Used cars let you get the best value out of your vehicle budget. Buying used cars, if you go about it wisely, is a way of getting new power, performance and features without the high price point of a new vehicle. Best of all, there are a number of used cars for sale online. You can even find used car parts to maintain your vehicles online, too.

When shopping for used cars online, you should take the same factors that go into purchasing a vehicle in person into account, along with a few new ones. In addition to considering the vehicle's condition, features and price, you should also factor in shipping or transport costs from the vehicle's current location and any guarantees the seller may offer. There are three main ways to locate and maintain used cars online:

1. Shop at used car dealerships

2. Browse the used car classifieds

3. Track down used car parts online

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Visit the used car dealers on your computer

Remember that while used car dealers are present online, they almost always represent a brick and mortar operation that is determined to make used car pricing work out in their favor, not yours, and may not offer used cars at fleet prices. Make sure that the dealership you're about to negotiate with has someone that can handle the specific terms of business fleet sales.

I recommend: You can locate used business fleet dealers regionally using sites like OCfleet, which helps you to locate dealers selling used vehicles at fleet prices in California. AutoFleet takes the search to a national level, letting you find business fleet dealers throughout the United States.

Find used cars in the online classifieds

Shopping the classifieds is a good way to find used vehicles for sale online. While the majority of vehicles for sale in online classifieds will be listed by private parties, fleet vehicles are sometimes advertised in the classifieds as well.

I recommend: Autotrader.com is a massive online clearing house for used vehicles throughout the nation. Automotive Shopping offers used cars at fleet prices from sellers nationwide.

Buy used car parts to keep your new-to-you car running smoothly

As with many other expensive mechanical or electronic pieces, you can save a lot of money by buying refurbished or used car parts. Shopping online lets you pick from a wider selection than may be locally available.

I recommend: It only takes a few minutes for your parts buyer to locate used car parts online. Car-Part.com lets you search for used part by vehicle, part or location. JunkyardDog.com lets you send out a request for a particular part online, then lets the used car parts dealers compete to win for your business.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Negotiating fleet purchases requires a different set of skills than many other business purchases. If you or your business buyers aren't sure you can hammer out the best deals for your company, consider hiring a business adviser or purchase negotiator with the appropriate expertise to net you the best used car prices possible.

Buying used cars instead of new ones just makes good financial sense. After all, a new car loses a percentage of its worth the second you drive it off the lot.

Despite the fact that you can often get a better deal when purchasing used cars, many people find the process intimidating. Used car dealers have a reputation of being dishonest, which makes people feel nervous. This isn't usually the case.

Some things that you can do to prevent allowing used car dealerships to rip you off are:

1. Have a trusted mechanic inspect the car before you buy. Used car dealers may have their own mechanics, but you want to have someone you know and trust to look at the car for mechanical problems.

2. Make sure the car has never been in a major accident. Each car has a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) that is unique. You can use this number to see if a car has had problems in the past.

3. Pay attention to how long the dealer has had the vehicle you want. If they have had it more than a month, you may be able to get a better deal.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Look at reviews of used cars online and learn their values

You'll have more leverage if you know what kind of car you want and how much you should pay for it. This will help you get the best deal possible.

I recommend: Check out reviews of different used cars by visiting Cars.com. This will help you narrow down your choices. Once you know which car you want, or have narrowed it down to a few choices, look at the car's value in the Kelley Blue Book, a trusted source for used car prices.

Find used cars for sale in your area

Search your area for used car dealers or used cars for sale by owner. Realize that there will be a larger selection in cities, so make sure to search the surrounding areas if your business is in a small town.

I recommend: AutoTrader.com has a good reputation for connecting used car sellers with buyers. They offer a nationwide search engine for cars as many as 30 years old. CarsDirect updates their inventory daily, so if you don't find what you want at first, you can check back later to see if they have it.

Consider used car parts when you need repairs

While there are some parts that you should buy new when they break, you may be able to purchase other parts, such as seatbelt fasteners or bumpers, used to save money.

I recommend: ChooseYourItem.com offers several used auto parts for sale. Junk Yard Dog can help you find any salvage yards in your area.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If there are many used car dealerships in your area, you may be able to get a better deal by letting one dealer know what another dealer is offering.

Used cars are an economical way for individuals and businesses to get the transportation they need without having to spend a lot of money. And great deals can be found through used car dealerships and used car classifieds online. Many businesses that sell used cars online also provide detailed information on the make and model. This advice can include ratings from the top consumer groups and publications.

Used cars advice and ratings will include many types of information. Some of information you should take into consideration for used car prices and conditions are:

1. The year of the used car model.

2. How many miles the car has on it and its condition.

3. Crash and safety testing from the government and independent groups.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find used cars ratings through consumer watch groups

To help determine used car pricing and values, many online resources will offer information or links to consumer watch groups that rate cars by make, model, safety features,and fuel efficiency. Used cars are also rated by the dependability factor, which measures the amount of problems and repairs needed on the model after three years.

I recommend: J.D. Power and Associates offers many types of ratings for new and used cars, including safety, dependability, performance and design. Consumer Reports offers a number of used car advice topics including where to buy used cars, how to know what a car is worth and rankings of the best and worst used cars to buy.

Check used car values with companies that offer information on pricing

Getting a fair price for used cars is important, particularly if you are shopping online. Used car prices are typically based on Kelly Blue Book values, which lists the price for each year of depreciation on all makes and models of cars. There are also other resources that can provide more information on a specific car's accident or repair history.

I recommend: Carfax offers vehicle history reports that can help a buyer find information on a particular used car. All you need is the car's vehicle identification number (VIN). Kelly Blue Book is a resource used by many dealerships to determine the fair price for any type of used car depending on depreciation values.

Shop for used cars with advice from online car resources

A large number of people are now beginning to shop for cars online before they ever look to a dealership, so many used car dealers online offer research information, buying advice and additional information on buying and selling use cars. These guides cover online buying and purchasing a car in person.

I recommend: Edmunds provides its 10 Steps to Buying a Used Car, which highlights how to make deals for used cars by location, using research and negotiation. ConsumerGuide Automotive offers articles and advice for buying new and used cars depending on the model you are shopping for.

If you are the owner of a used car lot or looking to increase your sales performance, you need to be familiar with the terminology used when dealing with used cars. Since used cars have been previously owned and driven, customers tend to have many more questions regarding the performance and details of these cars. By knowing a few important key terms, you can improve your customer service and hopefully increase the business to your dealership or lot.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Kelley Blue Book

When dealing with used cars, many customers will reference the blue book value, or car worth according to the Kelley Blue Book.

I recommend: Go directly to the source, Kelley Blue Book. Here you will find values of various makes and models of used cars.

Actual cash value

When someone wants to know the actual cash value of a vehicle, what they want to know is how much money has been invested by the dealer into both the purchase and repairs of the vehicle.

I recommend: Head over to AutoSpeak where you can find more information on actual cash value and other used car terms.

Cost of ownership

If someone wants to know the cost of ownership of a used car, they want to know the total of both fixed and running costs of the vehicle. Fixed costs are things like tax and tag fees. Running costs are typically repair bills and gas. Running costs tend to increase as the car ages.

I recommend: Bikes At Work has a lengthy article on calculating the cost of ownership.

Written warranty

The written warranty is a written document given to a customer by the used car dealership during the sale of a vehicle. It states the condition of the vehicle at the time of sale and also its performance.

I recommend: At Automotive Consumer Television, you can find more information on written warranty and other used car terminology.

Certified pre-Owned vehicle

A certified pre-owned vehicle is a vehicle that has passed certain tests that a dealership performs. These used vehicles meet higher standards than used cars purchased through classified ads or from auctions.

I recommend: Go to CARCHEX to read more about certified pre-owned vehicles.

Odometer statement

If a customer requests and odometer statement, what they want is a slip that states how many miles the vehicle has at the time of sale. This type of document can also state that the odometer has not been tampered with.

I recommend: Head over to BuyandSellCarSecrets.com for more details on odometer statements.