Looking for VIN check with vehicle history? We have some tips for you and also some recommendations. The average new car has a list price of around 28,500. But by the time it’s one year old with 10,000 miles on the clock it costs just 21,000 – a reduction of more than 27% in the first 12 months. In the second year the depreciation rate is likely to slow by roughly half (so the second year, this average car would lose around 3,750 in value).So picking a year-old model will dramatically slash the upfront cost. There are exceptions if you’re picking a plush model. Brands that hold their value best tend to include Mercedes and Porsche – so you won’t see too many year old luxury car bargains out there.
Once you’ve decided what car to pick, now you need to know how to get the best deal. One way to slash costs is to buy at the right time. Dealers have targets to meet, with bonuses up for grabs. Typically, these are based on quarterly sales, making the end of March, June, September and December a good time to buy. They need to shift cars, so will be more willing to negotiate and offer attractive finance packages. But, if you’re buying from a private seller, there’s unlikely to be a good or bad time. Private sellers don’t have targets to meet, other than the price they want to achieve. If you’re buying this way, keep an eye on prices a few months before you actually buy – if they’re heading down, you may want to wait. Heading up, and it’s prudent to buy sooner.
A vehicle identification number, or VIN, identifies your car. It’s made up of individual numbers and letters with special significance, and provides information about your vehicle. Each VIN is unique to the vehicle. Decode the meaning of the first number or letter. The first character in a VIN may be either a letter or number and tells you the geographic area of origin. This is where the car was actually made, and it may be different from where the manufacturer is located. Read extra info at https://vindecoded.com/.
If you are buying a car from an individual owner, make sure the seller properly transfers the title and registration to you. It’s important to close the deal correctly to avoid after-sale hassles. Before money changes hands, ask for the title (which is sometimes called the pink slip) and have the seller sign it over to you. Rules governing vehicle registration and licensing vary from state to state. If possible, check with your local department of motor vehicles to make sure there are no past-due registration fees you’d be responsible for should you buy the car. Whether you buy from a dealer or a private party, make sure you have insurance for the car before you drive it away. Once you’ve done the paperwork, it’s time to celebrate your new purchase – maybe with a drive-through dinner. You deserve it!