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When my husband and I first discovered we were expecting, we were convinced that we wouldn't need a car. We live in a major city, in a very walkable area, and have numerous options nearby for public transit. After all, it would be good for both of us to get out with our baby strapped to our chest and we could use a car sharing service on those few occasions when we needed to drive.
Mid-winter we went for our first ultrasound and discovered we were having twins. This news changed so many things for us in terms of what our life would look like, including our transportation needs, independence, and finances. Thankfully, that spring my parents made us an offer on their old car that we couldn't turn down.
I don't know how we did it, but for a couple of years, we managed to cram our lives with infant twins, including all of the baby supplies and a giant double stroller into the confines of a small old Pontiac Sunfire. Then, during a routine oil change I asked our mechanic whether or not he thought our car would pass the emissions test required to get our license plate renewed that year. We discovered that our car would require far more money in repairs than it was worth to keep it on the road.
It was time to start saving, and start shopping for the next family car we'd own. As a perpetual planner, I began to write lists of must haves and nice to haves, we worked out a budget that would help us find the right car for us, and our needs. These are some of the things that helped us make the right decision for our family:
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The Used Car Shopping Checklist
- Make a list of all the things you use your car for
It was important for us to think about what we would need the car to do over next few years of our lives, including things like road trip vacations. We wanted something with low enough mileage to let us take a number of lengthy road trips for the life of our 'new to us' used car. We wanted something that would work for everyday use like grocery shopping, as well as camping, and hauling my husband's band gear to weekly practice and gigs. Take into account how often you car pool, and how that fits into your plan. If you only need a bigger car once or twice a year, it may be worth renting for those rare times instead of purchasing a bigger car. - Think about what you like in a car
Our little Sunfire was quick off the mark which was important to my husband, which we later learned in car terms meant it had "low end torque". I wanted something that had more size than our last car, with minimal blind spots to ensure safety. Since inclement weather is a part of most winters where we live, good tires were important and the fact that our car came with snow tires was an added bonus. We also wanted a car that was good on gas mileage, so we wouldn't be adding in additional transportation costs at the gas pump each week. - The Goldilocks problem
There are many in my generation that shudder at the thought of becoming "minivan people" and both of us weren't ready to go full on van yet, but we knew we wanted a lot more space. We checked out a number of station wagons, but most of the ones that we liked were beyond our personal budget. It turned out that a CUV (crossover utility vehicle) which is literally the bridge between a mid-sized car and a larger SUV was perfect for us. We ended up going for a KIA Rondo that has a pop up row of seats at the back that can easily be used when we're transporting extra kids or adults.
Image Courtesy of Pexels - It pays to do your research & homework
Take your list and see what types of cars will meet your needs. There are so many excellent resources available, such as Cars.com, to help you research, find, and sell cars in your area from the comfort of your home (new or used). Drive the car to understand how it feels and then take it (and park it) places where you'll be using the car in your 'real life'. If you aren't comfortable parking a car in that tight spot you end up in several times a week, it's not the right car for you. Same goes for baby accessories....we found that a number of cars that were considerably larger on the outside weren't able to house our double stroller much better than our much smaller car. - Remember nice to haves are just that - nice to have
The car we bought happened to have a DVD player in it that we were super excited about at the time, but here's the thing - we never use it, even on really long road trips. Anything that's added on to a car, will inflate the price (sometimes, significantly) and should be considered carefully. It may be cheaper for you to install the GPS or DVD player yourself after the purchase rather than pay for it with the car. If the model you are going to buy happens to have these features consider it a bonus, not a 'must have' if it really isn't. - Explore your financing options
We were lucky enough to have a four month lead time between discovering our car was about to be pulled off the road and needing to purchase a new one. In that time I picked up some side hustles to help us afford the car we wanted/needed without accumulating debt for our purchase. Looking for a loan? Contact your local bank, mortgage provider, and the car sales team to see what options will work best for you before you find a car you fall in love with. Don't forget to ask about trade-ins, or research selling your previously loved car online. Selling our old Sunfire knocked a few hundred dollars off of our purchase price, and every little bit makes a difference. - Have a trusted mechanic take a look
Having a mechanic that you can trust is up there with having a good dentist and doctor in my books. By having our mechanic take a look at our car before we purchased, we were able to get an idea of the general repairs and expenses that would be coming down the pipeline over the next couple of years, which thankfully for us only involved replacing a battery. He also gave us an unbiased opinion on whether or not this car was right for us.
What helped you find the perfect used car?
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