After my first year of college, my parents promised to buy me a car to use for the summer and to take back to school. The past weeks have been stressful! Going straight from college finals, to running around trying to buy a car! Here are some things that I ran into while looking for my car.

A quick warning: I, in no way, consider myself a car expert, these are just things I had to consider while buying a car.

Where to buy it

There are countless places to buy a car. Anywhere from big dealerships, to little “mom and pop” shops, to just random people who throw a “for sale” sign in their window and leave it in a parking lot. The bigger the dealership, the less likely they are to have a cheap car; however, the bigger the dealership, the higher quality of cars overall. Sure, you can search Craigslist and final tons of private owners who are trying to get rid of their cars for cheap, but the likelihood those cars are any good is very low. On the other hand, while it may be hard to find a car in your price range at a dealership, they only sell cars worth selling! Otherwise, they junk them for their parts or at least fix them up so they are sellable.

What brand of car you want

This is definitely more of a personal preference than anything else. Do some research or ask your local mechanic about the reliability of different car brands. Certain brands are known to last a lot longer if treated right, but may cost more money.

What you need from the car

Think about where you will be driving the car. If you live somewhere that receives a lot of snow, consider a four-wheel drive. If you need to drive the car over an hour a couple of times a week (say to work or practice) or even if you are driving a car to and from college, look into a fuel efficient car. If you need to tow something, buy a truck!

The mileage on the car

This was one of the biggest problems that I ran into while looking for a car. You want to find a used car that does not have too many miles on it. This may also take some research. Ask your mechanic about the reliability of cars as they get more miles on them. Of course, the more miles a car has, the less money it will cost, however, even if a car with high mileage has been taken care of really well, regular wear and tear could cause the car to break down on you right after you buy it.

How much you are willing to spend

Budget out whether you will need to pay in cash, up front, or whether you can finance a car and pay a monthly bill. Keep in mind that if anything happens to the car while you are financing, you will still have to pay off the car, even if it doesn’t run anymore.

How much insurance will cost

Although I am not sure on the details, newer cars tend to cost more money to insure than older ones. While you may be able to pay for partial coverage on older cars, most insurance companies require full coverage on new cars.

How easy it is to fix

More research needs to be done on how accessible replacement parts are for different brands of cars. Sure, this may apply more to luxury vehicles than it does to cheap, used cars, but keep in mind that the more uncommon the car, the more hoops you will have to jump through to repair it. Also, as an example, my family has a friend who can repair Ford vehicles for cheap, so we tend to lean towards them.

How soon you will need it

If you won’t need it for a while, take your time! Don’t rush and buy the first car you test drive unless you absolutely think you can’t get a better deal somewhere else. It is a very long process, searching for the right car, but it will pay off if you put the right amount of time into it.

The overall look of the car

This, again, is more of a personal preference. You may run into some cars that look beautiful, but have engine problems, bad tires, or alignment issues. You may find cars that look disgusting but are reliable and have no problems under the hood. If you have the time and money to shop for a certain color of car then go for it! But don’t walk away from a good deal just because the paint is peeling, looks aren’t everything.

Overall, there are so many things you have to consider when buying a used car. This list may not apply to everyone, but ultimately you just have to consider all the possibilities. Be wary of any weird ads online, anything can be a scam. And good luck with any of your car endeavors!