My last post was about basic “paper work” associated with the car. Every car has a VIN number. It’s like an auto-social security number. However, something every car does not have is a great service history and a great previous owner. With that said, the rest of the posts about buying a used car will be about the intangibles of a used car purchase. This week, we’ll be talking about the test drive.

The first thing is that when testing a used car, be sure the previous owner gives the car at least a half day to cool down before you come for a test drive. If the car has trouble starting cold, an owner may warm the car up for you before you get there to subvert the problem for a potential buyer. In the same respect, be sure to shut the car off after your test drive an try to start it warm.

Next we’ll discuss the engine itself. Pop the hood while it’s running and look at the engine. If it’s rattling back and forth you could have problems with engine bushings or an actual engine problem that could require costly engine replacements. After checking the engine idle, be sure while on the test drive you accelerate the car throughout the rev range. A slight power loss could indicate there are problems with anything from throttle position sensors ($$) to ECU problems ($$$) or full on engine problems ($$$$$). Listen to the sound of the engine at all these speeds. It’s good to make sure the radio in a potential car works, but don’t let yourself play songs the whole time. Listen to the engine and, for that matter, the transmission. If you hear heavy thuds when shifting, you could be in store for a transmission that has never had it’s fluid changed. This can be a $2000-3000 job. With a manual transmission, make sure you’re shifts are tight and slip into the gate solidly. If not, you could have bushings that need to be replaced, or worse, broken transmission internals. With automatic or manual (standard) gearboxes, put the car into every gear! Don’t assume if one or two work they all will (more so with automatics). Manual transmissions should have relatively quick engagement of the clutch, or you could be spending a few hundred dollars replacing your clutch.

To ensure the car’s steering is in tip top shape, be sure to find an empty road or parking lot and turn the wheel from one side to the other at full lock. This will not only test your steering response (and ensure you might not have power steering problems), loading the left and right suspension will yield a slight grinding noise if one of the wheels bearings needs to be replaced. Likely, you’ll only hear it from one site. This is not a hugely expensive job, but you can expect to pay $200-300 depending up the shop. Any other sever squeeks or shimmies when the suspension is loaded can indicate other suspension problems like bushings, worn shocks or springs and loose components. Be safe, but give drive and accelerate such that you can get a feel for all the corners of the car. This is a hard skill to master and know what you’re looking for and it will often behoove you to take a friend who does know this, or go on a test drive with a mechanic as part of a pre-purchase inspection.

When test driving a used car, be sure to check things like cruise control too. This is another thing often overlooked by most people on a test drive.

The last, and perhaps most important thing to check are the quality of the brakes. Talk to the current owner and ask if you can check the ABS by panic stopping in a parking lot from 25-30 MPH. Most times you’ll see an ABS light if there is a problem and most problems concern ABS sensors which are pretty cheap to replace. However, if you do have a ABS pump problem, you can expect a few hundred dollars for repair.

With any of the above options, remember, if you do have concerns, you can either have the previous owner fix the problem as part of the cost of the used car, or expect to see discounts and you can repair them yourself or have a mechanic fix the problem. That way, you’ll have someone you trust to the repairs as well as saving some money on the car of your dreams.