The Best Way To Buy A Used Car 

DO NOT pay doc fees. Refuse and if they hold firm, walk out. In the pass 20 years, Ive only had to walk out of 2 dealerships over doc fees. Agree to pay only MSRP, taxes and licensing. I dont care if it does cost money to spend more time shopping, Im not giving free money to millionares. Are you? I've had people and dealerships tell me how wrong I am about this, but in 20 years, I've never paid doc fees, market adjustments or any type of dealer add on.

Agreed! I've walked away from several car salesmen just to have them call me back with a better offer.

I remember when a salesman tried to get me to pay a $500 doc fee. I left the sale, and the guy called me back the next day, saying he would drop the price $500. Some dealerships just have stupid rules that get in the way of good business.

I bought my used car private sale. 4500 dollars for an 09 civic hybrid, had to recharge the ac and get new tires, but other than that, I’d say was a win

I agree with everything, except not getting the extended warranty. I bought a gently used honda hr-v that still had factory warranty until 2026. But, for about $1000 or so, you can get Honda care ( Hondas extended warranty). That covers mechanical, electrical, some dents, windshield replacement,vehicle replacement, roadside assistance,ect, for 7 years /90,000. It also includes tire rotation and oil changes. For all thats included, its worth it.

When I bought my Tacoma in 2020, after I test drove it I said straight up I’ll offer x amount, in cash, with zero fluff on top. No dealer fees, nothing. The lady got on the phone with her boss and accepted my offer in about 10 seconds 😆 numbers are numbers until you see cold hard cash on the table

I went to a car salesman with 800 credit and fully saved up for the car. The salesman got so mad he asked me why I “like to live life dangerously” because I wouldn’t buy an extended warranty. That was right after he told me he had 3 leased cars through his employer!

The absolute BEST experience I’ve ever had buying a car from a “dealer” is when I bought a repo car from my credit union. It was SOOO easy to negotiate and they only took tag and taxes fees. I had the cash in my account so the only weird thing was I had to withdraw a cashiers check from my bank, made out to my bank. 😂 it’s been a great car I’ve had it for 6 years

The only way to win with a car dealership is to never buy a car.

Check out every engine and transmission option for problems, every problem database per model year. Good example: Ford Focus 2011->, 100% of a certain automatic transmissions blew up due to engineering mistakes, but the manual transmissions are very reliable and the engines are great as well. On paper this car looks average reliability, but little do you know you might be buying a timebomb if you go for the automatic. Always check every variable. To avoid big repairs, dont buy a car, buy a powertrain, and see what car is built on it. If you are going to buy a piece of engineering, you need to pay attention to the engineering. Simple as that.

So car dealerships, because of price information on the internet, are no longer making money on selling cars. They are now in the business of loan brokering and "insurance" like gap and extended warranty. This is where they make their money. If you can pay cash, do it! Just keep that part to yourself until you have agreed on an out the door price from the sales person. They are trained to ask, "how are you paying for this?" Or, "what's your monthly budget?" Tell them you'd be happy to discuss that with the finance manager once you've agreed upon a price

Buy private party instead. You can still hire a mechanic to do an inspection, test drive it, and your local tag office will handle the paperwork. Just be sure you check on what the private party price should be, so you don't overpay. You are going to overpay at the dealership. If it's your only option, I'd comparison shop by getting quotes on a low mileage CPO with lots of good consumer reviews.

This is great advice, George. Just bought a used car last week. I researched the car heavy! Made an appointment with the dealer and the sticker price was $5k over the internet price I found. Screenshotted it. Gave it to the sales rep and got the cashier’s check for the final cost and bam, walked out with an awesome 3 year old low mileage car $5k below the price. I was elated. 😂

How do you get the car to a mechanic for inspection before buying? Will a used car dealership let you do that before purchasing?

It's crazy to think I purchased a car 11 years ago that had a $79 doc fee. Standard today is like $299 if I'm not mistaken... up to around $1000. Should've invested in doc fees the last 11 years lol.

Had a dealership refuse to sell me a car if I paid in cash. Said their cars were priced to low to not get a cut of the financing.

WHY would I pay “tax, title, and registration” fees to a DEALER? Those fees are between me and the state DMV. If I buy a car from a private party I don’t give THEM the money to pay those fees, and I wouldn’t, because the way to know those fees are paid and the title is legally transferred is to GO TO THE DMV YOURSELF. So, paying the dealer is a big NO in my book!

Please do not pay a doc fee over $100, there are some great videos on RU-vid about how to negotiate that fee.

I've been selling cars for 20 years, and you're 💯 % right ✅️

Just save up to buy it! Yeah sure, no problem. My son has no way to get to and from college because his car just died but lemme wait and save up $30,000 to get a used freaking car real quick.

Yes. They will say pay for premium coating , inbuilt GPS tracking etc.. all adds up

It would be helpful if you actually listed the fees, saying “ a bunch of other stuff” doesn’t really tell us what to expect.

Don't buy used, Buy new and keep it for 10 to 15yrs. This way you'll get your money back plus more

Also if you can manage it sell your car yourself. Dealerships will under value your trade in and then add 6-8k onto the prince and sell it for a profit. Also you can get gap insurance to help cover the difference of your car in case of an accident but once you pay down and the value matches your regular car insurance you can cancel gap for a 70-90 percent refund.

Also check all the body seams to make sure it was not in an accident. I fought a S10 zr2 once and everything looked good and the carfax was good but I was sitting in the truck one day and reached up by the top of the door and realized it did not line up. Several months later I had to take the dash apart for a vacuum leak and that’s when I saw all the broken glass in it. I wish I would have seen that before I bought the truck.

every dealer around me (NJ) charges an additional $2500 - $4500 - for used cars inspection/rehab fees

So happy to see smart buyers again.....

When I bought a car ten years ago I didn't know all this. I spent $2500 on the a+warranty. I needed a repair 1 year later, but they told me I needed the a+ ultra warranty. Talk about a scam.

It's OK to finance, just make sure it is simple interest and pay it off first month.

The most empowering feeling in the world is breaking off a negotiation with a car dealer, walking out and driving away. I will not be played with like that. Instead I’ve used the car buying services offered by my credit union and by Costco and saved thousands

I’m actually looking now and a lot of places now have a little blurb on the bottom of their listings that the listed price plus x% will be added for cash purchases. They’re really out here trying to close the loopholes for paying in cash! I’m guessing cause they lose the in house financing fees 🤷🏻‍♀️

Works great until the used car market dries up like it did recently and everyone is paying 5 k over asking price. Then you just get left behind.

I’ve bought used cars all my life for myself & my kids. . I’ve never used a dealership yet. If you have a chance to buy from another person you can save the most money. I have been successful on private deals bringing cars to my mechanic before purchase for the $150 inspection. The most important thing to burn into your mind is LOW Miles & LOW number of previous owners- no more than 2 if you’re buying over 10k car. You want the car to come with lots of servicing receipts/records too.

The way they introduce those warranties is so sleazy. You’ve already agreed on the out the door price and they want to spring it on you and bully you into it by focusing on monthly payment instead of actual cost. When we bought our van they tried to sell us a warranty for the electronics by saying it would avoid a $4000 repair. The warranty cost almost $3000 lol I had trouble explaining why I was saying no because I was so shocked that he was actually trying to sell it with a straight face.

What???? Make cash offer after inspection, if they counter then offer $100 less than original offer, if they balk walk away. Bought all my cars that way, works every time

Do not lease. Keep a budget always

Why not purchase any warranties? What’s the best alternative to that? I bought a car & made a huge mistake so I returned it. Now I’m trying to do as much research as possible before buying a new one

Perfect advice George, well stated!

Never buy car at dealership. They're always more expensive. I know for immigrants, we always buy second hand cars. You can easily hire someone to check the car before buying it with a cheap fee compare to dealership. In most case, we do a ton of research and know about cars anyway.

A doc fee of $1000 - are you nuts. That fee is for a runner to go to the tax office and file the paperwork along with the tax you already agreed to…Not a big buck item. Especially because he’s likely filing multiple deals at the same time. What should be a crime is the month the dealership sits on the money before getting the paperwork done.

Stay away from Stealerships!

This may sound like a stupid question but I’ve never bought a car before my previous car was a hand me down if you walked in with X amount of cash (PHYSICAL DOLLAR BILLS) as long as it not $100,000 will dealerships accept your money

Spend as little time in the Finance and Insurance (F and I ) room as possible. Also, the extended warranty they charge 3,000 for costs them $1500. They make 50% profit.

I'm wanting to buy this 96 yukon from a used dealership. The vehicle sells at best 2500, they want 5k for it. The tires are bad, oxidation on paint, the ac dosent work, but I want it. But I will never pay anything over 2k for it, and to make it even more fun, he seller accidentally told me they got it for a credit trade for 500 dollars.

How do you do this with a car that is higher in demand. We are looking for a 2017-2022 Toyota Highlander with under 100k miles on it and are not finding that many

Always get it inspected by someone not related to the seller at all. Even if the seller is a mechanic. The more eyes you have look at something the better.

Not so easy these days. Most dealerships won't waste their time with you if they can't rip you off.

Keep in mind that negotiating out the door will come across as you wanting to play games. A lot of customers don't understand how taxes work so they make offers of out the door that have no logic at all. I would say I am willing to pay "X" for the vehicle because that is what it is worth buying from a dealership which should put us at "X" out the door after everything.

What is a reasonable amount to spend on a car? Car price to income ratio

Or buy from a personal sale

It means sense to buy a car in cash cause the day I save 20k it would break my spirit to spend 15k on a car. Ruined.

Lehts goooooo GK!!

$699 clear coat car protection. $425 premium air. $672 anti theft Vin # protection. Ahhhhh No!!

Nice if you are a guy…as a woman, it is not so clear cut or easy. So much effort to find a car and then their crazy song and dance.

Out-of-the-door price is usually the window price + tax or excluding tax? I bought 3 cars in my life and haven’t learn the real lesson out of it because I don’t really know what price is reasonable. 😅 About to buy another.

"Doc fees" are bogus. It's a made up fee they charge for processing paperwork. IF the dealer is polite, not pushy, and meets your asking price pay $75 as a tip (otherwise known as a "doc fee"). The only real charges are the cost of the vehicle, taxes, title, plate, registration. That's it.😉

How & where do you get a pre purchase inspection ? 🧐 please lmk

What about extended warranty they are 3000 😅

I feel like any number George throws out on any given one of his videos, those of us living in California need to double or triple it. I’d love to see the numbers he claims in his video, it would be like going back to my childhood to buy stuff, like 99 cent Whoppers and 39 cent cheeseburgers at McDonald’s.

I don't pay doc fees

NH .... no sales tax on cars

Thanks

How can you find a car inspector? The dealership would let an outsider inspect their cars? I’ve never heard of that before.

No one ever talks about safety when buying a used car.

I’ve been in automotive for 11 years. Worked for big brands like GM, Toyota, VW and Audi…. You think Ramsey needs an automotive personality…….. ???

Hey! Great video. We’re going to add a $700 paint protection plan to the video. Everyone pays it.

Where would the best place to purchase a preowned 4Runner TRD off road premium? Thank you.

I leaned some years ago to never buy a new car. Why would you?

what about paying in credit card for points and then paid the credit card before the close the statement?

Why do we need dealers again?

Doc fees shouldnt be more than $175. If they are, leave.

Never pay for a doc fee. I have never paid their doc fee ever.

See how long the average joe can save up over 30k for a new car

Can u use a credit card to buy a car?

No dealership near me will negotiate a price under 200 of asking it’s miserable right now.

You’re best to buy a used car from a private party who has owned it for at least a year. You’ll get a better price and understand the car’s history better.

Or, just don't buy from a dealership.

Being a car dealer is not a legitimate career. Dont treat them with respect

Or buy a used Tesla with 127,000 miles on it which George did lol for $26,000 dollars lol

You can’t buy a decent car for 10,000 your gonna have to save up 15,000 to even buy a descent used car it’s sad bro

Just save up and buy a used car that’s around 2-3 years old.

So I need a 150$ fee to test drive the car? Is this a joke?

The doc fee is highway robbery

Isn't the best way to buy a used car from an individual?

I paid for a car with money orders before lol

Woman 😀 ☕ 🚬🤵‍♂️

Screw the dealers, buy a Tesla

Do you recommend buying it online like carvana?

Terrible way to do it cant do it on a debit card in most states.