The cost of car insurance is another valid concern. You certainly don’t want to inherit another person’s insurance nightmare so you should know what the insurance costs are on the cars that you are considering before you buy. Most insurance companies will give you a general quote, although with some you may actually have to get the VIN number of the vehicle and some other information to determine what the insurance costs are.
It should come as no surprise to you that a brand new Porsche may cost an arm and a leg to insure, but what might be shocking is that some rates on cars that people drive everyday are pretty high too. A good rule of thumb is horsepower. Generally, the more horsepower a car has, the more it will cost to insure. Another general guide is that the cars that people drive that they would rather not be seen in, such as your mother’s minivan, are the least costliest to insure. However, you shouldn’t rely on generalizations, but get a solid quote whenever you can.
Used Car Mileage
Mileage on used cars may vary, and what’s a decent mileage number on one car, may be extremely high for another, because different cars will give up the ghost at different mileages. However, mileage can also vary from one exact model to another depending upon how well the previous owner, or owners took care of it. A good guideline to use when shopping a used car is 12,000 to 15,000 miles per year. Any more than that and you are taking more risk with your used car. Alongside the mileage you should attempt to get the car’s maintenance records and base your decision in part upon that as well.