• Do ask someone knowledgeable to inspect the car for you; it may save you a lot of money.
• Don't buy a car after a serious accident - especially following a frontal collision. You wouldn't believe how many possible problems may arise later as a result of an accident.
• Don't buy a car as soon as you see it. Take your time, test drive the car as long as you can. For example, some problems may only be caught when the engine is cold while other problems may only be discovered when cruising at highway speeds, etc.
• Don't buy based on what you have been told. "One Owner, Old lady driven" better: "One owner, one grandmother drove it". In fact, this may have been a car that was an ex-rental that was heavily abused.
• Don't buy a car if you have reservations or hesitate for one reason or another…if you don't have a good 'gut' feeling about it. If the engine seems too noisy or works as if it is in rough shape and sounds heavy, the transmission shifts harshly, some works needs to be done, something seems to be wrong with the papers, etc. - move on.
• Don't buy a car if it needs some "minor" repairs. Often this results in spending big bucks for repairs that never seem to end.
• Don't be rude to a salesperson at the dealership. Regardless of the many stereotypes we share, many salespersons are genuinely nice people. Be persistent but not rude; treat them well and they will be willing to help you...
What mileage is OK for a used car?
In general, I would not recommend purchasing a car with a very high mileage, for example, 250,000 km and higher would be considered very high. However, "low mileage" does not necessarily mean it's going to be a "good car". Be aware of cars that may have undergone restoration after a serious accident or cars that haven't been property maintained. Having your car evaluated will certainly help to avoid those lemons with history of serious accidents.
A rough guide for the average mileage of a car would be 20,000km per year. Anything below that would mean that the previous owner underutilizes the car, and that it is still in excellent condition given that the car has no history of accidents. Anything above that, and you would have a very good reason to ask for a lower price when buying the car.
Price negotiation
Often when you use a proper negotiation technique you can get a reasonable discount. Here are a few tips:
1. Start negotiating from the beginning. Try to get a discount from the very first time you phone about a car. If they ask for $55,000, ask them if their bottom line could be $53,000.
2. Negotiate the total price. Dealers always like to add in some "hidden costs" on top of the asking price. Ask for a total price inclusive of all "hidden costs" and use it for a negotiation.
3. Make a lower offer. If they are asking $55,000, offer $52,000. If the salesperson believes you will really buy a car, he/she will go down in price, and maybe you will then get the car for $52,800 or thereabouts.
4. Nothing works better than competition. Let's say you have two cars on your list that you're interested in. Show it to the salesperson and say you will buy a car from whoever gives you the better price. For example, if one of the salespersons offers you a $1000 discount, phone to another dealer on your list and ask them if they can match it.
from http://www.sgcarmart.com/articles/used_guide_what.php