What to Ask When Test Driving Pre-Owned Cars

Most people would agree that it isn't a good idea to buy a car without taking it on a test drive first. Why is this? Even if a car looks great on the outside, or on the inside as well, it could drive like a piece of junk. There are a lot more things going on under the hood than the cosmetic once-over would tell you. It is important to make sure that the car runs smoothly and you aren't being sold a lemon that you will have to dump money into for the duration of your ownership. Here are some things you should discuss with the owner while you are taking pre-owned cars in Anchorage, Alaska, for a test drive. 

Previous Accidents

The very first thing that you should know about a car that you could potentially buy is if it has had any accidents in the past. A car can look great on the outside, but have structural damage on the inside that was never fully resolved. If you are buying from someone local, you could go as far as to ask where the repairs were done for previous accidents. If you know of some mechanics who do subpar work, then you probably want to have the car checked out before you commit to it. 

Ask exactly what kind of damage was done to the car and what repairs were done as well. There are some accidents that are worse than others and you want to be sure that the car hasn't had anything that could have affected other parts of the car that wasn't addressed in the repairs. 

Use All Maneuvers

Take full advantage of a test drive even if it may feel awkward to be joy riding with someone you don't know. You want to know how a car will handle in several different situations. Make sure you take the car on the freeway so you can see how it handles while accelerating and you can identify the blind spots. Practice parking to make sure you can maneuver the car well in tight spaces. Take the car on a back road and brake suddenly to ensure that the brake pads are in good working order and the seat belts are working correctly. If you live in an area that has a lot of snow, it would be a good idea to drive in some controlled snow patches to see if the snow features work well. Ask the owner what kind of drive it is and if it handles well in snowy or icy situations. 

Judge by the Cover

You have probably always been warned not to judge a book by its cover, but this is irrelevant in the situation of buying pre-owned cars in Anchorage, Alaska. It is important that you have a car that was well taken care of. If you were to show up to an interview for a job in sweat pants and unkempt hair, the employer probably would not take you seriously. If you test drive a car that has fast food wrappers in the back and stains on the upholstery, then it is likely that the owner did not value his or her car and it probably wasn't taken care of. How would you be able to tell if the car got the necessary attention? How would you know if the oil changes were always on time and the transmission works as well as it should? Of course there are many people who clean out their car that maybe didn't take the best care of it, either, but you can narrow your search by eliminating the cars that are definitely unloved. 

Source : articlesbase.com