I used to work at a car dealership so my opinion/information is going to come from the years I worked there. The usual title stuff has been gone over. 1) Buy d

I used to work at a car dealership so my opinion/information is going to come from the years I worked there. The usual title stuff has been gone over. 1) Buy domestic if possible. Parts, service and mechanics will be cheaper for the most part. Japanese cars can be cheap but make sure OEM parts are used. 2) Check the gaps between doors, panels and trunk. This is an easy way to spot sloppy body work or a wreck that was repaired poorly. More than likely it had a terrible wreck and got fixed at home or was done by a cheap shop on the low. 3) Look for any fluid leaks. Leaks == (Money + Time + Fixes) 4) Find out what the most common problem is for the car you are looking at. Some have rust problems, ECUs that die easily, bad fuel sensors, etc... Google will tell you about them. All cars have design flaws that need to be dealt with. 5) Check the mileage. The higher mileage means you should go and replace every single reasonably afforable maintenance part you can (belt/chain, brake pads, tires, fluids, filters, bushings, gaskets). 6) Haggle for every cent. I don't care if the car is some super rare model. The owner is getting rid of it and once you buy it they aren't going to give your money back. Also, when you buy a car, you buy the problems it has too. Get as much as you can knocked off the asking price because if you are going to rely on the vehicle spend that money on parts/labor that it needs (there is something that is on the out for sure at $5k). 7) Buy from a friend/a friend of a friend. Someone has a car that perfectly usable and doesn't need it or just wants it gone. Put the word out with friends and see what falls out from the woodwork. They'll be more honest and forthcoming about the car than some guy from craigslist. There are many more but these are my main bits.