What to Look for When Shopping for a Pre-Owned Vehicle in South Jordan, Utah

Done Looking at New Cars for Sale? Here’s How to Shop For a Used Car Like a Pro

With the combination of the semiconductor chip shortage, the pandemic, and record highs in inflation, we totally get it that it has not been the best past couple of years for those looking to buy a new car. Statistically, most automobile brands have been challenged with keeping a healthy supply of vehicles to meet demand.

Fortunately, your local Volkswagen dealership has been able to provide its customers with a steady supply of used vehicles, which is great news for people like you who are looking for an upgrade. However, navigating the world of used car shopping can be a little bit challenging if you’ve never done it before.

Finding the best used car dealership near you, along with identifying two or three vehicles that meet your needs, is going to require a little bit of time and effort.

Here at VW SouthTowne, we make this easy by offering a wide variety of used vehicles such as SUVs, sedans, and compact vehicles. We also carry a wide variety of certified pre-owned vehicles that have undergone a 100+ point inspection, ensuring that our used car-buying customers can drive off our lot with complete confidence.

To ensure that your shopping experience goes smoothly, here are some tips and best practices to use when shopping for used or preowned vehicles.

Set a Budget (With Cushion)

One of the major pitfalls of used-car buying is accidentally going over budget. This tends to happen when you don’t factor in things like sales tax, the cost of registering a car, and any additional dealership fees that may be factored in at the very end. Make sure to build in a cushion to your overall budget to ensure you’re shopping within your means.

Remember, You Can Get Financing In-House

Maybe you don’t have the entirety of the cash that you need to purchase a used car free and clear. That is totally okay. The in-house financing team at VW SouthTowne works with both used and new car buyers alike. Visit our financing center to get started on your pre-approval process.

Try to Narrow Down Your Options Beforehand

The used car buying process goes much more quickly if you have a general idea of what you want beforehand. Take a day or two to peruse our selection of SUVs, compact vehicles, and sedans to try to narrow things down to a handful of choices before meeting with one of our sales team to schedule a test drive.

What to Be Mindful of When Shopping for a Used Car
Now that you have your budget, your financing, and a general idea of which type of used cars you want to test drive, the next steps in this process should go more smoothly and quickly.

How the car handles, the feature package, and the aesthetics are all very important. However, here are a few other major items you’ll want to keep-top-of-mind when used car shopping:

1. The warranty: Having some sort of protection in place on the powertrain and mechanical aspects of the vehicle are important when buying a used car. Unfortunately, many used cars don’t have an active warranty in place because they’ve lapsed. That’s why we encourage drivers to check out certified pre-owned vehicles, which should offer at least a year or so of coverage, or add an extended warranty when purchasing a used vehicle.
2. Check the records: Although a used car is new to you, you still need to be mindful of previous ownership and what the car has been through. Make sure that you thoroughly check out the accident report, vehicle history, and its service record to ensure it’s up-to-date on all routine maintenance and things of that nature. The last thing that you want is to buy a car and then immediately need to take it into the shop for repairs. Here at VW SouthTowne, we can assure you that our used cars are ready to hit the road because they’ve already spent time in our Volkswagen service center, ensuring they meet our standards.
3. Be thorough when test driving: The test drive is one of the most important parts of used car buying. Make sure that you take the vehicle at high speeds on the interstate and at low to moderate speeds through suburban areas. Also make sure that you are thorough when checking out all the vehicle’s features and functions such as the windows, the locks, the wipers, the blinkers, and so forth.

If these major items all check out, then you should be able to move ahead with your used vehicle purchase with confidence. Don’t forget to request a new insurance policy from your agent and get your used car registered at your local DMV.

Ready to Shop for Used or New Cars for Sale? Visit VW SouthTowne!

Although we are best known for being the leading dealer of new cars for sale, the beauty of working with VW SouthTowne is that we are also the leading used car dealership near you in South Jordan. We carry both used cars and certified pre-owned vehicles made to fit any budget, driving style, and family dynamic. Don’t forget to check out our specials for more great deals on VW products and services.

The best way to test drive a Volkswagen near you is by coming down to VW SouthTowne, conveniently located at 11000 South 290 West in South Jordan. You can also call us at (801) 988-5825, or email us directly using the contact form on our website.

Posted in Community | No Comments »