How to Locate a Used Car

If you are looking for a used car, it shouldn't be too hard to find one -- take a walk around your neighborhood or a large parking lot and you're likely to find a car or two with a "for sale" sign on it. If you have a particular brand or model of vehicle in mind, however, it may be more difficult to locate the right used car for you.

Instructions

1

Visit a used car locator site. Some established sites are usedcarlocate.com and autotrader.com.

2

Use the drop-down menu on either site to select the brand of car you are interested in, and enter your ZIP code to find the closest cars to your location. If you are interested in more than one car model, print out the results or use multiple tabs on your Web browser so you can compare them when deciding on your top choices.

3

Compare your cars to similar cars, even if they aren't local, by using the "Search For Used Cars by Make" feature on usedcarlocate.com or the "Compare Vehicles" feature on autotrader.com. This will give you a feel for the fair price and standard features of a specific car model.

4

Once you have decided on a car, contact the seller and set up an appointment so you can see the car in person and give it a test drive.