Used car sales have been on the rise for seven consecutive years and it’s no wonder why. Used cars are excellent vehicle options. Although there are all kinds of important aspects you should be focusing on during your used car purchase, negotiating a reasonable price should be at the top of your priority list.

If you don’t know how to negotiate, you aren’t going to find great car dealership specials or land a reliable vehicle for a fantastic price.

Here are some great tips for improving your negotiating tactics and landing an excellent pre owned vehicle:

• Start with cars in your budget — It’s going to be difficult to negotiate a car’s price down if it’s already well out of your price range. The most frequently searched vehicle price range is around $5,000. So starting with vehicles that fall in or near your budget is a much better idea. When setting your budget, it’s essential to keep all your monthly expenses in mind, including your mortgage or rent, utilities, groceries, and any outstanding loans or debts.
• Look for car dealership specials — Used car dealers often offer all kinds of great specials to encourage buyers to come into the establishment and make an offer. Even if the vehicle you are hoping to purchase isn’t part of the offered special, you might be able to talk the dealership into helping you out. It might not work, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to try.
• Be friendly — It sounds obvious enough, but a lot of car buyers go into dealerships with poor attitudes because the entire process can be stressful and tiring. Fight through those negative feelings and just be respectful and friendly. As long as you’re working with a trusted dealership, they aren’t going to try and take advantage of you — they want to help you. Friendly negotiations work a lot better than unfriendly ones.
• Be persistent — Even if you have an excellent few days of negotiations, you need to make sure you’re following up with the dealership.

If you’re ready to find some great pre owned vehicles and want to learn more about amazing car dealership specials, give Auto Sales and Service a visit today.

Most pre owned cars are still great vehicles, and unlike new cars, they won’t lose most of their value just because you drove them off the dealership lot. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

For some reason, even in 2018, when auto technology is more innovative and reliable than ever before, there are so many people who refrain from buying used cars because of the negative stigma associated with them. The fact of the matter is that these vehicles (at least the majority of them) are both affordable and fully functioning. Not only can used cars still effectively get anyone from point A to point B (which is kind of the entire purpose), but they can do so safely and even in style.

Even better, because so many newer models are coming off lease this year, it’s never been easier to find high quality used and pre owned vehicles at a great price. So without further ado, let’s bust some used car myths. Here are some auto myths that surround the used car industry that are untrue — some are even downright ridiculous!

1. Pre owned cars aren’t reliable — UNTRUE! The average age of vehicles currently on the road today in the U.S. is about 11.6 years. If those drivers had got rid of their “used vehicles” after only a year of driving, that would be a colossal waste of money. Used cars aren’t coming with 300,000 miles on average either; most have a reasonable mileage and can last for a decade or more.
2. Most used cars have had a lot of owners — Nope. The majority of used cars on the road have had an average of three owners. Some of these owners rarely even drive, so it’s not like they’re damaging these cars or running them into the ground. They drive to work and the grocery store — that’s about it.
3. The used car industry is in disarray — Though there are certainly some struggling used car dealers on the market, the industry as a whole is doing terrific. In fact, used auto sales have been on the rise for seven consecutive years.

Again, don’t let anyone tell you that you should spend way more money on a new vehicle when there are so many excellent cars available that have already been broken in. If you want to learn more about busting these auto industry myths or simply find terrific pre owned cars here in Indianapolis, give Auto Sales and Service a call right away! We will help you find the perfect used car for your budget.

Handling your credit isn’t something that was taught in high school, though it probably should have been. Now it’s on you to do everything in your power to keep your credit score high and your debt low or non-existent. Taking care of your credit isn’t easy, however, and there are all kinds of mistakes that people make resulting in even poorer credit.

Here are some costly mistakes to avoid in order to improve your credit or keep it in good standing:

• Paying bills late — This is the most obvious mistake but it happens all the time. Even paying a bill a day or two late can ruin your credit score and your credit history. That’s why all the 18-year-olds across the country who are making late payments aren’t just ruining their current credit score, they are jeopardizing their future credit score as well. Payment history accounts for 35% of an individual’s credit score and late payments can lead to serious financial issues. No matter what, be sure to pay all your bills on time.
• Purchasing expensive new vehicles — One of the biggest mistakes people make when attempting to fix their credit is spending a fortune on a new vehicle. If you’re focusing on improving your finances and strengthening your credit, buying pre owned vehicles is a much better option. Used cars actually make up three out of four automobile sales across the United States. Though you can certainly acquire newer vehicles with quality bad credit auto loans, you’ll have a much better chance at landing an effective and affordable used car, with or without a bad credit auto loan.
• Not paying attention to credit score — Ignoring your credit score can inadvertently ruin it. Since fraud and inaccuracies can occur to anyone at anytime, you need to constantly be checking your credit history. If you notice any suspicious activity, file a report with the credit bureau and call your bank immediately.

If you want to learn more about managing your credit, find affordable pre owned vehicles, or receive a quality bad credit auto loan, give Auto Sales and Service a call today.

Everyone loves getting a new car, but that can be quite difficult to accomplish with bad credit. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to get a car with bad credit auto loans.


Here are some great tips for dealing with bad credit auto loans and actually acquiring a solid vehicle with poor credit:

• Don’t ignore pre-owned vehicles — For some reason, many people associate used cars with poor performance. Maybe that was the case a few decades ago, but it certainly isn’t true anymore. Used cars have just about all the bells and whistles that newer vehicles have and are much more affordable. Additionally, Certified Pre-Owned vehicles tend to generally have less than 36,000 miles on them, so you’ll be able to drive them for a very long time.
• Find a suitable lender — Figuring out how to get an auto loan with bad credit is much easier when you’re working with a lender that accepts applications with all kinds of credit levels. Obviously, if you’re trying to deal with a lender that only works with individuals with excellent credit, you’re going to have some trouble. But there are plenty of quality lenders out there that will work with you to get a solid vehicle. Keep in mind, you don’t have to work with the very first lender you find online — it’s best to shop around for quality auto loans so you compare prices. Try to do so with a time frame of 14 to 45 days in order to avoid damaging your credit even more.
• Be ready to negotiate — Just because your credit is bad doesn’t mean you have to take whatever unfavorable deal is presented to you. There are hundreds of reasons why someone’s credit could be lacking, so it’s unfair to punish them with poor loans and high interest rates. You have to stay reasonable with your terms, but make sure you’re ready to negotiate with not only the auto loan lender, but the dealership as well.

If you are ready to get a quality vehicle and visit a great used car dealership — as well as make the most of any bad credit auto loans — give Auto Sales and Service a call today!

Car buying can be a lot of fun — if you know what you’re doing. If you’re new to the car buying world, it can be a stressful, tricky process. That’s especially true when it comes to finding and buying used cars. There is a strange stigma within the auto industry that used cars are a risky bet, which is actually far from true. Though pre-owned vehicles might not have all the updated bells and whistles as newer models, these cars are certainly reliable and can still be of the highest quality. In fact, the average age of vehicles that are currently on U.S. roads is 11.6 years.

When it comes to buying used cars, you shouldn’t simply buy the first vehicle within your budget that you notice at a reputable used car dealership. You need to do a little more.

Here are some helpful tips that should improve your chances of finding and acquiring a terrific used vehicle:

• Build a relationship with the dealer — The majority of car dealers are there for one reason: to get you to buy a car. That isn’t going to change whether you’re friendly with the individual dealer or not, but it can help your chances at finding a better deal. If you are honest and respectful to the car dealer you’re working with, they likely will try and help you out. When visiting used car dealerships, start by having a real conversation with the dealers.
• Construct a targeted list of vehicles — Before your search for a new vehicle, go over exactly what kind of car you want and what other vehicles you’d be okay with purchasing. Make a list with all your favorite vehicles at the top and hopefully you’ll be able to find a few during your search. This list should include potential auto makers, particular models, year numbers, and important features.
• Stick to a realistic and strict auto budget — Just because you’re shopping for a used vehicle doesn’t mean you won’t end up spending a fortune if you aren’t careful. You have to make sure you are sticking to a budget throughout your search. A good rule of thumb is to not have a car payment that is more than 20% of your actual take-home pay. With this rule, you can easily reverse engineer the ideal budget for your car search.

If you want to learn more about the used vehicle buying process, used auto sales, or find some high quality used cars for sale, visit a credible used car dealership near you. And if you’re looking for a used car dealership in or around Indianapolis, give Auto Sales and Service a call right away!