If you are in the market for a used car, it is in your best interest to have a rough idea of what your target car should cost before negotiating with the dealer. Once you get to the dealership, there are factors that may increase or decrease the valuation depending on the specific car you have zeroed in on. Here are some of those factors:
Year, Make and Model
These are the three most important factors that determine the price of the car. They are important mainly because they determine the price of the car when it was new. Unless you are buying a collector's car, the price of a used car cannot be more than the price of a similar new car. The car's year also tells you how old it is.
The make refers to the manufacturing company (think Toyota, Volkswagen, and Ford, among others) that produced the car while the model refers to the specific product of a manufacturing. For example, Focus is a car model of the Ford make and Prius is a car model of the Toyota make.
The Trim Level
Cars of the same make and model can have different trim levels or grades, which are basically car makes and models with different features. For example, one trim level may come with cloth upholstery while another level comes with leather upholstery. Basically, these levels differ in the number and nature of optional features they have. The more advanced features a trim level has the more expensive it will be.
The Mileage
The mileage refers to the number of miles the car has covered since it was manufactured. The mileage is important because it determines some vital things about the car's maintenance and performance. For example, car manufacturers use mileage to determine when a car should be serviced, when parts are due for replacement or when the fluids need to be changed. Additional, each car part has a finite lifespan, and the mileage gives a rough approximation of the remaining life of these parts.
The Condition
Lastly, the condition of the car also determines which price it should fetch. Generally, the age and mileage of the car give a rough estimation of the condition of the car, but this isn't always the case. For example, a high-mileage car that was impeccably maintained may be in a better condition than a low-mileage car that is poorly maintained. Therefore, you need to evaluate the condition of the car independently.
Contact a dealer, like Audi Brooklyn, for more help.
