Auctions: Yes or No for Car Buying

When you are looking to purchase a great used car, or even possibly one that is rare to find and in a classic category many times you hear the advice to attend an auction and find yourself a car.  While car auctions do serve a purpose and allow people to buy some great cars at rock bottom prices many times you have a very limited time and experience with a car when you purchase from an auction.  In many cases you will only get the year make and model of the car, if you are lucky you might get to hear the engine run just to make sure you know it does, but beyond that you are left in the dark.

Certainly the sales experience of a car bought at auction is much more exciting than sitting in the office of a dealership discussing payment terms and features for the vehicle.  The whirlwind of bidding can bring a higher price, but in general the prices will start low enough to bring a price that seems to be a real bargain when you leave the auction house having put down your hard earned money on a car you know very little about.

After the purchase is when the fun begins.  There are more stories of cars that have been modified in some way, are lacking in mechanical refinements and certainly have not had any type of professional inspection as they come out of the auction house.  This is not the fault of those who are auctioning off vehicles, for years we have all known a purchase from an auction just might come with several shortfalls and end up being very problematic, but when a car is a rare find or a classic sports car that you can purchase at a very low price you might be willing to take the chance.

On the other side of this argument, if you have gone to the auction house looking for your next highly reliable family hauler you are probably in the wrong place.  Because of the lack of guarantees and warranties that come with vehicles at auction, my advice is to head to a local dealership and see what they have on the lot in the way of certified pre-owned vehicles.  These will certainly serve the purposes of your family better and allow you to enjoy years behind the wheel instead of under the hood.

Auction houses for vehicles do have their place and if you are looking for a car to be a project vehicle or one you can just play around with this is a great way to get a vehicle at a very low price, but when it comes to the family sedan, or the work truck you are certainly better off checking in at your local dealers who have some great vehicles that have been completely checked over so you will know you are getting what you pay for and will be able to enjoy a reliable ride.