Buying a vehicle can be equal parts exciting and daunting at the same time. Whether you’ve just earned your license and are in the market for your first car, or an experienced driver looking to upgrade your ride, the process of buying a vehicle can prove to be stressful yet rewarding in the long run. When purchasing a used vehicle in Ontario, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind prior to, and during the vehicle purchasing process. Our team here at Auto Depot Sudbury want to make the buying process as easy and stress-free as possible for our valued customers, that’s why we’ve put together a list of 5 things you should do as an informed consumer before buying a used car in Ontario.

Read More: 
Car Buying Tips for New Drivers
Advantages of Buying a Pre-Owned Car
Best Used Vehicles for Budget-Conscious Buyers

1. Assess Your Vehicle Needs 

The automotive market is vast and plentiful, with a variety of different body styles, powertrains and configurations that are designed to cater to the needs of their owners. Prior to purchasing a vehicle, it’s in your best interest to perform a needs assessment to determine what type of car  best suits your needs. A few questions to consider include:

• How much storage space do I need?
• How many people do I need to fit in my car on a regular basis?
• What kind of features and amenities do I need in a vehicle?
• Do I need all-wheel drive or is a two-wheel drive vehicle sufficient?
• Do I need a fuel-efficient vehicle or am I okay with trading efficiency for performance?

2. Do Your Research  

Once you’ve settled on what kind of vehicle best suits your needs, do your research and choose a handful of different models that appeal to you. Whether it's a hatchback, a compact crossover SUV, a minivan or a pickup truck, create a list of two or three models that interest you and look up information about those vehicles. Compared to new vehicles, information abounds in the used car market as these vehicles have been in existence for a longer period of time and previous owners, mechanics and the automakers themselves are aware of common issues, reliability ratings and the pros and cons of specific model years. As a consumer, you have access to several resources that can help you be a more informed buyer and reduce the likelihood of making a purchasing decision that you may later regret.

3. Shop Around Online 

Now that you’ve narrowed down your search to a couple of specific vehicle makes and models, it’s time to shop around for an available vehicle in the market. In today’s automotive market, customers have a plethora of online marketplaces that they can use to find used vehicles up for sale. Ontario residents can use websites and apps such as kijijiauto.ca, autotrader.ca and cargugurs.ca to find vehicles for sale. Sudbury residents interested in top quality used vehicles can visit our site and browse through the wide range of pre-owned vehicles in our inventory. To make the search more convenient for our customers, we’ve even categorized our inventory to “Vehicles Under $15K” and “Vehicles Under $25K” to better cater to our budget-conscious customers.

4. Contact the Dealership & Book a Test Drive

Once you’ve settled on a specific vehicle that you’d like to see in person, contact the selling dealership and schedule a test drive appointment with one of their sales representatives. When booking your appointment, take this opportunity to ask the sales rep questions about the vehicle’s history and current condition. By doing so, you equip yourself with key information about the vehicle before even seeing it in person. If you’re interested in booking a test drive for one of the available vehicles in our inventory here at Auto Depot Sudbury, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

5. Bring the Proper Documentation

Even before you arrive at the dealership, make sure that you bring all of the necessary documentation with you to avoid any complications in the test drive process. First and foremost, ensure that you bring a valid driver’s licence as this is a necessary piece of identification required by all automotive dealers prior to a vehicle test drive. Should the test drive and negotiation process go smoothly and you decide to make a deal on the vehicle, bringing supporting documentation such as a recent paystub, your social insurance number and your current insurance policy, should you already have one. 

By keeping these five tips in mind during the next time you find yourself needing to test drive a vehicle, you put yourself in the best possible situation in making a well-informed purchasing decision. For customers in Sudbury, Ontario, Auto Depot Sudbury is your go-to used car dealership in Sudbury and the surrounding Northern Ontario region. Conveniently located at 933 Kingsway in Sudbury, Ontario, we have been proudly serving our community for over 25 years and have helped hundreds of new drivers get behind the wheel of their first vehicle. Our top notch sales team can help you browse our wide array of high quality used vehicles to find the right vehicle for the right price! Purchasing a vehicle from us is only the start of our relationship as we proudly offer routine service and repairs at our state of the art service centre.