Car Buying Tips for Buying a Used 4WD Vehicle

Gathering Information About The Vehicle - Questions To Ask

Variety is the spice of life. Certainly, the number of four-wheel drive vehicles has increased during the last five years. Since the bottom line for buying a used four-wheel drive is to save money, realize that information and knowledge translate into purchasing power. Therefore, it is worthwhile to gather information.

In order to get the best four-wheel drive for the driving at hand, consider the following questions:

• How many people will be transported in the vehicle?
• What type of objects and cargo will be transported in the vehicle (size considerations)?
• Will driving be conducted in poor weather conditions and/or off-road (shift on the fly, continuous four-wheel drive, heavy duty low-end transfer case)?
• Is there a preference for an American or a foreign vehicle?
• Is a unit-body type frame suitable for intended general highway driving, or is a more rugged full box type frame
  needed for off-road driving?
• What towing capacity should the vehicle have?
• How much will insurance cost to protect the driver and the vehicle (consider obtaining an insurance quote before buying a vehicle)?
• What is the approximate amount of money to be spent on a four-wheel drive vehicle?

If you are not familiar with all of the four-wheel drive vehicles that are available, consider visiting a public library to consult the yearly publication or the April magazine issue of Consumer Reports. This source provides technical specifications for four-wheel drives including the size, weight, engine horsepower, optional equipment, and miles per gallon of fuel. Finally, take a look at Consumer Reports' frequency-of-repair information to help determine four-wheel drive vehicles that will likely need fewer future repairs.

In addition to becoming informed about the strengths of specific four-wheel drives, it is worthwhile to learn the approximate prices for vehicles of interest. To obtain a general idea of four-wheel drive prices, consult the current monthly edition of the N.A.D.A.price guide at a public library, bank, or a truck dealership. Four-wheel drive price information can also be obtained by consulting the SUV and truck classified sections of major newspapers at a public library. This is a way to get a read on future prices, because four-wheel drive vehicle price trends usually begin in major cities and then progress to other areas of the country. The bottom line on becoming informed about four-wheel drives and their prices is to obtain a used vehicle that is in excellent condition, that can tackle the job at hand, and at a substantial savings.