Hitting All the Highlights: Researching Used Cars like a Pro

When it comes to the process of buying a car, especially a used car, it is essential to do your research and do it well. Cars are extremely complex machines and discovering the best one will force you to consider all the variable and how they connect with your life as a whole. Confusion, discouragement, or even frustration is bound to happen when you are faced with hundreds of seemingly viable options, and that is why knowing what to research and how to research them is so vital.

Whether you love the outdoors, commute every day to your city office, drive the carpool, or a mix of the three, you will have to do the research to find the car that fits that lifestyle best. It’s all about knowing where your priorities are and sticking to them. In order to do that research efficiently though, you will first need to understand all the essential factors that you must look for. These main four factors will allow you to hit all the highlights and make the best investment possible.

Strict Budget Price

Price will always be one of the very first factors drivers will highlight when it comes to researching the right used car for them. Price is something many people will not be able to negotiate, so starting with what your budget can handle will help eliminate a significant portion of your options.

We all know that cars are a hefty investment whether they are used cars or brand new, but financially speaking buying a used car clearly makes more sense. Used cars will cost you less in both sales price and insurance, while deprecate happens at a much slower rate. You will also have access to a much wider pool of cars from recent years and years long past.

Another thing you will need to note is that the size and design of a vehicle will also have an effect on the price. Sedan style cars will generally be much lower to start, while SUVs and Trucks will need a bigger chunk of your wallet. That being said, smaller cars also tend to be less durable and won’t allow you the same mileage. It’s all a give and takes when it comes to design.

Lastly, you must note that the manufacturer will also have a large impact on the price range. For example, some dealerships are luxury only vehicles that very seldom sell anything that the everyday driver will be able to invest it without killing their savings. Of course, there are also dealerships like McCluskey Chevy that will always dedicate themselves to affordability and versatility.

Non-Negotiable Safety

It should be no surprise that safety is always on the list of top factors people buy the cars they do. Safety is something that should never be compromised, and that is why you must always do your research on this factor carefully. There are two key elements one must consider when it comes to safety, the first is ratings and the second is features. Ratings are determined by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The IIHS rates on a scale of poor, marginal, acceptable, and good, while the NHTSA rates on a five-star scale. Both determine the cars overall crashworthiness and protection.

Lucky for drivers though, Chevy has a proud reputation of high safety ratings and reliability. Almost every one of their vehicles receives a good IIHS rating and an overall 5-stars from the NHTSA. You will also find that every model gives drivers a plethora of options for both passive and active safety features that are built to prevents through awareness, protect through durability, and respond as quickly as possible.

Peak and Balanced Performance

Performance is both the power potential as well as the handling of the vehicle. One cannot go without the other, and if you want the best of both worlds, you will have the most luck if you look in the cars section rather than the trucks or SUVs. Smaller cars with aerodynamic designs fitted with the biggest engines they can hold are often the ones that you can get the best performance out of. If you are feeling the deep need for a thrill in your life, Chevy offers a vast lineup of cars that can work on either the streets or the track. Driving should not feel like a chore that demands effort, it should be easy, relaxed, and most of all, fun.

Healthy Comfort

Many drivers may view comfort as a luxury they can’t afford to be picky about, but in reality, it is something that should never be overlooked unless you want your health to suffer and your interest in the vehicle to decrease rapidly.

If you need your vehicle to commute more than 30 min away each day, then you had better be sure you enjoy how it feels. Being in an uncomfortable position for that long each day is sure to have long-term physical effects on your body. This goes extra for those below or above average height who may need to check if the car offers the extra support and space they require.

On top of that, owning a car that does not feel comfortable makes you much more eager to get something new the next time the opportunity presents itself. This can lead to preemptive buying or even a rush purchase that could end up causing a lot of trouble in the long run.

As for determining how much long-term comfort a car can offer, that can be a bit trickier. A test drive will only give you so much information, but you still need to be highly aware of how you feel the entire time, especially in the back, head, rear, and legs area.  You should also check reviews about the model online. Overall, just don’t mistake comfort for luxury.

Where All The Research Takes You

So you have finally finished up all your research and are ready to move on to actually buying it!  You did the math, you got the financing covered, and you see that all you need to do is find that perfect dealership help you wrap everything up in a nice bow. At McCluskey Chevy dealership we are happy to aid you before, during, and after the research process. We have a highly informed staff that is willing to work with you, and a number of additional resources that should make finding the right vehicle as easy as possible. If you are looking for a used car by Chevy that is affordable with assured quality you cannot find a more reliable dealership.

A dealership should always be transparent and customer-centric, and that is what we at McCluskey Chevy are here to provide our loyal automotive community with every day, week, month, and year. Day or night you can trust that we at McCluskey Chevy will work with everything we have to provide you with your needs in a way that is personalized to you and only you. Getting your personal transportation vehicle should never have to be a hassle, in fact, it should be exciting and fun, and we want to give you that along with lifelong satisfaction.