For most students, buying a car is an expensive purchase that is not made on a whim. Buying a used car from a dealership may seem like the best option. It can be significantly more affordable than buying a new car and simpler for someone with no car knowledge other than Craigslist, but it can still be an overwhelming experience.

By staying conscious of what you are looking for and taking the time to consider various options, buying a used car from a dealership is not as big of a challenge as it may appear.

Doug Krogman, pre-owned sales manager at Honda of Ames and Lithia Nissan of Ames, said car buyers need to consider their personal needs and how the car will be used when looking for a car.

Personal needs range from person to person and can include things like number of seats, amount of trunk space, heating and air conditioning. Looking at what the car will be used for includes things like the road conditions of where the car will be driven, potential environmental impacts that the car will have to be able to handle and amount of miles that the car will be driven in a short period of time.

Charles Bergmann, owner of AmesCars.com, said that it is important to have a price in mind. By having a price in mind, the selection of cars can be narrowed to an affordable amount and no money, or a minimal amount would have to be taken out to purchase a car.

Bergmann also said that it is important to do research on the internet before purchasing a car.

“[There are] no ‘too good to be true’ deals,” Bergmann said.

Although great deals exist, if research shows something is unrealistic for a car, there is likely something that you do not know about the car that would depreciate its value.

There is no magic answer to getting a good deal.

“There is not one detail over another that we would give attention to,” Krogman said.

With individuals having unique needs, there is nothing in every car that is equally important to every individual.

Even though there is nothing that makes or breaks a car, there are two things that should be looked at in every car: miles and age of the car. The more miles and the older the car, the more probable problems are to arise.

“Every car has its needs,” Bergmann said.

The perfect car for one person may be the worst car for another. It is also important to remember that the car being bought is used, it is likely not going to be perfect and in off-the-factory-line condition. Although a used car may not be perfect, pre-owned cars are affordable, reliable and can still be a high-quality car, which can work perfectly for a college student.