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Little Rock Used Trucks 

 How to Find the Best Deals.

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Basic Steps for Buying a Little Rock Used Truck.


Research

- Doing a little homework is the first step to finding the best Little Rock used trucks. A great place to start is Consumer's Guide list of best buy vehicles. If you pick a used truck from this list, your odds of getting a good deal on a reliable used truck go way up.
Click here for the Consumer's Guide Best Buy List.

The next step is to find out what a fair price for your used truck would be. My favorite is the Edmund's Used Vehicle Appraiser. You can search prices by zip code which will help you decide what Little Rock used trucks are really worth. OK, that's enough homework for now. Let's get to the fun part.
 
Shopping - Once you've narrowed your choices down, it's time to go look at and test drive your top picks. Before we start test driving used trucks, let's back up a little.

Try to find as many Little Rock used trucks for sale that you might be interested in as possible. Then start narrowing the list down by contacting the sellers and asking a few questions:

  • Verify that the advertised price and mileage are correct.
  • Has the truck ever been damaged?
  • Does the truck have any existing problems?
  • What is the condition of the truck?
  • How long have they owned the truck? 
  • Why are they selling the truck?
If a dealer has the truck, try to get as many details as you can about the vehicle such as:

  • Was it a local trade-in?
  • Where did it come from? Trucks from northern states are prone to have more corrosion problems.
  • Do they have an up to date CARFAX record? You can get this yourself for a fee, but many dealers will have these available for free.
Personally, I wouldn't buy a vehicle today before checking the CARFAX records. The subscription of $30 is good for a month, so you have time to check out several trucks. It will save you many times the fee if it helps you avoid dishonest sellers or buying a truck with undisclosed damage.

Click here for more info about CARFAX reports.

Listen carefully to what the sellers have to say. Let them talk. You can learn a lot about how a vehicle has been driven and maintained by what the seller says. If you don't like what you hear, or you get a questionable story about why the truck is for sale, mark it off your list.

I'll warn you in advance not to take what sellers tell you too seriously. Their idea of excellent condition or low mileage may be drastically different from yours!

Test Drive - No matter what used truck you decide on or who has it for sale, always test drive it first. There is no substitute for driving it yourself.


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Buying -  OK, you've found the perfect used truck. Now how do you get the best deal on it? Here are a few tips:
  • Know the true market value of the truck.
  • Find out what comparable trucks are selling for. If it's less than the one you're interested in, show the ads to the seller.
  • Most private sellers price their vehicles $500 to $1,000 higher than they expect to get. Allow for this with your opening offer. Dealers usually pad their selling price even more. 
  • Be patient. You can save hundreds or maybe thousands of dollars by playing the offer-counter offer game a little while. Remember, if they accept your first offer, you paid too much!

Best Sources of Little Rock Used Trucks.


Private parties - Usually are priced the lowest. May be a little more relaxed process compared to buying from a dealer. Could be a more motivated seller for a variety of reasons. Can be the biggest risk. I would never buy a truck from a private party without a CARFAX report. Having it checked by a mechanic would also be a good idea. 

New truck dealers - If reliability is an important issue to you, a certified used vehicle from a new truck dealer may be your best choice. I've found lately that prices from dealers for trade-ins have been very close to private party prices.

The advertised prices for used trucks may seem pretty high, but the actual selling price may be as much as $2,000 or more less than that advertised price.

Little Rock new truck dealers may also have vehicles being returned form leases. These are usually lower mileage and have had regular maintenance.
This can be a great source for Little Rock used trucks.

Used truck dealers - Tend to have older higher mileage trucks. Many these days seem to be trying to make their profit from the financing plans they offer. Be really careful if you decide to go this route.

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A recent trend has been for rental car agencies to have their own used vehicle lots. These trucks are usually low mileage and may even still have a factory warranty in effect. Prices tend to be very competitive compared to new truck dealers.

Best Ways to Find Little Rock Used Trucks.


Newspaper and local magazine classified ads - Local newspaper classifieds are still the best source for finding private party Little Rock used trucks for sale.

Used car dealers will also place classifieds disguised to look like private sellers. That's why it's a good idea to call first and get as many details as you can before you make a trip to see the truck.

There are a few local publications available for free that offer ads of vehicles for sale. You can usually find these at newsstands or convenience stores around town.

Online ads - The Internet is a great tool for helping you find trucks for sale. Searches can be limited so that only trucks equipped with what you want will be shown. The best sites for shopping are:
More dealers are listing their inventories on their own websites so you may want to check those sites also. It's always a good idea to call about any truck you find online just to make sure the listing is up to date.

Word of mouth - Ask everyone you know if they know anyone that has a truck for sale. A lot of the time this will turn up a great lead. You might get a better deal from someone who wants to make a quick sale without having to advertise their vehicle.

Keep an eye out when you're driving for sale signs on trucks parked in yards or on the street. Some businesses allow vehicles for sale to be parked on their lots so check those out too.

Bulletin boards - Be sure and look at notes on bulletin boards in local businesses, schools, etc. Larger businesses and colleges are good places to find Little Rock used trucks for sale.

We hope our tips will make your used truck buying a little easier. Just remember that a little homework now can pay off big when it's time to write that check!

Related Links:

Little Rock Arkansas rental truck.

Little Rock Arkansas Towing.

Go to Little Rock Living Home page from Little Rock Used Trucks.






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