This checklist will help you get a good one, too.
BEFORE YOU SHOP
1. Check Consumer Reports reliability ratings for different makes and models. Your public library may carry the used car guide, or you can subscribe to Consumer Reports Online for $3.95 a month (http://www.consumerreports.org ). It's a small price to pay to find out that different models by the same car maker can have completely opposite reliability ratings. For instance, the Chevy Cavalier is rated poor, while the Chevy Prizm is rated exceptional.
2. Use the internet to get an idea of prices and availability in your area. My favorite car site is http://www.autotrader.com , which seems to list the most cars from the most dealers.
3. Once you find some cars you want to look at, use the internet again to find out what they are really worth. Kelley Blue Book is available online at http://www.kbb.com , and other sites like NADA and edmunds.com will also help you figure out whether you are being price-gouged. These sites will also help you find out the value of your trade-in.
4. Print out documentation about the fair price of the car you want and the true value of your trade-in. Bringing these papers to the dealership will prevent an unscrupulous salesman from trying to shortchange you.
AS YOU SHOP
5. When you find a car you like, bring along someone knowledgable about cars or arrange to have the car looked at by a mechanic you trust.
6. Subscribe to http://www.carfax.com . For $19.95, you can run unlimited carfax reports for two months. These reports will tell you how many owners the car had, when it was bought and sold, and whether it was ever registered as a flood or salvage vehicle, as well as whether there are any problems with the title. So you won't be buying a flooded, totaled, or stolen car. This is especially important when buying an older car.
7. Look for signs that the car was ever in a major accident. Here's where your car person can help. My father-in-law came and looked over the car we were considering with a fine-toothed comb, checking the frame, the tires and rims, even the seal around the doors for signs that bodywork had been done. Accidents don't always show up on the carfax report.
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