What Features Can You Live Without?

Today's cars can be loaded with features, so much so that it can make your head spin!  Walk into any large used car dealer, and you can be quickly overwhelmed by how many features are available to you.  Good used car dealerships will work with you to find you a used car that meets you own specific needs.  This underscores the importance of sitting down ahead of time and thinking through what it is that you need out of a car and what you don't need in a car as well.  Check out our article “Making the Right Purchasing Decision-Correctly Evaluate Your Needs” for more information and tips on this point.

Having a good checklist instantly will help you decide what you don't need.  Another important tip is that you should bring your "Do Need/Don't Need" list with you when it comes time to buy your used car.  Every "Do Need/Don't Need" list will be different but there should be one element that is universal to all list; you want to see the Carproof reports on all the used cars you are considering.  Should you make exceptions to this rule?  In a word, no!

Armed with your list in hand, you will be able to quickly remind yourself of what features you just can't live without and which features you can pass on.  Buying a car can be complex, however, with the right amount of preparation and forethought, you can dramatically simplify this process.
The best de facto test for whether or not you need a given feature is to ask yourself, "Do I need this feature?" Then follow it up with the question, "How many other people will need this feature?"  If you don't need a given feature and you can't see too many other people needing a given feature on a used car, then odds are that the feature in question is not a good fit, as it is unlikely to help you with resale value in the future.

Ultimately, you shouldn't be afraid to state to a car salesman, "This car isn't for me, it just doesn't have the features I need."  Quality used car dealerships will respect this, as they will have plenty of other cars to choose for you to consider.  This is one of the clear advantages of working with a large used car dealer.