Used Car Buying Research

people making a car deal

Key Things to Look For When Buying a Used Car


Discover Your Ideal Used Vehicle at Town & Country Automall

Are you looking to capitalize on the benefits of buying a Town & Country Automall used vehicle?

Lower price tags, more affordable monthly insurance, less depreciation, and reduced registration fees are some of the most significant perks that you’ll receive when buying used at Town & Country Automall. You can position yourself to gather as many pre-owned car benefits as possible by knowing exactly what to look for when evaluating a prospective used model.

An essential aspect of purchasing a used car is knowing whether you want to buy a Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) vehicle or a non-certified pre-owned vehicle. CPO vehicles are lower-mileage, recently manufactured cars in good condition. Auto dealerships are able to make the CPO promise of quality by subjecting each qualifying CPO model to a comprehensive multi-point inspection. Learn how searching for a non-certified vehicle differs from shopping from a Certified Pre-Owned vehicle below.

How to Verify a Non-certified Used Car’s Condition

Evaluating a non-certified used model requires a bit more diligence since the listing hasn’t been subjected to a multi-point inspection—but don’t let this deter you from buying a non-certified pre-owned car. You can verify the condition of a non-certified used car through Town & Country Automall’s pre-owned inventory that gives you access to our listings’ CarFax vehicle history reports. Another mechanic can always look at a non-certified model to provide you with information on the car’s condition.

Each Town & Country Automall pre-owned listing provides the model’s Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), so you can verify that the car’s VIN information checks out with the title and records.

Are you curious to know one of our used car’s recall status? You can use a pre-owned model’s VIN to check up on any recall orders and see if additional repairs are necessary.

What to Consider When Buying a Non-Certified Used Car

So you’ve found a used Town & Country Automall model that you’re interested in test driving. You can make the most of your scheduled test drive by closely inspecting the used car’s interior and exterior. Your interior analysis will benefit from an upholstery check that helps you spot any potential abnormal wear and tear or musty smells that may be a result of abnormalities like leakage or water damage.

Do your best to check for any scratches, rust, mismatched panels, incoherent paint finishes, and dents when evaluating a used vehicle’s exterior. It’s best to focus on avoiding more sizable exterior damages instead of worrying about every small scratch. A non-certified model’s doors, hood, and trunk should all open and close with ease.

Your test drive will give you the chance to test the car’s transmission at different speeds, access the interior electronics’ functionality, listen to the car’s engine, and hear the vehicle’s brakes.

Your Perfect Used Vehicle Is Waiting

Contact Town & Country Automall today to schedule a test drive for a model within our dealership’s Used Inventory. You can fill in the blanks of the average used car buying experience with our online tools that help you find used vehicles under $10k, apply for financing, and value your trade—all from home.