Although Honda motor company has produced cars almost as long as they have produced motorcycles, it was not until the gas crisis of the 70s that their fuel efficient vehicles became popular in the United States. Today, Honda continues to manufacture some of the most fuel efficient vehicles available so that used Honda cars are among the most popular used vehicles.
There was a time that the life expectancy of a vehicle was around 100,000 miles. Today, vehicle life expectancy is much greater. Many vehicles remain very dependable at the 200,000 to 300,000 mile range if they have regular service. This makes used vehicles a great bargain.
Used vehicles have always been a way to save money. Once a new vehicle has been driven off the sales lot for the first time, it drops in value by thousands of dollars. By purchasing a used vehicle, you do not experience the loss in value.
Honda vehicles are better at retaining their value than vehicles produced by some of the other manufacturers. For the consumer, this means that when you get ready to sell the vehicle that you own, if it has been well maintained, you will get a larger portion of your original purchase price back.
When you purchase a used vehicle, you should have preventative maintenance performed immediately unless the previous owner shows proof of recent servicing. Preventative maintenance should follow the schedule of that the vehicle manufacturer has published in the owner’s manual. Make sure that you read and follow that schedule as maintenance schedules have change significantly in the past few years.
If you purchase a relatively new used vehicle, it may be possible to extend the original owner’s warranty from the factory. There is usually a fee to extend the warranty, so if the vehicle you purchase is near the end of the period, it may not be worth the fee to extend the warranty.
A fairly new service that may be helpful if you are purchasing a used vehicle is that offered by Carfax. By entering the VIN number of the vehicle and paying the fee, you will be able to know about any major repairs that have been made to the vehicle. This will also let you know if the vehicle you are considering has been in an accident. You should purchase your own Carfax report and not depend on one provided by a car dealer.
If you have a trusted auto mechanic, it may also be worth the fee to have him check out the vehicle before you make a purchase. The money you pay for his inspection may save you thousands of dollars in repair bills later on.
If you purchase a used vehicle instead of a new one, you will not qualify for some of the dealer incentives that are offered on new cars. These incentives can often be used as a part of the down payment on the vehicle and may qualify you for more creative financing options than are available on used vehicles. In addition, the interest rate is sometimes higher for used vehicles than it is for new ones.
Used Honda cars can offer you a great value. In many cases, it is possible to save a substantial amount of money by purchasing a slightly used vehicle rather than a new one.