money on repairs every so often.
Needless to say, buying a car can be a stressful experience, but it doesn’t have to be. We also know how special it can be when buying your first car, as well. Luckily, in this day and age, you can research everything you need to know when buying a new vehicle. We at Ducharme motors hope this list was helpful in your research. Stop by our dealership if you have anymore questions!