Thinking of buying a used car? You\'re not the only one - while car sales are down as a whole as the economy takes a nose dive, the figures are suggesting that more people are getting behind the wheel of a second hand or nearly-new car in efforts to get more for car for their money and avoid the fun of depreciation.

With this in mind, there are several things to consider before you head off to you nearest car supermarket or used car dealers that will save you time when you do. First of these, strangely enough, is what kind of car are you looking for? It\'s best to have as clear a picture as possible. This doesn\'t mean looking at sports cars when you have a family of five, think specific makes and models if you want, use the bottomless-bucket of information that the internet is to get as clear a picture of the car you want as possible.

Are you looking for a car with greater fuel economy over speed and nippiness? Do you want something that\'s more suited to inner-city life - smaller and a doddle to park? Maybe a motor that gives out low emissions and is, therefore, better for environment and your road-fund bill?

Bills are as important when it comes to deciding on your next car as they are anything else. The budget is key and this goes beyond the ticket price on the car. Do your research before heading down to the dealership. How much will the car you\'re looking at cost to insure? What can you expect in terms of fuel costs and road-fund fee? With the wealth of used car websites out there it\'s easy to find the relevant information to better help you decide and with the added bonus of doing so from your own home.

The internet has now become one of the most powerful tools available in helping you to decide on a used car. In fact, many of them do a lot of the work for you with searches that can help you drill down by vehicle type, budget, location and even by \"green\" value.

Having developed a clear image of the car you want, found a couple of possibilities online at your nearest used car dealer, what about your current car? With many dealers offering part-exchange deals, the best deal possible is likely to be found in the Scrappage Scheme. Thanks to a new government incentive you\'ll be able to exchange your old car for a healthy two thousand pounds, sure to take a chunk out of the purchase price of your next car - new or used.

So, armed with knowledge of the cars you want to look at, the details of the scrappage and what you can get for you old car it\'s time to find a dealer. When looking for a second hand car it\'s best to head for an established dealership with a good reputation - they\'ll want to keep it. Make sure that extras such as warranties are priced competitively and appropriate to the car. Establish what the warranty covers, for how long and how much to avoid any unwelcome surprises later on down the road.

Timing is also important. Don\'t look at a car in the dark or in the rain, things like scratches and minor dents, body damages can be missed in poor lighting and remember to testdrive your car first. Check the service history and, for that extra peace of mind, you can run a Car Data Check.

Then comes the price. Remember, many car dealers have allowed for bargaining within the price so give haggling a go. Don\'t go overboard and try lopping several thousand off the price but it they won\'t budge on the price of the car, get as much for your money as possible in extras.

It may seem like a lot of work but given that you\'ll be driving your car daily and it\'s not exactly pocket money pricing, it\'s worth it. Do your homework on the car you want, establish a budget and haggle to get as much for it as you can. Get everything covered and you\'re going to get a lot of fun in your new car for many miles to come.