How to Budget for Your Next Used Vehicle Purchase and Other Keys to Used Car Financing

Date: Dec 30, 2022

Like everything else these days, buying a vehicle is getting more and more expensive. Not just when you look at the original sticker price, but also when you factor in all the hefty maintenance and gas costs. Therefore, it’s probably best if you focus on finding a used car that fits your needs so you can get a bit of a discount. And if you’re interested in getting the best deal possible, you should look for used car financing.

At Eagle Motorsport, we have decades of experience helping our clients navigate both calm and turbulent financial times at our dealership. Aside from offering an affordable range of quality vehicles, we also have an expert financial team that works hard to get you advantageous fiscal terms on your next vehicle purchase.

Why Buy A Used Car?

New cars always have a certain allure. It’s nice to know that you’re the first person in the new car and that nobody else has abused it in the past, even if the vehicle record is clean. That said, every single new car will come at a premium of at least a couple of thousand dollars. Once you drive it off the lot, it depreciates automatically.

Anyone buying a used car is doing so to get a good deal. But there’s usually a reason why you’re bargaining down. You need to be careful to remain within your budget and not get caught up in the hype of getting a new (used) car. Furthermore, you should ensure that you go to a dealer that treats their cars right. I.e., you want to check that they cleaned the interior and inspected it properly. Your car should come with some type of vehicle history reports like CarFax or AutoCheck to ensure that you know everything there is to know about its history. Make sure you go through it with a fine-tooth comb to evaluate things like collision history. Alongside history of theft, collision history will help you greatly in determining what purposes your future car was used for. Make sure that ownership has been transferred properly if you’re dealing with a private party.

How Do You Budget For A Used Car Purchase?

Financing is probably the most common way to acquire a new or used car these days. Financing describes the auto loans that people take out when they need to pay for a car – paying for a car entirely in cash is relatively uncommon.

Auto financing usually involves an initial down payment, one that the buyer can afford, then the rest of the money is provided by auto loan lenders, sometimes working for the dealership. They will need to pay the auto loan back over time including all the taxes, fees, and other add-ons.

Set A Budget And Stick To It

Sometimes, you’ll need to sacrifice all your ideal features and fancy gadgets to get the car at the price you need. You must enter the car buying process with a fixed number in mind that you can’t go over. And keep in mind that your used car purchase will account for taxes and will require monthly insurance and maintenance payments too, those numbers will vary depending on which type of car you decide to buy.

Having a tight budget is one of the first steps you can take toward narrowing down your used car options. At the beginning of your search, the number of choices might seem overwhelming, so it’s good to have a budget to stick to and help you focus. You’ll also avoid future disappointments when you start researching a car and realize you can’t afford it when you get to the dealership and start talking about financing.

Here are some tips we assembled for budgeting your next car purchase.

• The Down Payment Impacts Your Monthly Payment: The more you pay upfront, the less you’ll need to pay every month. It’s pretty simple. You’ll have to weigh your options depending on your monthly income and the amount of savings you can dip into right now.

• Align Your Car Payment With Your Savings: A general rule of thumb in financial circles is that you should save about 15% of your monthly income and set it aside for a car payment. So keep that in mind when you’re reviewing the details of your purchase.

• Credit History Matters: Simply put, the more ambitious a car loan you need, the more you need to have a good credit history to back yourself up. Otherwise, you’re going to settle for less.

• Know how much it costs to own the car: Everything from car maintenance, to filling up your gas tank to insurance payments must be in your head when you’re considering a prospective car. These will vary depending on how old the car is and also its make and model. Certain cars hold up to wear and tear better than others. Both mileage and age should be factors when you ask yourself how much a car could cost. Not to mention, taxes can have a big impact too.

• Do Your Research: Researching your future car is a big part of the budgeting process. We already mentioned some of the potential tools you could use. However, you need to ensure that you understand more than just the cost. You must know how the car will function and how that compares to its competitors. That way, you’ll get a good sense of the value of the car. It makes no sense to simply pursue the cheapest car available on the market. Instead, you should find the features that you need the most and try to pack them in under your desired budget.

• Put Your Needs First: When you’re planning the whole budget, you need to consider your finances not just as they are now – but as they might be in the future. How likely is it that you’ll get a promotion and earn more money? Perhaps you’ll switch jobs entirely? These are the types of things you need to think about when budgeting your monthly payments for the future. Of course, you don’t want to overextend yourself and spend more than you’ll have, but it’s still good to be realistic.

• Consider A Trade-In: Trading in your old car for a new one is one of the best ways for you to save money. Once you plan your budget, you might want to try and get a low-end estimate of your current vehicle’s worth to see just how much room you might have to work with in the future. Most dealerships make it easy for you to get this number.

How Used Car Financing Works

Now that you understand how the used car budgeting process works, let’s look a bit more into how the actual financing will work for someone trying to obtain a car loan.

Simply put, when you finance a used car, you borrow money from a lender, which could be moderated by a dealership, bank, or credit union, to pay for the vehicle. You will agree to pay back the loan, plus interest, over a period of time.

After setting your budget, these are the typical steps to getting credit approval:

1. Shop for a used car

2. Get pre-approved for a loan

3. Negotiate the car price

4. Apply for a loan

5. Make Your Payments

Shopping For A Used Car

Of course, you might not yet be familiar with how the whole used car shopping process works, so we’ve decided to speed it up for you. There is a bit of a learning curve.

Write A List Of Needs And Dealbreakers

We already talked about considering your needs to prepare for budgeting, but you also need to consider your needs in the context of different cars. You need to distinguish between essential features and “nice-to-haves”. It’s the nice to haves that often pushes you over your budget, so be careful about what you incorporate on that list.

Comparing Prospective Cars

We believe that the best way to decide on which car to buy is to compare them side by side using a tool like the one on Cars.com. This will give you a sense of the main features of a car and how one might beat out the other. Particularly important might be gas mileage, which is interesting to look at side by side.

Reading Car Reviews

Another great way to evaluate a car is by looking for reviews on the internet and reading them. You should balance a mix of professional and amateur reviews to get a full picture of what a car offers.

Used Car Financing From Eagle Motorsport

Eagle Motorsport is a full-service car dealership that leads you step-by-step through the buying process so that you can afford the car of your dreams. On our lot in Hobart, Indiana, we have a healthy range of trucks, SUVs, minivans, and sedans.

From start to finish, our staff will handle inspection, and financing, and help you deal with the papers to buy a new car. We offer some of the most competitive financing terms in the area alongside friendly customer service and equal treatment. Just contact us to get pre-qualified for an auto loan and start searching our inventory for a car that matches your needs.

8 Reasons You Should Buy a Used Dodge Charger in 2023

Date: Dec 20, 2022

If you’re looking for a powerful sedan that you can rely on to transport your family, the Dodge Charger certainly fits the bill. Past drivers love how versatile the Charger is, even if it isn’t the most luxurious car in its class.

Since Dodge Chargers aren’t exactly among the “fancy” cars, you should investigate buying a used Dodge Charger instead of a new one. After all, used cars in good condition usually come at a discount. Buying used isn’t as daunting as it might seem either. To help you understand, Eagle Motorsport will break down the top reasons why you should purchase a used Dodge Charger and some tips for buying a used car in general.

The Dodge Charger: Background

Dodge charger owners love their vehicles because of their powerful engines, spacious interior, and altogether agreeable ride for all passengers. Compared to most vehicles in its class, the Charger offers outstanding value. Even still, it offers a selection of nice-to-haves like infotainment plus some useful features that elevate the Charger’s performance.

Comfort is paramount with the Charger as both drivers and passengers reap the benefits of an intelligently-designed car. Many passengers report that the front seats are so comfortable that they can sit in the car for hours without feeling sore.

Why You Should Buy A Used Dodge Charger

Among the large cars available on the market, the Dodge Charger is one of the leading performers. Year after year, the Charger’s engine ranks near the top in its class. And in recent years, it seems its safety scores have begun to catch up too. The interior might not contain fine leather seats or other frivolous goodies, but it’s often the simple interiors that stand the test of time. Let’s delve into some of the main reasons you should buy a used Dodge Charger.

Performance

You’ve already heard it a few times, the Charger offers exceptional performance, even for a large sedan. You can choose between a myriad of engine options from the economical yet capable 3.6-liter V6 engine all the way to the hefty Hemi V8.

In recent years, Dodge has been adding extra models to their charger lineup which means that searching for a Dodge Charger can also be a matter of searching for the Charger that suits you best. For instance, the Dodge Charger SE allows you to choose between a 5 and 8-speed automatic transmission. You could opt for all-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive depending on your needs, but the rear-wheel drive option is only available on certain models.

Once you get up to the V-8 engine options, you’ll notice that the Charger’s performance is practically unlimited. The 5.7 liter Hemi V8 offers 370 horsepower and more advanced models offer 485. If you’re looking for a family sedan that is also fun to drive, then the Charger is ideal for you. It’s little secret that the Dodge Charger is popular among racers.

Value

One of the best parts about the Charger is that despite its status as a top performer, your weekly gas bill won’t break the bank. As we’ve already discussed, the Charger comes in plenty of different models, so finding one that aligns with your needs won’t be difficult. And in every model, you take advantage of the ride comfort, horsepower, and stylish design. If you opt for the 8-speed transmission, then you can get up to 31 miles per gallon on the highway, which can help you save a lot of money on gas in the long run.

If you manage to get behind the wheel of a used Dodge Charger, the cost savings will be even more significant.

Low Maintenance Costs

The average car owner spends over $1,000 on maintenance every year. By contrast, the average annual amount Dodge Charger owners spend is between $600 and $700. That is quite a steep discount, all things considered. Not to mention, you could learn to make some of the easier repairs yourself by reading the owner’s repair manual.

With the new generation of Dodge chargers, there are very few problems in the initial years. You probably want to bring it in for an oil change regularly. But otherwise, there will be few events that cause a need for repairs to your car.

Reliability

You’ll be happy to learn that the Dodge Charger has shed its reputation for being one of the more unsafe cars on the market in recent years. In fact, the 2022 edition of the Dodge Charger was rated by JD Power as having a “great” reliability score. This is little surprise given how rarely the Charger breaks down and needs repairs.

Some of the safety features that make the Charger so reliable include its extremely advanced blind spot detection technology. The Charger comes with a rear parking sensor, blind-spot monitoring system, and a rear backup camera. Hence, you’ll be able to negotiate all sorts of tight corners and awkward parking spaces with mastery. Moreover, Dodge gives drivers a bunch of extra safety features like advanced brake assist, hill start assist, and electronic stability control.

You can tell simply from how the Charger is built that it can handle just about any accident better than your average sedan. Its body might be heavy, but that’s only because it is constructed with reinforced steel. This hard steel coverage extends to the doors and the roof. If an accident does happen, the charger will also protect your passengers in the interior by deploying front head restraints.

Used Dodge Charger Interior

Capacity

Unlike some sedans, when we say the Dodge Charger comes with 5 seats, we really mean it. Most families will be able to embark on long trips because of how ample the seating is. Not to mention, that seating is quite pleasant both in the front and the back. No matter how tall you are, the seating can accommodate you well.

The seats come with ventilation in some newer models. Even if some regard the design as a bit simplistic, it does the main job of keeping passengers comfy and looks pretty rad in the process.

A Safe, Comfy Ride

Regardless of which model of Charger you buy, you can always be assured that the Charger handles well. Its handling is complemented by the technology features which allow you to constantly monitor your surroundings and drive with confidence. Braking is also a strong suit of the Charger as it allows you to halt from 60 MPH to 0 in 113 feet.

An Attractive Exterior And Interior

One of the things that initially attracts people to the Charger is its hostile, aggressive-looking design. It earns its reputation as one of the most popular muscle cars. Aside from this, little perks like the LED day lights and other race-like features such as the taillights give the Charger a rather intimidating appearance. The austere but functional interior helps further this impression.

The only problem with the design might be that the Charger resembles a race car so much that one might be tempted to start racing down the highway with it after getting a taste of its engine power.

Diverse Models

One of the great parts about the Charger is that there are several variations of Dodge Charger vehicles that could suit your fancy, not just one. One of our favorites is the Charger SRT Hellcat which comes with 700 horsepower. This might not be one of the models at your local used car lot, but it goes to show just what kind of optionality Dodge provides. And even with these high-powered models, you still get pretty decent fuel economy, which shows you just how versatile the Charger is.

Buying A Used Dodge Charger Vs. A New One

First off, one of the main reasons to buy any used car is the fact that you can get a good discount just because a new car’s value depreciates the day you drive it off the dealer’s lot. You can usually get a great price for used Chargers compared to older ones. As long as your Charger has been vetted properly by a dealership, you could stand to save a lot of money

While some of the older generation Dodge Chargers came with a few rather disappointing problems, the latest generations dating from 2014 onward are a refreshing improvement. We wouldn’t have any issue recommending those models to anyone.

Buying A Used Dodge Charger Vs. Similar Cars

When it comes to large family sedans, we believe that the Charger tops the list by far. The combination of high performance and a sprinkling of luxury features make the Charger comparable to vehicles like the BMW M5 and Mercedes-AMG E63. Meanwhile, a used version will likely cost about half or less than what the newest of each of those two models normally costs.

What You Should Look Out For When Buying A Used Car

Now that you’ve determined you should buy a used Dodge Charger, we’re going to give you some useful tips on buying used cars in general. We recommend that with the Charger, just as you would with any used vehicle, you should research some past car reviews. Read both the professional and amateur reviews to get a sense of the common pain points past drivers have had with the car.

Condition

Vehicle history and condition are two of the most vital aspects of a car that you need to consider before making a purchase. Therefore, you need to obtain a vehicle history report that details all the pertinent information about the car’s condition such as ownership history, title history, and accident history. That way, you’ll be able to find out what your car was used for in the past and whether there were any significant events involving it.

Mileage

We know that the Dodge Charger isn’t the most fuel-efficient sedan. If that’s your primary concern, then there are plenty of other cars with great gas mileage that you could opt for first. However, you should still take into consideration things like highway vs. city miles per gallon depending on what you use your car for the most. Moreover, you might consider that perhaps weaker fuel economy in one car could be compensated for in other areas like repair costs.

Buy From A Trustworthy Dealer

Buying from a trustworthy dealer is one of the main points you should consider when shopping for a used car. Of course, you also want to be sure that they have the car you want before you do your research. In this case, you want to be sure that the dealership you go to has a used Dodge Charger for sale on its lot before you visit.

Just like you would read reviews for a car you’re interested in buying, you should also read reviews for a dealership. Focus on their level of customer service and try to find out if they have lots of repeat buyers. That will show whether past customers were generally satisfied with the buying process.

Don’t Buy From Private Sellers

We must emphasize that we would never advise that anyone go to a private seller rather than a dealership. Unfortunately, there are so many scams associated with private sellers on Craigslist, Facebook, and other car sales platforms. You could end up spending weeks negotiating a fair price and then finally agree on one only to have the deal fall through due to an unenforceable contract. Not to mention, you’ll need to verify the vehicle history and condition yourself given that there is no in-house dealership team to do that work for you.

You can obtain Carfax or Autocheck reports to fulfill this purpose, but your challenges won’t end there. When it comes time to test drive the car, you’ll need to agree to a date and time that works for both of you, which is just one of many roadblocks that could arise.

Consider Financing & Trade-Ins

Another aspect of dealerships that you should consider heavily is financing. If you’re in the market for a used car in the first place, you would probably like to take advantage of as many discounts and deals as possible. Therefore, looking for a dealership with financing options will help relieve your initial financial burden. Note that dealerships usually look at things like credit history and employment when offering you terms for an auto loan. Some dealerships will be more stringent with their requirements for your finance payment than others.

You could also trade your vehicle in for a different one at some dealerships. Their in-house financing team will value your car to see how much of a discount you’re eligible for on your next purchase. That way, you have a quick and easy way to get rid of your old car and make your next one cheaper in the process.

Take A Test Drive

Of course, whether you’re buying a Charger or just about any other vehicle, you must take a test drive beforehand. It doesn’t matter how positive the reviews are or how much you want the vehicle, every car, especially a used one, has its nuances.

Therefore, you should think ahead and plan a route for your test drive ahead of time. Try to go for a route that has a good combination of the types of streets you normally drive on during the average day. You’ll likely need to look at maps of the area near your dealership beforehand. You could potentially take a drive with your current car yourself to get a better feel for the route.

Once you arrive at the dealership for your test drive, you should take full advantage of the situation and test every possible aspect of the car including the brakes, signal lights, and more. You should also bring a partner with you during the drive to be your second pair of eyes and ears whilst you focus on the road.

Check Out A Used Dodge Charger At Eagle Motorsport

The Dodge Charger is one of the best used sedans you can buy. Its spacious interior combined with its powerful engine makes it the perfect family car for a wide range of families. At Eagle Motorsport, we often have at least one Dodge Charger for sale on our lot. And if you want to check out other cars, we have plenty of inventory.

Each car we offer is subject to rigorous safety standards from our team. Plus, our prices are affordable, and our financing is not too strict. We’re confident we can write up a deal that suits your personal situation.

4 of the Best Used Chevy Models You Can Find

Date: Dec 2, 2022

Used Chevy

Are you looking to purchase your next vehicle? Want to save a little money while still getting a high-quality car? There are several used Chevy models that you’ll want to think about taking a look at. Here are some of the best.

1. Chevy Camaro

The Camaro is one of the best sports cars you can find. Offering you breathtaking performance that’s bound to impress, a range of useful features, and all this for a relatively low price, you simply can’t go wrong when you buy this vehicle.

If you’re looking to get a quality car for an even lower price, then you’ll want to think about buying a used model. Used Camaros provide drivers with useful features and a fun ride, and all for a price that won’t break the bank.

2. Chevy Equinox

Are you looking for an SUV? SUVs make great options for drivers with families as well as solo drivers who need lots of space to haul all their equipment from place to place. The Chevy Equinox is one of the best SUVs you’ll find.

Enjoy lots of space in this vehicle’s interior along with smooth performance from its powerful engine. And, when you buy a used one, you’ll get to enjoy a low price, as well.

3. Chevy Silverado 1500

Got some heavy hauling or a few tough jobs to do? Or maybe you just prefer the size and appearance of a pickup truck. Regardless of why you’re looking for one, finding a tough, reliable, and muscular vehicle is important.

The Chevy Silverado 1500 is an amazing pickup truck that can easily be outfitted to fit your exact needs. You’ll love its impressive towing capacity and payload. You can also get this fantastic truck for a super reasonable price if you decide to buy used over new.

4. Chevy Suburban

This is the perfect vehicle for people who want an SUV with plenty of space. You’ll be in awe as soon as you get inside this vehicle as you take in how much space there is. Never worry about leaving anyone or anything behind when you buy this impressive car.

The Chevy Suburban is a luxury vehicle, so you can always count on getting impressive features, incredible performance, and of course stunning good looks when you buy one. Look for a used one if you want to save money and still get quality.

There are plenty of great Chevy models out there, and the above are some of the best to buy used. Remember to purchase from a reputable dealer when you buy any Chevy vehicle. To see what we have, visit us at Eagle Motorsport.

Ford F-150 vs Ram 1500: Which Should You Pick?

Date: Nov 28, 2022

Ford pickup F150 engine

The Ford F150 and the Ram 1500 are two of the most reputable and popular pickup trucks. They both come packed with plenty of hauling capabilities and features. That said, it can be difficult to assess which one is better for you without reviewing each truck’s features.

Different trucks suit different people, we want to help you find out which of these two trucks suits you best. At Eagle Motorsport, we’ve seen tons of customers walk into our lot looking for a pickup truck not knowing the difference between two of the most popular vehicles. There are many different models of each of these trucks. However, we decided to judge them based on their 2016 models since this is the typical age of used trucks we deal with on our lot.

How To Evaluate A Pickup Truck

Before we even try to compare the Ford F150 vs Ram 1500, we need to outline some standards for the comparison. Note that while we considered all the main points of comparison, this isn’t an exhaustive list. For your specific use case, you might consider what kinds of modifications you can make to a truck. Alternatively, you might focus more on comfort for your family rather than performance.

Engine

Your engine choice depends heavily on what you’ll use your truck for. But you need to balance the features. A 2-wheel drive is usually more suited toward city driving and costs less. However, a 4-wheel drive is required for many of the typical activities that people need a truck for like offroading or other extreme endeavors.

Towing Capacity

For most jobs that involve a truck, you’ll need a high towing capacity. Of course, this merely describes how much weight your truck can tow behind you. That’s different from the weight that your truck can carry in total. You usually need towing capacity if you’re going to tow heavy items like trailers behind your truck.

Hauling

In contrast to towing capacity, hauling is the amount of weight your truck bed can tolerate. Hauling capacity is usually smaller than payload since all this weight is concentrated in a smaller area of your truck.

Payload

Payload is simply the towing capacity of the truck plus the hauling. In essence, this is the maximum amount that your truck can carry excluding its weight. Whenever you have to transport a lot of heavy items at once, it’s useful to know the payload to calculate the threshold of materials you can transport on each trip.

Torque

A lot of people focus on horsepower when they analyze prospective truck purchases, however, torque is the real figure that matters if you want to get a lot of power quickly. For instance, on a construction site, you would benefit from a truck with high torque to be able to move a boulder out of your way.

When you’re comparing different engine options for a truck, you should choose a V8 engine for more torque. Even if a V6 engine saves you money on fuel. This is because the V8 engine includes more cylinders which in turn generate more power to make the truck move quickly.

Interior

Your interior choice is a bit personal. You might want to consider which people will accompany you in your truck and whether they’ll feel comfortable with the interior you choose. Some designs will suit you better than others.

In general, we recommend that you look for a truck that is made with high-quality durable materials. You can test the material for yourself, but looks on the test drive are deceiving. Read past reviews to ensure that the materials last a long time.

On the other hand, the extent of technology features you need is entirely subjective. How much value do you place on luxury? For some, a truck is a utility vehicle. For others, their focus is on ensuring their truck is comfortable for the whole family during road trips.

Exterior

Evaluating the exterior of your truck is a bit less superficial than you think. While both the F-150 and the Ram 1500 have distinctive appearances, you should spend more time thinking about materials and durability rather than looks. Note that a lightweight exterior can assist with fuel economy since it makes the whole truck lighter. Moreover, you should evaluate the quality of visibility through the windows during your test drive to understand what it will be like to drive the truck.

Fuel Efficiency

We’re well aware that trucks aren’t known for their fuel efficiency. However, as gas prices are always increasing, you should spend more time considering fuel efficiency than you might have before. This is especially true if you are mostly planning on driving your truck in the city.

Truck Bed

As we mentioned earlier, the truck bed relates quite a bit to the payload. That said, you must also consider the balance between the truck bed and the cabin as it relates to the design of your vehicle. There is a major trade-off between the amount of space you have in the cabin and the pickup bed. You need to decide ahead of time whether it’s more important for you to haul people or cargo.

Ford F-150

Now that you understand which features to look for in a pickup truck, we can move on to our breakdown of the F-150. Of course, this is Ford’s flagship truck, so you know that they put a lot of effort into this vehicle. For such a large truck, the F-150 is quite a smooth ride, regardless of whether the bed is full or not. With this truck, you’ll benefit from a wicked combination of luxury and performance.

Ford F-150

Engine & Fuel Economy

Most F-150s include a V6 or V8 engine. Both are reasonably powerful. Ford also offers a twin-turbo option for the V6 which allows you to optimize both for torque and fuel economy. Of course, as the weight of your cargo increases, your gas mileage is going to diminish. Note that your mileage from the truck is usually not as good as what Ford advertises. This advice applies to just about any vehicle.

Towing

The F-150 comes with around 5 tons of total payload and can haul up to 20% of that figure in the truck bed. However, that last bit only applies to full-sized beds that come with a 2-door truck. A 4-door truck will have less hauling capacity.

Interior

No matter what model of F-150 you plan on getting, you’ll benefit from all sorts of interior options. Even older models have a 360 camera to help you observe the environment around you. Moreover, you’ll find that it makes for a comfortable ride for every passenger given that there is plenty of legroom in the back row. Alternatively, you could use all that extra room on storage space if you want by folding the bench seats.

Exterior

Surprisingly, the F-150 is quite fuel-efficient. The aluminum body and trim make for an extremely light exterior and therefore cut roughly half a tonne of body weight from the vehicle. This has positive repercussions on the fuel economy of this vehicle. You’ll also notice that the F-150 has ample sightlines through the side windows to help you see the road from several different angles.

Cost & Other Considerations

If you want to purchase a used Ford pickup with plenty of extras like a V8 engine or extra technology options, it’s not uncommon to pay around $25,000 to $30,000 for a used model from the mid-2010s. However, newer models with those features cost around $40,000-$50,000. The F-150 also comes with a fair few safety features on its standard models so you need not worry about that.

Ram 1500

The Ram 1500 is another titan in its class that offers truck drivers incredible value for its price. Every part of the Ram seems to be constructed with care. It starts at the steering wheel which offers a degree of precision not seen in other pickups. Not to mention, the Ram is a rather quiet truck that you can trust to stay calm regardless of whether you’re driving in the city or on the highway. If you go for the optional air suspension, you’ll be able to ease your exit from the car by about 2 inches to give yourself extra clearance.

Ram 1500

Engine & Fuel Economy

The Ram 1500 gives you about 21 miles per gallon combined (18 in the city and 25 on the highway. Just like the F-150, the Ram gives you a bit more in terms of fuel economy than most trucks, but the F-150 still edges it out. You’ll find that the best combination of fuel efficiency and torque comes from the V6 diesel engine whereas the V8 engine will provide you with more raw power. Whether you choose the rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, you’ll get enough power to keep your truck going.

Towing & Torque

While the Ram 1500 is equal in towing capacity to the F-150, its hauling is a bit lower at only 1,600 pounds. This could be a difference-maker if you have a lot of cargo to carry in your truck bed.

Interior

Once again, the Ram 1500 showcases its designers’ attention to detail with a well-thought-out control panel. The design of the panel is quite ergonomic and ensures that every element is within reach. If you choose to add a crew cabin to your truck, you’ll benefit from bench seats that allow you to carry 6 passengers rather than the 4 or 5 that are standard in a pickup truck.

Exterior

With some of the older versions of the Ram, we have to admit that they look a bit outdated. Not to mention, the Ram’s body isn’t quite as lightweight as that of the F-150.

Cost & Other Considerations

You can easily find a used Ram for between $20,000 -$25,00. Even recently-used models easily go for under $30,000.

Ford F150 vs. Ram 1500: Our Verdict

There are several perspectives that we can take on the F-150 when compared to the Ram 1500. In general, we would say that both of these trucks are good options for any truck buyer. However, it’s still necessary for us to point out some of the main differences between these two trucks.

First of all, the engine and fuel efficiency of each truck are just about equal. However, the Ford F 150 edges it out slightly in our book due to its fuel economy. Plus, you don’t need to opt for a diesel engine like you do with the Ram if you want to take advantage of a powerful V6.

Moreover, the F-150 also gets our vote when it comes to safety. It’s not that the Ram is unsafe, it’s simply that the F-150 usually gets the best safety ratings in its class. Plus, Ford offers technology like the 360-degree camera which is far better than other trucks.

One final obvious advantage to the F-150 that we noted was that its max towing capacity is higher than the Ram by almost half a ton. That makes the F-150 the obvious choice for anyone who needs to do some heavy-duty hauling.

On the flip side, we would say that the Ram offers a better experience to drivers both on the inside and the outside. The Ram’s cabin is simply roomier and also much better designed. Moreover, the F-150’s exterior is nice and light, but its unique nature also makes it more challenging and therefore expensive to fix any issues with this truck. Plus, the Ram tends to be a smoother ride as it appears its engineers were quite dedicated to perfecting the driving experience.

The final thing to consider with the Ram is that despite some of its shortcomings, it’s usually cheaper than the F-150. Considering the Ram takes you about 95% of the way there in terms of features but costs maybe 80-90% of what the F-150 does, you’re probably going to get better value.

At the end of the day, we must admit that the competition between the Ram and the F-150 is simply too close to call. The F-150 performs better on many essential features while coming in at a higher price. We would say that if you prioritize utility from your truck, then go for the F-150. In any other case, the Ram is likely your best bet.

Why Many Buyers Prefer To Buy A Used Truck

Since it’s clear that you’re interested in buying a truck, we encourage you to consider purchasing a pre-owned one. Here are a few reasons why our buyers have opted for a used truck in the past.

Dependability

With a used truck, you already know what you’re getting beforehand. For instance, if you look at a 2017 model, you can read all the reviews and research all the recalls that have occurred thus far, if any. With a 2022 model, you’re taking more of a gamble. People haven’t had enough time to drive the car and understand its lifespan. So long as the used truck has been vetted with a history report, you can be more confident in its durability.

Affordability

A great way to cut down on new truck costs is to simply buy a used one. After all, the value of any vehicle diminishes immediately after you drive it home. Why bother paying that extra expense?

Customizability

If you want to add your own modifications to a used truck, then there will be much more information for you in case you need to conduct research. Plus, some used vehicles come with the modifications or options that the dealer threw in on the original purchase. For example, someone might have already added a hybrid powertrain or adaptive cruise control so that you don’t have to pay extra.

Visit Eagle Motorsport For A Wide Selection Of Pickup Trucks

Whether you want a Ram or an F-150, we usually have one or two waiting for you on our lot. Come out to Eagle Motorsport for a test drive. Alternatively, you might want to try out an entirely different truck. Whatever your decision, our sales team will be at your service to help educate you on different vehicles and financing options with a patient and friendly demeanor.

The 10 Most Best Family Used Cars for 2023

Nov 22, 2022

10 best used cars for family in 2023

When you’re looking to buy a car for your family, you have so many choices to make. Add in the fact that you’re dealing with used cars, and your decision only gets more complex.

To help you find your next family vehicle, we’ve ranked the top 10 best family used cars for 2023. Our rankings of the best family cars have changed substantially over the past decade. After all, a car that is 10 years old can become a pretty good deal when compared to its younger version and the “newer” used cars up for sale on the market.

Why Families Are Buying Used Cars In 2022 and 2023

It’s no secret, families are becoming more and more cash-strapped as they struggle to make ends meet under the current economic conditions. However, a car, especially one for your family, isn’t a purchase that you can afford to put off. You probably need the car to go to work, run errands, and to complete several other essential tasks.

If you stick to a well-defined budget, you can wind up with huge savings on your next car purchase by opting for a used one. Compared to the alternative of overpaying for a new car that depreciates the moment you drive it off the lot, buying used ends up being extremely beneficial to a lot of families.

4 Things You Should Consider Before Purchasing A Family Car

Purchasing a used car for your family is a big step, and there are a lot of points you need to consider. Don’t stress out, we narrowed these points down to 4 salient ones.

When you first start your search, realize that you’re buying a used car for a reason. Perhaps you’re welcoming a new child into your world. Or, you could have just gotten a new job with a much longer commute. No matter what, make sure that you’re fully aware of your needs throughout the buying process. If you have any dealbreakers that make a car completely unsuitable for your circumstances, then feel free to avoid cars that have those dealbreakers.

Budget Properly

At the very beginning, you should account for all your expenses and determine how much you can afford to pay for your next car. And don’t neglect your monthly expenses either. You’ll need to pay for gas, which only seems to be getting more expensive, and monthly insurance payments on top of your regular car checkups. Plus, you might need to pay a monthly lease if you obtain financing for your car.

Of course, your monthly budget will also help you make conscious choices about what kind of car you get. If you have a tight monthly budget, then fuel economy will probably be one of your top priorities during your used car search.

How Many Seats Do You Need?

If you have a family, then you probably need a car that has a lot of space. Space both for your kids and for extra equipment if need be. Usually, a tiny coupe won’t do the job. You’re often going to look at minivans and SUVs.

Of course, your needs now might not be the same in the future. Maybe you only have one kid now, but are you planning on having more? A sedan with 2 kids and 2 parents can get kind of tight and usually gives you little space to stow things in the back. And if you’re planning on having more than two children, then you’ll surely need to look for a bigger car.

This is also the time for you to think about safety. You might need to get a car that makes it easy to install child seats when needed.

Consider Financing Options

If you have an urgent need for a car, then you might not even have any money saved up for one. Not to mention, it’s pretty common for your budget to fall short of the price of the car that best suits your needs. While you could try to obtain financing from a bank or a Credit Union, this can be tricky. Having a poor credit rating makes the experience even more challenging still.

Therefore, your best bet for financing usually comes from the car dealer. They often have financial experts working with them to help you find the best rates for your auto loan. Moreover, they could offer you the option of trading in your old vehicle to get a discount for your new purchase. This is all well and good, but keep in mind that you won’t officially own the car until your final payment has been made.

Car Safety

Above all, you want to keep your loved ones protected. You don’t want to put them at risk with a used car. Therefore, you should ensure that you get an auto inspection report from your dealership that accounts for the vehicle’s history and tells you whether any past drivers had an incident of note. It’s not uncommon for scams to pop up, CarFax and Autocheck are a couple of resources that check your vehicle’s history.

Moreover, you should read the car reviews to ensure that there are no common safety issues that stick out to you. Prudence is the best approach and if something feels off to you about a car, then don’t buy it.

How To Research Used Cars

Before you start your search, you might already have a few interesting cars in mind for the future. However, you should still keep an open mind and do your due diligence on each car. A good place to start your search is to look for customer-written used car reviews online. We often find that those reviews are the most honest because they’ve been written by people who have driven the car day in and day out for several years. That’s much more insightful than reviews from someone who took the car out for a day of driving.

There are plenty of car review websites for you to look at. The best type of review is usually the long one that gave the car about 3 or 4 stars. Those reviews will provide you with a candid description of the car’s downsides and alert you to any common issues. Meanwhile, they still hold back on any bitterness or vitriol that characterizes the angry, negative reviews.

Our Top 10 Used Cars For Families

To help you kick off your search for a used car, we’ve written up a list of 10 of the best used cars for families. All the criteria and standards we outlined should apply to the cars here. We’ve found some positives and negatives to each car, it’s up to you to set your standard features for what you should choose.

2016 Hyundai Tucson

A compact SUV like the 2016 Hyundai Tucson is the perfect fit for families looking to ferry their children to and fro in a secure environment. The Tucson does well on all the reliability ratings when compared to the rest of its class. Plus, it’s a comfortable ride by all standards since it combines excellent driving with a spacious interior.

What we like about this vehicle

• A reliable long-term option

• Great value for all its features

• Powerful engine for its class

• Comfortable, quiet interior

What you should consider before buying

• Only two-row seating

2014 GMC Terrain

While the 2014 GMC Terrain is a bit pricier than we’d like, it makes for an exceptionally comfortable ride. This SUV is known for its spacious cabin and sophisticated style. Not to mention, it’s one of the safest cars you can buy too. The base engine can be a bit weak, but with a sport package, you can get a more powerful V6.

What we like about this vehicle

• Ample space inside the cabin

• A great choice for safety

• Reliable over the long term

• Four-wheel drive

What you should consider before buying

• The base engine is slow

• Poor handling

2019 Chevrolet Equinox

The Equinox is the perfect SUV for drivers on a budget. Combined with its extremely affordable price and high fuel economy, you’ll be able to save a lot of money both in the short term and the long term with this model. The interior of this SUV does indeed leave much to be desired. However, it’s still a very safe option for you and your family.

2019 Chevrolet Equinox (Continued)

What we like about this vehicle

• Great handling

• Comfortable cabin

• Excellent fuel economy

What you should consider before buying

• Boring interior

2018 Chevrolet Tahoe

Combining an assortment of family-friendly features like third-row seating, the 2018 Tahoe is one of the best family cars on the market. We like that the Tahoe gives you plenty of options, you can utilize the 3rd row to accommodate your child’s friends. Alternatively, you can fold down the back seats and capitalize on the extra cargo room.

What we like about this vehicle

• Offers a smooth ride

• Known for safety and reliability

• Beautiful interior

What you should consider before buying

• The rear seats (3rd row) leave much to be desired

2014 GMC Yukon

Sure, the 2014 Yukon is one of the older cars on our list, but it’s an SUV that does the job regardless of what the exterior looks like. If you’re looking for utility, then this SUV has it in spades. Imagine being able to fit 9 people into one vehicle! At that point, it’s practically a bus. Especially when you realize how much this car can store. The Yukon is a bit of a gas-guzzler but it handles pretty well for an SUV of its size.

What we like about this vehicle

• Ample seating

• Powerful engine

What you should consider before buying

• The 3rd row does not fold

2016 Kia Forte

By now, you might be a little tired of hearing about SUVs. Fortunately, the Forte provides a compact and economical option for smaller families. And despite being so compact, the Forte packs a surprising amount of cargo room in the trunk. The cabin is quite relaxing too, though it’s hardly the best in its class in this regard.

What we like about this vehicle

• Safe for its size

• Extremely affordable

• Good for small families

What you should consider before buying

• Difficult to take on bumpy roads

2018 Hyundai Elantra

In the interest of affordability, we thought we’d include the Elantra in our rankings. It’s hardly some luxury car with leather seats, but it’s a functional sedan that does the job for most of your daily needs.

What we like about this vehicle

• Excellent mileage

• Lots of cargo for a vehicle of its size

What you should consider before buying

• A little bit weak on safety ratings

2017 Jeep Cherokee

On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have the Jeep Cherokee – a great choice for sporty families. Your whole family will love that you get a truckload (or SUV-load?) of interior features. However, the Cherokee is a bit lacking in terms of serious features such as fuel economy or even overall safety.

What we like about this vehicle

• Extremely spacious, quality interior

• Great for off-roading and outdoor activities

2017 Jeep Cherokee (Continued)

What you should consider before buying

• Not super affordable

• Sluggish engine for its size

2017 Ford Fusion

The 2017 Ford Fusion is probably the largest sedan we have on our list. Like the other sedans, it’s perfect for small families, and it’s pretty fun to drive too. The advantage to this car is that it’s a little roomier all around since it gives both your legs in the cabin and your cargo in the trunk more breathing room. That said, the Fusion lags behind its competitors when you look at its other features.

What we like about this vehicle

• Active seatbelts for safety

• High predicted reliability

What you should consider before buying

• Some vehicles were affected by recalls

• Worse than average fuel economy

2017 Mitsubishi Outlander

We decided to include the Mitsubishi Outlander because it’s one of the tiniest SUVs to have third-row seating. However, outside of its well-insulated interior, the Outlander trails behind the rest of this list. It matches its compact size with a rather compact engine that performs quite poorly on highways.

What we like about this vehicle

• A large amount of seating for a small SUV

• Fairly safe option

What you should consider before buying

• A weak engine

• The interior is somewhat cramped

Find Your Next Used Vehicle At Eagle Motorsport

Choosing a family car isn’t quick, nor is it easy. However, it’s something that must be done.

At Eagle Motorsport, we offer some of the best cars available in the Hobart area at extremely affordable prices. Our accounting department works hard to find you the best possible terms for your vehicle. Plus, our friendly customer service staff treats you with kindness and respect no matter what kind of car you’re looking to buy. Bring your vehicle in for a test drive.

Used Cars Tips: 11 Recommendations For First-time Used Car Buyers

Oct 27, 2022

independent used car lots have plenty of good cars

Recommendations For First-time Used Car Buyers

Buying your first used car is a major step. You shouldn’t be intimidated, however, some prudence is necessary. Deciding which car to buy is much the same whether you’re buying a new or used car. The only difference is that in this case, you also need to think about things like financing options and exercise extra caution at the dealership and during your test drive.

To give you an idea of what it’s like to purchase a used car, we’ve come up with 11 tips. In our experience selling used cars at Eagle Motorsport, we’ve noticed that first-time used car buyers overlook a few things. We’re here to set the record straight and help you make your next purchase.

Should You Buy A Used Car?

Buying a new car is nice, you get that clean new car smell, plus, the comfort of knowing nobody else has used and abused your car before you. On the other hand, those new cars come at a rather ridiculous price, especially when you consider that the car’s value drops the moment you drive it off the dealer’s lot.

Therefore, you should consider your exact reasoning for buying a used car. You want a used car because you want to get a good deal. That means you might need to make a few compromises that you’re comfortable with. You should still expect the dealer to be honest about the car’s condition, and for the interior to be clean and properly inspected. However, you might need to sacrifice certain high-tech features and go for a car that has a slightly dated look.

Used car dealership

11 Tips For First-Time Used Car Buyers

There are a lot of misconceptions about buying a used car that we wanted to clear up. Here are 11 tips that will help you get started on the right foot. Some of these are advice, but others are essential if you want to buy your used car with confidence.

1. Consider Your Needs

If you’re thinking about car shopping, it’s often because you have a major life event coming up. If you’re starting a new job that’s 40 miles away, then you might have a major need for a car that you never did in the past. On the other hand, you want a car simply because your old one isn’t working out for you anymore. Either way, you have some underlying factors fuelling your decision.

Moreover, you should consider some of the things that you already do in your regular life. A sedan is good enough for making that long commute to and from work. However, it will probably fall short if you enjoy camping and outdoor sports on the weekend.

You should also consider whether you’ll have major life events coming up in the years following your car purchase. For instance, you might be about to have your first child. However, do you know whether you plan on having more? If so, that might decide your choice between a sedan and a minivan. Choose wisely.

2. Create A Budget (And Stick To It)

Since budget is one of the main reasons why you’re buying a used car in the first place, then you want to prioritize your budget throughout the car shopping process. Once you have a maximum amount you’re willing to pay, then that will narrow your options down substantially. Remember that the maximum price should also account for the taxes and licensing fees you’ll need to pay.

If you don’t set a budget before you start researching cars, then you might end up disappointing yourself needlessly. By making your choices clear from the start, you won’t get lured into a price, or an interest rate, that you can’t really afford.

Consider The Real Cost Of Car Ownership

Staying on the subject of budgeting, you must consider whether you can afford your monthly car payment. Of course, your gas budget will take up a huge chunk, so you should consider car mileage. That said, you should also understand that there are typical car costs that new buyers tend to overlook. For instance, you’ll need to replace things like brake fluids, go for an oil change, rotate your tires, etc. Furthermore, you should realize that the older the car you purchase, the more problems it will have. The same goes for vehicles that have a higher mileage too.

Oftentimes, the increased cost of your car correlates directly with how much car repairs will cost. You’ll also need to think about car insurance and taxes on your vehicle.

When you start researching vehicles, you should make sure that you compare their repair costs for your various targets. Use a tool like RepairPal to help you decide. Monthly expenses are a common tiebreaker when our clients are making their purchasing decisions.

Take the interest rate and other factors into consideration for your car’s monthly costs

3. Research Your Target Cars

Once you have a budget and a list of your needs in place, then you can begin actively researching used cars. During this process, you’re attempting to extract the greatest value while also discovering your exact needs from your next car.

A lot of people think that buying a used car makes it difficult to get one with the exact specifications you want. This isn’t the case. You can often find all sorts of optional packages that come with your used car depending on the dealership you buy it from. You could go for luxurious features like heated seats, or equip your car with tech gadgets as you so desire.

At the end of the day, it often all depends on what type of car you’re buying. You need to check what people say about the vehicle and how it fits in with your needs. For instance, you might find that a pickup truck with a V6 engine is a bit deficient for your hauling requirements. Therefore, you would seek an engine upgrade or find a different truck altogether.

The best way to shop for used cars is to take a bunch you think you’re interested in and compare them directly. Car comparison tools are perfect for this task. You can focus on the features that are most important to you and weigh your options. Pay special attention to things like gas mileage because such factors will determine the cost of your car.

4. Read Car Reviews

Knowing a car’s features simply isn’t enough for you to be able to make a decision. After all, slick features can sound good in theory, but you need to know how past drivers enjoyed them in practice. Therefore, you should read a few amateur and professional reviews concerning each car that you’re considering. You’ll soon realize that every car has its problems – it’s inevitable. The most important part is minimizing the downsides that you consider dealbreakers and you absolutely wouldn’t want to partake in. Look out for common themes across reviews. If the brake lights constantly malfunction, then you can be aware of that problem ahead of time and decide if that’s a risk you want to take.

The amateur reviews tend to be more critical and a bit sloppy, but they’re invaluable. That’s because they give you an idea of what it’s like to drive the car from the perspective of someone who does it on a daily basis. They’ll notice all the problems that creep in during their years of driving the car. Far more detailed than a car reviewer who just took a few test drives.

We must admit though, that professional reviews have their place. Especially when you’re just starting to compare different car options. They’ll give you a more detailed overview of how different features of the vehicle stack up and let you make your decisions from there.

You’ll also be able to look for some of the issues you read in the reviews while you go on your test drive. That way, you’ll be prepared.

5. Apply For Financing

When you’re comparing different cars, you’ll probably want to keep an eye on the price. You likely filtered your options down to the ones you know you can afford. That said, the price will vary from dealer to dealer, especially depending on mileage and the car’s condition. Sometimes, you’ll need to ask the dealer for their price because they won’t list it on their site.

On the bright side, many dealerships will offer financing options ahead of time. You could go to the bank, but it’s often difficult to obtain auto loans from them. Meanwhile, the dealership could get you pre-approved for auto loans, even if your credit report is less than stellar.

6. Take A Test Drive

Taking a test drive really allows you to see what a car is made of once you’ve narrowed down your list of desired cars to a small shortlist. Before you leave for the dealership, you’ll want to bring a partner to help be your second set of eyes and ears throughout the drive. They can help you test for common problems like malfunctioning brake lights, in which case they’ll stand behind your car to make sure all those brake lights and turn signals work. During the drive, they can keep their ears peeled for any suspicious noises coming from the car.

Bring a notepad with you ahead of time too. Following each test drive, you’ll have the chance to jot down all the pros and cons of the car to make your comparison easy after the fact.

Take a few cars for a spin

Your test drive should make the most of the car. That means you have full rein to pound on the brakes and get yourself into scenarios that require tight maneuvers. This will allow you to find out what it’s like to drive this car during the most challenging situations. Pay special attention to any vibrations, especially when you test the brakes. After all, a certified pre-owned vehicle will have all sorts of caveats associated with it even if you trust the dealer.

Bringing people with you on the drive is a great way to help you figure out whether the car is a fit for your family. For instance, you might have children who need to ride in the back. Bring along your car seat and see exactly how your little one fits in the car.

7. Test The Car’s Electronics

While you’re in the car, you should familiarize yourself with every aspect of the car’s electronics. Activate each vehicle function by pressing all the switches, knobs, dials, and screens that you can get your hands on. Check to see if the air conditioning, entertainment system, and interior lights function properly.

The degree of electronics and special features like parking assist that you get will depend on the age of the car. Don’t expect every car you test to have fancy electronics if your budget is tight.

8. Plan Your Route Ahead Of Time

Route planning is an essential part of preparing for a test drive, so we thought we should dedicate an entire tip to this point. Look at Google Maps ahead of time to see what the area around the car dealership is like. You should identify a route that is similar to the one you would usually take. Try to incorporate everything: bumpy side streets filled with potholes, steep driveways, and a highway on-ramp. That last point is especially crucial because highway ramps allow you to test a car’s acceleration and deceleration.

You might need to drive the route before you take it on your test drive so that you can get a handle on where the busy streets are and where to find each of those testing points we mentioned.

9. Read The Vehicle History Report

Vehicle history reports are the perfect way to ensure that both the car and the dealer you’re looking at are reliable. Any dealer that cares about their buyers will have your car inspected ahead of time. We like to give our clients both an AutoCheck and a Carfax report at Eagle Motorsport.

Once you comb through the data on your vehicle history report, you’ll understand important points like title status along with collision and theft history. This should make you confident that you’re making an informed decision.

10. Look For A Warranty

Some dealerships are nice enough to allow you a warranty on your car. These are especially helpful if you’re the type of person to change their mind later. As long as you drive carefully, you could get 1-3 months of driving protected or 1,000-4,000 miles, depending on whether you purchase an extended warranty.

11. Don’t Rush Your Decision

Rushing into a big decision like this one is never a good idea. Never drop tens of thousands of dollars on a car unless you’re confident that it’s the right choice. It should mostly fit the requirements that you came up with earlier in the buying process. Moreover, go over every page of the paperwork that you’re meant to fill out before you sign it. Reading all the terms will help you understand exactly what you’re signing up for, especially if you’ve chosen to receive help with financing the car.

We mentioned that you should bring a partner on your test drive. We should also note that this partner will help keep you within your budget. It’s easy to get pumped up following your test drive, so your partner will be there to calm you down and hold you accountable.

How To Buy A Used Car

Now that you’ve read our tips for purchasing a used car, you can see exactly how the car-buying process can work for you.

Find A Car That Meets Your Needs

Follow the tips that we listed earlier to research and identify a car that meets your needs. Then, write down a list of cars that you’d like to research. You can do so by reading through a few car review articles that cover different market segments like crossovers and minivans. Furthermore, you should be able to compare those cars and narrow down a shortlist that you’d like to review in more detail. You can scavenge for car reviews before finally settling on a list of 2 or 3 cars that you’d like to take on a test drive.

Pick A Good Dealership

Above all, you need to pick a car dealer that has a car model on its lot that you want to buy. Don’t bother visiting a dealer that doesn’t sell the car that you want. You should also read customer reviews to ensure that the dealership is reliable. Pay special attention to the reviews that are detailed and perhaps 3 or 4 stars rather than 5 or 1.

Moreover, you might need to think a lot about financing your car purchase, so you’ll need to look out for dealers that have that too. Not all dealerships offer favorable financing terms, so if you want to save money, you’ll need to contact the dealership to inquire about them ahead of time.

If you’re lucky, your dealership will allow you to trade in your vehicle. This can help you get a hefty discount on the purchase price of your used car.

Go For A Test Drive

The test drive itself will only take around half an hour. However, you’ll need to plan to spend around 2 hours at the dealership when it’s all said and done. That time will include negotiation and filling out paperwork if you’re going to purchase the car. Stay calm throughout the process and as always, don’t rush into a purchase if you don’t want to.

Obtain The Vehicle History Report

You could also spend your time at the dealership reading the vehicle history report. Obtaining an independent inspection is important before you commit to any purchase. As a result, you’ll protect yourself from any issues down the line in case a past owner was hiding damage from you. One common scam is for car sellers to fake a car’s mileage and obtain a higher price as a result. You’ll need to exercise extra caution when dealing with a private party.

You’re Ready To Buy Your First Used Car

Once you’ve jumped through all the necessary hoops, you’ll realize that buying a used car is similar to any major purchase. There is a lot of research involved, and you have to be a bit more cautious than usual. Yet, when it’s all wrapped up you’ll find that your hard work to find a good deal paid off. You’ll be happier with your used car than you would have been with any new car purchases.

Come Out To Eagle Motorsport

At Eagle Motorsport, we have a wide range of used cars available for purchase. You can browse through our sedans, trucks, SUVs, and minivans and find a car that suits your needs. You should contact us if you want more information about financing or a specific listing.

We offer some of the most competitive prices in the Chicago area with extra-friendly service from knowledgeable sales staff. Our technical team reviews each car we receive thoroughly to ensure that your car is free of issues. You don’t stay in the business as long as we did without a good reputation and loyal repeat customers. Check out our inventory right now to find the right vehicle for you.

The Best Used Pickup Trucks For 2022: Pros And Cons

Oct 21, 2022

If you’re considering buying a used pickup truck, you’re on the right path. After all, you can usually get a reasonable discount on used trucks compared to newer models. Not to mention, you can be a lot more confident that you’ll know the common issues with the model ahead of time since the truck has already been around for years.

Searching through a sea of pickup trucks to find the one that fits you is hard enough. Therefore, we organized a list of the top 10 used pickup trucks to help kick your research off. Start learning about the best used pickup trucks for your lifestyle and start narrowing down the trucks that you like.

What To Look For In A Used Pickup Truck

When you start searching for used pickup trucks, you should think about your needs ahead of time. Map out all the activities that you’ll be using your truck for. Maybe you need the truck for work. Perhaps you have a family and need to chauffeur them to and from various extracurricular activities. Prioritize the things that matter to you, and don’t forget to set boundaries or “dealbreakers” that make a particular truck untenable.

Read Reviews And Learn The Truck’s Flaws

With your requirements in hand, you can begin researching the trucks that you see on the market. You can start by looking at the 10 pickup trucks that we list in this article. Moreover, you could take a look at listings from your local dealerships to see what types of trucks are available nearby. You’ll probably see a few trucks that stand out, and you can add them to your shortlist for further research.

Each truck that you investigate will have its pros and cons. You’ll have to check if they align with your needs. You can find a truck’s common flaws on review sites. Some reviews will be written by drivers and others will have been conducted professionally. Try to look at a mix of both so that you can get opinions across a wide spectrum.

Considering Specific Trucks

There are three major aspects you should consider when buying a used pickup truck: history, torque, and fuel economy.

If you want to know whether to trust a truck dealer, see what kinds of background checks they let you make on your pickup truck. Usually, they should offer you a full report from Carfax or Autocheck. Since trucks get abused quite a bit, you would do well to read the report thoroughly to understand if you’ll have any problems. Many trucks have been used on construction sites or for other hard work, so that could be a factor in getting a low price.

Torque is important to anyone who is using their truck for work. Essentially, torque measures your truck’s ability to tow items quickly behind it – an essential task in construction. If you need good torque, then you should go for a V8 engine. However, the fuel efficiency of such engines is quite dismal.

That said, trucks are perhaps not the best vehicle to select if you care about fuel efficiency. Even if gas prices always seem to be increasing, you probably have some specific jobs you need to perform with your truck that outweigh the costs of gas.

The Top 10 Used Pickup Trucks For 2022

Without further ado, here are the top 10 best used pickup trucks for 2022 alongside their pros and cons. We didn’t rank them in any particular order, but we focused on the ones that are most talked about so that you’re pointed in the right direction.

Ford F-150

For a truck with such a huge reputation, the F-150 doesn’t disappoint. As one of the best full-size pickups, you can complete just about any job with this truck. Both standard commuting and heavy-duty towing are on the table. If you search across a few dealerships, you’re likely to find an F-150 that appeals to you considering how many options the truck offers for appearance and other accessories.

Pros

• Plenty of different models with customizations and features

• Ample storage space

Cons

• You might feel jittery while off-roading with this truck

Toyota Tacoma

As one of the best used midsize trucks, the Toyota Tacoma offers its drivers an abundance of features. Of course, you won’t be able to customize your truck like you would at a dealer, but not every Tacoma is the same. You can typically find a used Toyota Tacoma with important features like 4-wheel drive, large cargo beds, and manual transmission. It’s not the most luxurious truck, but it almost always does the job.

Pros

• Easy to load cargo

• Great for off-roading

• Good towing from the V-6 engine

Cons

• 4-cylinder version is a bit weak

• Few slots and cubbies for storage within the truck bed

Honda Ridgeline

The Honda Ridgeline has always had a distinct look to it. The distinctions don’t end there. Often one of the most highly acclaimed pickup trucks, it offers drivers a smooth ride while still retaining all the functionality of a heavy-duty pickup truck. Plus, if you manage to nab a used Ridgeline with some unique technology features, all the better for you. Enjoy these features in an extremely roomy truck interior.

Pros

• Car-like handling

• Extremely versatile

Cons

• Limited optionality for customizations

• Short truck bed

GMC Canyon

The GMC Canyon isn’t quite as large as its other GMC counterpart, the Sierra, but it’s still quite adept at hauling. Of course, you’ll need to be aware of what version you’re getting; the Denali can be quite a bit more sophisticated than the rest. Since it’s a smaller truck, the Canyon is quite reasonably priced. And it doesn’t discount on torque or hauling capacity either.

Pros

• Extremely effective at absorbing shocks

• Can tow large amounts

• Great for storing specific items

Cons

• Little power with the smaller engines

• Less than glorious trims

Toyota Tundra

While a used Toyota Tundra often has an extremely outdated-looking exterior, that doesn’t take away from the functionality it offers. You can usually find a Tundra with a spacious interior and good off-roading capability. That said, few of its features separate the Tundra from its competitors.

Pros

• Extremely spacious cabin

• A quick, yet large engine

Cons

• Usually comes with older engine choices

• The interior is rather awkwardly-designed

Nissan Frontier

Year after year, the Nissan Frontier approaches the top of the list of bestselling trucks in the U.S. You might be surprised by the lack of unique features that the Frontier displays. But once you check out its price tag, you get a pretty clear grasp of why the Frontier is so popular. You can haul a decent amount with this truck, but it’s not top-of-the-line. The interior is durable, but it’s not exactly aesthetically impressive.

Pros

• One of the most affordable pickup trucks

Cons

• Limited towing capacity

• Even the V6 engine is limited, for instance, in terms of acceleration

• Rather outdated

Chevrolet Silverado 1500

The Silverado is probably one of the most capable hauling trucks out there. And it achieves this while helping you save on gas with some of the best-in-class fuel efficiency. On the other hand, you’ll be a bit disappointed with the Chevy Silverado when it comes to getting a comfortable ride. The interior is comfortable, but the handling is not.

Pros

• Tons of customization options available, e.g., entertainment

• Luxurious interior

Cons

• Not great at handling on rougher roads

GMC Sierra 1500

If you’re looking for a high-tech yet brutish vehicle, the Sierra 1500 might be the perfect used truck for you. Even older models have a plethora of tech options. You can always expect high towing capacity as most models exceed 12,000 pounds of towing. The ride isn’t the smoothest, but the rest of the features of this truck compensate.

Pros

• Excellent towing no matter what context

• Gigantic truck bed

Cons

• You will feel the bumps

Chevrolet Colorado

The Chevy Colorado is quite a practical truck. It’s not the most powerful in terms of towing, but it makes up for it by offering passengers quite a few creature comforts. Better yet, this truck is no wallflower, you can still take it for an off-road spin and watch it thrive better than most trucks in its class.

Pros

• Large cargo beds

• Nice interiors

Cons

• The base engine is terrible

• The base model is quite lacking in general

Ram 1500

The Ram is probably one of the first pickup trucks that come to mind, and for good reason. You can expect effortless driving and reliable hauling with this beast. Our only tip, be careful with which truck you select, there are usually over 10 different models released every year. For instance, we have a gasoline-powered Ram 1500 available on our lot, but Diesel is a common engine choice too.

Pros

• Great navigation tools

• Extremely smooth handling

Cons

• One of the more expensive options in its class

• Diesel versions leave much to be desired

• Few storage options both inside and outside

Tips For Buying A Reliable Used Truck From A Dealership

Come Out To Eagle Motorsport For A Test Drive

By now, you’re probably eager to check out some used truck listings. We always have a few pickup trucks available on our lot at Eagle Motorsport. Contact us if you want more information about any of our inventory or financing options.

We’re proud to offer accessible prices to everyone and deliver extra-friendly service to boot. Each truck comes with Carfax and Autocheck reports because it’s in your best interest to know a truck’s history before you buy.

Our thousands of past customers would agree that we hold ourselves to an exceptionally high standard. Get started and see for yourself.

Looking for a Used Toyota? 4 Models to Consider

Oct 7, 2022

Toyota camry

Ask any Toyota driver what the best part of owning a Toyota is, and they will be torn between how the vehicles hold their value, longevity, and durability. If you are looking for a used Toyota, you need to choose the model that best fits your needs. Read on for a list of the best Toyota models you can purchase when buying a vehicle that is new to you.

The 4 Best Used Toyota Models

1. The Toyota RAV4

The RAV4 is a small crossover SUV that has been in Toyota’s lineup since 1994. This crossover comes with a fantastic range of diesel and gas engines that you can choose from. The high ground clearance and the 4X4 capabilities on this crossover ensure you can tackle rough terrain. In addition, the vehicle is practical, its repair costs are decent, and its good fuel economy makes it an excellent all-around choice for a used car.

2. The Toyota Camry

If you are looking for a commuter or a daily driver, you will love the Camry. This sedan features a spacious interior and smooth handling. The more recent models have incredible safety and driver assistance features such as blind-spot monitors and lane change alerts. In addition, the Camry has incredible fuel efficiency both in the city and on the highway. When cared for appropriately and given the correct maintenance, your Camry can last up to 300,000 miles.

3. The Toyota Highlander

If you hate the look and feel of a minivan but want something larger for your family, check out the Highlander. This SUV has massive cargo space for all of your gear and impressive durability for hard mountain roads. In addition, this model is available with AWD, which is beneficial in colder climates where snow and ice are expected. Finally, the Highlander can last over 300,000 miles with proper maintenance.

4. The Toyota Corolla

The other sedan on our list is the Toyota Corolla. This compact sedan is dependable and perfect for commuting and getting your family to destinations safely. When looking for a used Corolla, pay attention to the LE, ECO, SE, and S models especially. These vehicles are sturdy, delightful to drive, and have incredible fuel economy, which is fantastic for your bottom line. Additionally, the Corolla holds its value incredibly well.

Whether you are searching for a used crossover, full-size SUV, truck, or sedan, you need a durable, reliable, and cost-efficient vehicle. So if you are searching for a new adventure-ready vehicle for your family this winter, check out the excellent vehicles in the Toyota lineup. Come visit us at Eagle Motorsports of Hobart to schedule a test drive and finance your used car purchase today.

A Guide To Your Next Used Cars Sale – Hobart, Indiana

Oct 6, 2022

used vw jetta for sale

If it’s been weighing on your mind lately, it’s probably time that you investigate buying a used car. There are so many used car sales and dealerships in Hobart and the Chicago area, and even more cars available online. But when it comes down to it, it’s still a challenge to find a quality vehicle at a great price all while meeting your personal requirements.

Fortunately, Eagle Motorsport is here to educate you on how to find the best possible cars for your needs and price point. As used car dealers in Hobart for several years, we understand the types of concerns that car buyers have when they come to us. We put this article together to help educate you on the used car buying experience.

Used GMC pickup truck for sale

Buying A Used Car Vs. Buying New Cars

If you’re thinking of buying a used car, you might have also considered buying a new one. That said, there are plenty of caveats that come with buying new cars. Without a doubt, new cars are far more expensive than used ones. The car depreciates the moment you drive it off the lot.

New cars are also at a disadvantage because they are not as proven as old ones. You can easily research the known issues of a 2017 Toyota Corolla, but finding those same issues for the 2022 model might be difficult. Therefore, buying a used car could also help you mitigate risk.

How To Search For Used Cars

Now, let’s consider how one might go about searching for a used car. It might seem overwhelming to browse various newspapers and car listings online. You should instead start by outlining what type of car would best suit your needs and go from there.

Finding Your Dream Car

First, think of all the things that you need from your next car. If you want to transport your kids to school and soccer practice, then you might need a spacious SUV or minivan. On the other hand, you might not need a particularly resilient car. Instead, you just need to commute to and from work. In that case, you could go for a mid-range sedan.

Whatever your requirements, you can build from there to develop a list of ideal cars. You might also have some dealbreakers, so you can factor those into your decision-making too. Then, you’ll be able to search for terms like “best 2019 sedans” and see which cars come up.

Do Your Due Diligence

With a list of cars in mind, you can start reading the specs and imagining what it would be like to drive the car yourself. Some websites will allow you to compare different vehicles to one another to help you get a sense of where their features stand.

Since buying a car is such a big decision, then it makes sense that you spend a lot of time on this phase. After a while, you can narrow your list of cars down to 2 or 3 which you can research in-depth.

Read Reviews

After looking at the specs of cars, you can start drilling down and reading reviews. You’ll be able to observe a few ongoing themes with each car. We recommend reading both customer reviews and professional reviews to gather as much information as possible. There are caveats to both, but they can be quite fruitful in the research process.

When you read customer reviews, there is quite a lot of low-effort content to sort through. The quickest way to filter for thoughtful reviews is to read those that range between 2 and 4 stars. That way, you eliminate all the extremists. The value of these reviews is that they will give you an honest account of what it’s like to drive the car on a daily basis. After all, they could have owned the car for years. This differs substantially from professional reviews.

Professional reviews are often lax because they don’t want to criticize a car model or company too harshly. That said, the professionalism makes these reviews a little more digestible than amateur ones. Plus, they will always focus on key topics like fuel consumption and handling so you can quickly get a sense of those key details.

After finishing these reviews, you will better understand what kind of problems people who drive this car face. As we mentioned earlier, some of these problems might be complete deal-breakers, while others could be tolerable for your particular needs. For instance, a shorter person might not care how tall a car’s roof is. Nothing is perfect, you’ll have to choose to make concessions wherever you see fit.

Research Car Dealers

Now that you’ve thought seriously about what types of cars you would consider buying, you can start looking at what car dealerships in your area have on offer. There are several approaches you can take to this. You might land on the website of a local car dealership, or you might spend hours browsing through the listings available on online marketplaces. Either way, you should find a car dealer that sells the cars you want, that’s a prerequisite.

At this stage, you’ll mainly evaluate car dealers based on their websites rather than anything else. One can detect their professionalism in the care and attention that they put into building a usable, interactive website that makes it easy for you to search their cars.

Of course, you can also peruse some buyer reviews for the dealership as well. The same rules apply as they do to car reviews, make sure to read the detailed ones to get an idea of what the buying experience will look like. Take every review with a grain of salt, but understand that it’s also the best insight you’re likely to get. Unless of course, you know someone who has bought from the dealership before. Then, you might ask them some questions to find out whether they were satisfied. Local forums could be a good source for this information too.

In the end, these reviews will help you build confidence in a dealership and encourage you to take a test drive. Or, you might instead decide that you don’t trust them enough to give them your business.

Evaluating cars from the dealership

Each dealership should have a section on its website that lists its inventory. You could filter through this page to find the types of cars that you want. Each car should hopefully have a photo associated with it along with a list of specs. One of the main attributes that you should pay attention to here is how much mileage the car has on it already. This is a significant determining factor behind your purchasing decision.

On average, people drive cars for around 12,000 miles per year. So if you see a four-year-old car that’s already logged 100,000 miles, then you know that the previous owner already got a lot of use out of it. Expect to pay less for cars with high mileage. And be cautious accepting discounts for them too. This isn’t the only trait you should consider, other aspects of the vehicle’s history matter. However, this is an easily quantifiable metric you can obtain just from looking at their website.

Places To Find Used Cars for Sale

There are many spots online where you can find used cars. Some of these are more reliable than others. Here, we’ll answer all your questions regarding car dealerships, online car marketplaces, and private sellers.

Car Dealerships

We already spent quite a bit of time talking about car dealerships. We just want to add that the easiest way to find a car you want at a dealership is to look at an online aggregator website like Autotrader which will then link you to their website.

Generally speaking, you should buy from a dealer that has had a good amount of experience with car sales in the past. After all, people wouldn’t keep giving them business if they didn’t appreciate their service. You should also consider what types of financing options they offer. Some will be very flexible and find you an affordable rate for your vehicle. Others might put up all sorts of roadblocks for things like proof of employment that end up shutting you out from buying the car you wanted.

AutoTrader

These days, it seems that online marketplaces like AutoTrader are the go-to for most car buyers. After all, the experience is quite seamless and it’s easy to find their pages on Google. All you need to do is enter a few search terms. That said, that car might not be available in your area, since AutoTrader aggregates car listings from all over the country. Not to mention, this website hosts a mix of dealerships and private sellers. So, you might not get the ideal car-buying experience here.

You can find quite a selection of cars on this website. To help you hone in on the right one, you would do well to use its car comparison tool. That way, you can see how two cars you’re interested in stack up when it comes to traits like mileage and price.

CarGurus

Just like AutoTrader, CarGurus is an online car marketplace that helps you filter to find your ideal car. However, it differs from AutoTrader in that it provides detailed car reviews. These reviews are quite convenient since you can easily navigate to them through their site.

Instant Analysis is another one of CarGurus’s helpful features for buyers. It allows you to set a budget and look at whether you’re getting good value out of the cars that you’re analyzing. They can do this because they have acquired plenty of data on past car sales, so you can rely on the insights they offer here.

Private Sellers

Private sellers are a bit of a challenge to deal with. It’s hard to know whether they’re trustworthy or not. The internet is rife with misleading or outright false car advertisements. Of course, the average private seller has good intentions. But it’s still a challenge to navigate buying scenarios here that would be easier at a dealership.

The main advantage to private sellers is that they could sell to you at a lower price. After all, no salesperson needs to take their commission. That said, it’s not uncommon for you to meet delusional sellers who think that their car is worth much more than it is.

The disadvantages to working with private sellers are numerous. Aside from those we’ve mentioned already, you can also expect to have trouble getting a test drive at a time you can both agree on. You will likely need to pay for your own Carfax background check on the car. And forget about getting financing or trading in your old car.

Aside from the traditional classified ad, there are a few marketplaces where private sellers list their cars. On sites like AutoTrader, car sellers must pay for their listing, so the stakes are higher for them.

Facebook Marketplace

Facebook is one of the best platforms for buying and selling regular household items. However, we’re not entirely sure that this fact holds true for cars. Facebook gets the communication part right, which is unsurprising. However, the rest of the buying process is a bit sketchy. For instance, the site is rife with scams. You can expect to see plenty of listings where some cousin hasn’t been in town for a while and stopped using the vehicle being sold. This allows them to command a higher price for a vehicle that had its mileage artificially lowered. This is what makes getting a Carfax report so important.

Ebay motors

Ebay Motors is another typical buy-and-sell platform. Just as it is on the rest of eBay, you can bid on cars here using their renowned bidding functionality, which is unique compared to the typical car-buying experience. You need to give eBay props for trying to help minimize buyer risk with seller ratings, but it’s still not a perfect solution.

One further inconvenience: you can only make payments on this platform via Paypal. Not everyone finds it easy to move large sums of money in and out of Paypal, so you might encounter issues.

Craigslist

Finally, Craigslist has a combination of both car dealers and private sellers that use their platform. As always, buyers on this platform must be wary of scams; only meet buyers in broad daylight. Plus, the platform isn’t nearly as easy to use as the others that we mentioned. All the haggling is pretty much up to you instead of being formalized. What little you might save here is negated by all the extra work you need to put in to get the purchase completed.

What To Expect From A Professional Car Dealer

If you’re going to pick a car dealer, we can give you loads of tips on which dealer to select. You don’t want to waste your time working with a dealer that doesn’t respect your time or listen to your concerns.

When you contact the dealer, you can expect a certain standard of professionalism. You’ll be able to get a feel for the buying experience from the reviews you might have read. However, you won’t truly know until you reach out to them. You can start by inquiring about a particular car. Then, you can evaluate them based on the quality and promptness of their responses.

Financing Options

One of the critical factors for many used car buyers when choosing a car dealership is trying to find financing. You can often consult with a dealership ahead of time to ensure that they have financial terms that are affordable for you. Some will let you fill out a credit application that will get you pre-approved for a car loan before you go into the dealership.

Trade-Ins

In case the dealership can’t provide the type of terms that you want, you can always ask for a trade-in. Many car dealerships have financial departments that handle the valuation of the car, which can then be applied as a discount to your next purchase.

3 Things To Consider Before Taking A Test Drive

Once you get to the dealership, there are a few things you must do in advance to prepare yourself. Be aware that if you intend on purchasing a car, it will take around 2 hours or more for you to get in and out of the dealership. That time includes a test drive, plus any negotiation or paperwork.

Before taking your test drive, you’ll need to do a bit of planning. Make sure that you bring a partner along with you. The first step to the test drive is to check the electronics; switch things like brake lights, turn signals, and air conditioning on and off.

The Value Of A Partner

Your partner is your backup and second conscience the entire time you’re at the dealership. They’ll be the one to hover behind the car and confirm that the brake lights work OK. They’ll also keep an eye peeled for any issues while you’re on the test drive. You’ll be focused on the road, so it’s easy to miss some subtle noises or other problems. This experience might also help your partner understand what it’s like to drive this car if they wish to do so too.

Once the test drive is over, you can confer with your partner on whether to buy the car. If you’re overly excited, they might help calm you down. They can also ensure that you stick to your budget during negotiation.

Plan Your Route

You don’t want to spend your whole drive just driving on smooth highways. You want to select a route ahead of time that reflects your typical day as a driver while still incorporating a few challenges. Therefore, you need to take a look at a map and plan your route carefully so that you get a variety of surfaces to drive on. If you live far away from the dealership, you might benefit from scouting the area in your own car ahead of time so that you know the best places to go for a test drive.

A great way to test the car is to drive on the highway on-ramp. You can use it to see how fast your car accelerates and how it handles at high speeds. Make sure to enter highway traffic during the test drive.

Visit Us At Eagle Motorsport

After years of experience buying and selling used cars, we’ve made a name for ourselves in the Hobart area as a reliable car dealership that provides a one-of-a-kind experience for all our buyers. Here are some of the reasons why over 30,000 clients have chosen us.

Great Customer Service

It doesn’t matter how much money you earn and what kind of car you’re aiming to buy. We treat each of our buyers with dignity and respect. We know exactly what kind of service our buyers like.

When you meet our staff, you’ll also be impressed by their knowledge of the cars on our lot. Feel free to ask as many questions as you want, they’re well-educated and take the time to inform themselves about the cars we list for sale.

Diverse Financing Options

No matter what your credit history is, we’re confident that we can find the right financing options for you. All you need is proof of income to get some kind of loan. Unlike some dealers with overly stringent requirements, we accept proof of income from a variety of sources, including Uber and Lyft.

A Myriad Of Quality Cars

Every time we bring a car onto our lot, our service department inspects it to ensure that it is of a suitable quality to sell to our customers. Each car comes with a Carfax and Autocheck report. Rest assured that we are transparent when it comes to providing vehicle history. We don’t want any mysteries lurking beneath the surface.

Not to mention, our inventory is quite diverse. We offer cars with premium wheels, brake assist, rear-wheel drive, adaptive cruise control, and much more. And whether you’re looking for a sedan or an SUV, we probably have a recent model that caters to your needs.

Used Chevrolet SUV for sale

Come In For A Test Drive

You can kick off your used car search by browsing our inventory online. Contact us if you have any questions or doubts and then come out and take a test drive to find out if your car is a good fit. There’s sure to be a friendly team member waiting to show you around our lot!

7 Ways to Find Used Cars for Sale in Hobart, Indiana

Aug 31, 2022

The car buying experience is overwhelming. These days, there are so many different options that it’s hard to know where to shop. Fortunately, we’re going to help you narrow down the best places to find used cars for sale. Hobart Indiana has a lot of dealerships around, but you should do a bit of research first before heading out for a test drive.

We’ll go over the pros and cons of each strategy for finding used cars. Afterward, we’ll give you some tips on what to expect when you’re at the dealership for a test drive.

Search For Used Cars Online First

You can’t start any quest without a little preparation beforehand. That’s why you need to take the time to reflect on your needs and then find the cars that suit them best with a little help from Google and other search engines. Then, you can dive deeper into the cars that you like.

Evaluate Your Needs

You’re buying a new car for a reason. Maybe you’re welcoming a new child into the world, or perhaps you just want a change. Either way, you have to find a car that fits your current needs and it should continue to meet them well into the future. You might also consider your financial position. If you have bad credit, you’ll need to find a car dealer that can accommodate you. Otherwise, you might need to trade in your vehicle.

Find Cars

You’ve probably heard of a few cars that are of interest to you. Start by researching those. Type the name of the car that you’re searching for into Google and add terms like “customer reviews”. For example, “Hyundai Elantra Customer Reviews”.

You can also research cars using online platforms like Autotrader. We’ll discuss those in more detail later, but they are useful tools just to help you get an idea of what you want. You can use these search engines to filter for cars with the prices and the features that you want.

Read Reviews

The best part about buying a used car is that you know that it’s proven itself time and time again. The risk of a recall is usually diminished. Not to mention, you can read plenty of customer reviews to see exactly where the car falls short. Every car has its long-standing issues, you need to decide which ones you’re willing to tolerate. Especially if the car comes at a lower price, consider the trade-offs you’re willing to make.

You have the option of reading both professionally-written reviews and customer reviews. The professional reviews will usually come from websites like car and driver. These reviews frequently try to maintain an upbeat tone, but they include consistent criteria. That way, you’ll know what to look for when comparing cars.

Meanwhile, you might find that customer reviews are a little more honest. Avoid the angry rant-like ones, but do read the ones that give the car a 3 or 4-star rating out of 5. When you find a detailed review of this kind, you’ll get a good idea of how people like driving the car.

7 Places Where You Can Find Used Cars For Sale

You can find used cars both from dealerships and from private sellers. Some platforms will show you a mix of both. Only dealers allow you to view cars directly on their platform.

Buying From Car Dealerships

You can reach car dealerships in one of two different ways. The easier way is to look for cars that you want online at an aggregator website. The harder way is usually to look for dealers in your area. Sure, you might find one or two dealers, but it will be challenging to find information as quickly as you would with an aggregator website. This also gives you access to cars that you otherwise wouldn’t have seen because they might come from a different part of the country.

Once you find a car you like on one of the larger websites, you can identify which dealer it is from. At that point, you can begin researching the dealer to see if you trust them.

Go to the Car Dealer

You could start by going to the car dealer’s website. If you find a car that you like, then you can continue by asking them questions and then head to the dealership for a test drive.

Before you deal with a car dealer, check out exactly how long they have been in business. The longer they’ve been around, the more you can trust them. Many dealers open up shop for a few years and then go bust later on because they can’t provide a quality product at an affordable price.

Even if the car dealer has been around for a long time, you should still do your due diligence by reading the buyer reviews. Once again, you can find that a lot of these reviews will tell you whether their promises are realistic. For instance, you can hear about how flexible their financing options really are instead of blindly buying into the promises the car dealer makes.

Autotrader

For many people, searching for cars on Autotrader is a lot more natural. Like we said before, people usually consider the car they want to buy first and then the seller. This might not be the safest way of finding a car, but it can be faster. Make sure to review the seller too. Especially since Autotrader mixes dealerships with private sellers.

One of the troubles you might have with Autotrader is the sheer variety in the selection that it gives you. Luckily, they give you tons of search filters that allow you to sort the cars by model, age, price, and so on.

Autotrader’s greatest feature is its car comparison tool. This allows you to compare cars across a range of features like mileage and price. Therefore, you can make an educated decision when choosing between a few different cars.

Cargurus

CarGurus is an aggregator platform that is similar to Autotrader. Since they’re a search engine, they give you plenty of filters to find your favorite car too.

Aside from these basic features, CarGurus offers in-depth reviews of each car. That makes it extremely easy for you to do the required research. Of course, you should still try to corroborate your findings with other reviews, but it’s always helpful.

If you’re looking for a good deal, CarGurus provides instant analysis to help you see if you’re getting the most out of your budget. Since it’s hard to tell exactly whether you’re getting a good deal or not just from looking at the price, many buyers appreciate this guiding hand.

CarfaX

With many of the cars that you purchase, you might want to get an independent inspection. Carfax is one of the best means of doing this. Indeed, many reliable dealers will have already conducted a Carfax report for you. That’s a good way of knowing that a dealer is trustworthy.

All you need to do to get a Carfax report for your vehicle is to pay and submit a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). You can check multiple vehicles with this by paying for the cheaper $40 bundle of 3 rather than paying $35 for a single one.

The Carfax report helps you understand a vehicle’s history and protects you from any misleading actions on the part of the seller. Sometimes, even the seller doesn’t know the true history. For instance, a car could have once been used as a rental or a taxi. In some cases, the seller might try to manipulate the car’s mileage to command a higher price.

Here is a list of vehicle history items that you should be aware of:

• Damage

• Accidents

• Thefts

• Maintenance

• Inspections

• Open recalls

• Change of ownership

• Importing information

All the relevant info lies in the Carfax database.

Buying From A Private Seller

Private sellers are a bit of a mixed bag. Most that you meet in real life are well-intentioned. The only issue is that the rather malicious sellers tend to flood various platforms with fake or misleading advertisements. The only cars you should purchase from these sites are ones from buyers that you can verify.

The other issue with private sellers is that finding financing options from them is next to impossible. You’ll usually need to purchase the car outright. Typically, people who make a car purchase from a private seller are looking for a good deal. For sellers of more beaten-up cars, this makes using one of the marketplaces below more advantageous for them. This is because aggregators like Autotrader charge sellers a hefty fee for every listing.

Facebook Marketplace

Facebook created its marketplace to make communication between buyers and sellers as seamless as possible. That said, people find that there are a lot of communication issues (read: scams) on this platform anyways. One common narrative that you’ll read from sellers is that their cousin or other family member has been out of town and hasn’t used the vehicle. This justifies an absurdly low mileage that they probably manipulated to get a good price out of the car.

Another common issue is that people list at a lower price initially and then ask for a higher price on the listing.

Whatever car you view on these platforms, your best bet is to get a Carfax report before you commit to purchasing one. Then, you can drive off with confidence.

Ebay motors

EBay is of course famous for allowing you to buy and sell used goods. To buy and sell used cars, you’ll need to go through eBay Motors. You get all the standard eBay functionality, including bidding, that might help you find a steal on your next car purchase.

While eBay Motors does include things like seller ratings to make the platform feel safer, they still offer a bunch of recommendations to minimize risk. For example, they advise you to always meet during daylight and never share personal information.

You can only use Paypal to purchase a car on this platform, which is a bit inconvenient for some. Furthermore, the prices are a bit misleading since they don’t include the taxes that you need to pay on top of them.

Craigslist

On Craigslist, you can normally find both dealers and private sellers. However, buying a used car from Craigslist is not for the faint of heart. You’ll probably get a good deal from here if you know what you’re doing. Otherwise, it’s too risky.

Buying used cars from Craigslist is a lot of work. You need to haggle, pay for an inspection, and then meet the buyer in person to test the car and pay them. You’ll need to arrange payment yourself, moving around the large sums of money required to buy a car isn’t easy either. However, you might still find that at the end of the day you can get a cheaper price than if you bought the used car from the dealership. The only question is, was all that extra work worth the savings?

Preparing To Buy A Used Car

Once you’ve found a few used cars that you’d be willing to buy, you should evaluate each model. Then, narrow your list down to 1-3 cars that you can find at a local dealership. It usually works better if they’re all available at the same dealer, but it’s not required.

Many people question exactly how long you should spend at a dealership. In general, you can expect to spend 2 to 4 hours total. That might sound like a while, but consider that you need to go for a test drive and maybe check out different models. Plus, there’s always a ton of paperwork involved. There could even be someone else in line ahead of you.

Consider Vehicle History And Mileage

These two factors are often the biggest determinants of the price of a used vehicle. If you’re looking for a steep discount, then you need to tolerate having a vehicle with lofty mileage. This isn’t ideal if you plan on using the car a lot yourself. Make sure that the dealer includes a Carfax report or something similar so that you’re confident in its history.

Search For Financing Options

Some dealerships won’t show you exactly how much each car costs. However, they usually give you the ability to contact them to learn the price. You should do this before you head to the dealership.

If you find that the price they quote is rather unaffordable, then ask about financing options. Nearly every dealership has them, but your rates will depend on your financial position. The worse your credit, the more difficult it will be to get a good rate. Otherwise, you might need to try and get financing from the bank, which is no easy task.

During The Test Drive

One of your main considerations at the dealership is the test drive. Don’t just drive around aimlessly, do a little bit of planning.

Before the drive, check on things like the brake lights, air conditioning, and other electronics in the car. It doesn’t make sense to buy a car if none of these things function properly.

Bring a partner

A partner will help you conduct several of these inspections. Instead of relying on yourself to identify every little problem, your car buying strategy will be a lot more robust with a partner. For instance, they can stand behind the car as you check things like turn signals and brake lights to confirm that they’re in working order.

Having a partner helps you be extra vigilant. During your test drive, you’ll be focused on the road more than anything. Your partner will provide an extra set of eyes and ears sensitive to any issues throughout the drive. In some cases, the partner is your spouse, who might drive the car on occasion themselves, so they want to get a feel for the car too.

Finally, bringing a partner will decrease the chances that a dealership can take advantage of you. Like most people, you might get a little too excited after your test drive and want to jump right into buying. A partner can help calm you down to ensure that you take a realistic view of the car.

Drive On Several Routes

Use the routes that you would use normally use. If the dealership is too far from where you usually drive, then try to get a preview of the area beforehand to select a good spot for your test drive. It’s always easy to find a nearby highway, but finding a gravel road to test an SUV’s capabilities might be a little harder. Look at maps of the area to plan your route. And make sure you change things up by driving on several different streets.

Check the brakes

Test drives are meant for you to test features. Don’t feel guilty if you jam the brakes once in a while, as long as you aren’t doing this in an unsafe way. If you brake hard, make sure that you don’t feel any vibrations afterward.

Look For Other Common Issues With Your Car

When you read the reviews for your car, it’s common to notice a few ongoing problems or inconveniences. The only way to determine the magnitude of these problems is to see the car for yourself. Everybody has different preferences, so you shouldn’t rule a car that you like out until you’ve felt what it’s like to drive it. Maybe the roof wasn’t tall enough for that one guy, but since you have experience driving small cars, it’s easier for you to overlook it after actually driving the car yourself.

Eagle Motorsport – The Best Car Dealership In Hobart

When you’re in the business of buying and selling used cars, your reputation is everything. At Eagle Motorsport, we’ve crafted a one-of-a-kind buying experience for all of our customers to benefit from. This is the type of experience you can only craft after decades of work in the auto industry. We’ve already sold thousands of cars to thousands of happy customers. Many of whom are repeat buyers.

Used Cars For Sale in Hobart Indiana - Quality And Reliable Cars.

Eagle Motorsport offers Quality and Reliable Used Cars For Sale in Hobart Indiana

Used Cars At A Great Price

Our goal is to provide high-quality used cars at the most affordable prices possible. Some dealers might try to advantage of their buyers just to make a quick buck, but this isn’t even sustainable in the long run. Sooner or later, these tricks catch up to you.

Credit history is also a big factor in preventing buyers from getting the car they want. Not at Eagle Motorsport. Our accounting team will work hard to ensure that you’re getting the car you need at the price you can afford. We will make sure that you can purchase your dream car with little money down and low monthly payments. That way, you can walk out of the lot with a big win.

Respectful Customer Service

Whatever your budget, we treat you with the care and respect you deserve. We’ve worked with buyers in the Hobart area for many years and we understand exactly how people like their cars, and their customer service.

Furthermore, our sales team is trained to be as helpful as possible. They’re not just there to sell you a car, they’re there to help you find the right car. That’s why they’re always available to answer any questions you might have. They’ll even help you find the best financing options available to you.

Varied Inventory

Buying a used car is a big decision. You need to do your research and make sure that you’re getting the best deal possible. With the help of this guide, you should be well on your way to finding the perfect car for your needs. And if you’re in the Hobart area, be sure to check out Eagle Motorsport for the best selection of used cars and top-notch customer service.