The Ford Edge

Buying Used Cars in Hamilton Niagara can be a little intimidating for some. The number of used car dealers in Hamilton alone is huge, then as you move further down the Niagara area you continually find more and more used car lots each with several used cars to choose from.

With so many car dealers in the area, and an unlimited number of cars, it’s no wonder that folks can get a little confused, and intimidated, when shopping for a good pre-owned vehicle.

The car business has changed significantly over the past 20 years.  Most used car dealers today run good operations and try to stock good cars. No one can afford a bad reputation these days.  But even if the dealer is trying his best, does he have the resources to buy good pre-owned cars, and properly inspect them.  Many independent dealers work with limited budgets and cannot afford to go the few extra dollars it takes to buy a top quality used car.  Many dealers also are reliant upon outside mechanical sources to inspect their vehicles which raises the cost, and can leave proper inspection to question since those outside companies are not directly affiliated with the car dealer.  So even though it’s a much safer time to buy a used car in the Hamilton Niagara Region, the consumer still needs to practice a little due dilligence and do his homework.

Here are a few tips that we hope will help you to avoid buying the wrong car from the wrong dealer.

1. Do your research before you go shopping.  The internet is a terrific source of information.  You can obtain reviews on pretty much any used vehicle you can think of and sometimes you can even get reviews of car dealers in your area.
2. Decide what your needs are, and research the cars that fit your “must haves”. Create a short list.
3. Determine your budget in either total cost, or monthly payment amount.  Know what you can afford before going out and finding the car of your dreams only to find out that it’s too much money. Then compare what you can afford to the average pricing you find at local dealers on the internet, auto magazines, and newspapers. Edit your short list until you have a good idea of what vehicles you should be looking at, and how much you can afford, and should be paying.
4. Begin to search local car dealers for the cars on your short list.
5. Do a little research on the car dealer. Search the internet for information, ask your friends, and anyone else who may be able to provide some information.  It’s important to keep in mind that reviews you read on the internet could be the result of one unhappy customer. With the likes of Facebook, MySpace, and even business reviews in Google Local Search, everyone has the opportunity to publish whatever they want about a business. But if you read several bad reviews about a dealer, you’re probably best to strike them off your shopping list.
6. Visit the dealers who have the cars you’re looking for.
7. Test drive all of the cars on your list to determine which ones are really right for you.
8. Ask the dealer about the history of the car.  Ask about what they do to properly inspect their vehicles and specifically what did this particular car need in reconditioning.  The good dealers will give you this information.
9. Ask about warranty. Do they have one that you don’t need to buy?  Do they offer an optional extended warranty that you can buy if you wish?  What can you expect from them in terms of after-sale service.
10. If you need financing, ask the dealer what they have available.  Many of the major lending institutions in Canada have special financing conditions that are only available through a car dealer. So compare those conditions, not just the interest rate.
11. When you’re comfortable with the dealership, and you’ve found just the right car, make the dealer an offer, and buy your car.

At Durham Automotive, our best customer is the one who has gone through all of the suggested tips above.  We’ve been serving the automotive used car needs in the Hamilton Niagara area for 40 years and we’ve learned a thing or two about what a used car buyer wants.  We’re also in the small town of Beamsville so we know how to treat you right.  There’s no pressure, no high powered sales pitches, we just want to help you find the right car to serve your wants and your needs.

Our used car inventory really is “hand picked”.  I know, that sounds like a sales pitch, but really, we are very careful of the cars we put on our lot for sale.  We pay a little more for them, but we know that with each used car that we sell, it’s another opportunity to gain another long term customer, and in many cases, a new friend.

When we buy a used car for resale, it is then turned over to our licensed staff technicians.  Since Jan, our owner, is one of these licensed technicians, there’s no messing around when it comes to ensuring that everything is just right before the car goes on sale.  But in case we miss something, every one of our used cars comes with a full coverage warranty for thirty days.  Should anything go wrong with the car, we’ll fix it at our expense, no questions asked.

I hope this little article will be helpful to you in your next car shopping venture.  You’re always welcome to give us a call if you’d like to ask any questions about our cars, our service, or if we can simply help you out with a little sage advice.

Since you’re here, why not take a look at our Used Cars Niagara Showroom.