4 Key Things To Look For When Buying a Used Foreign Car

Buying a used foreign car has its benefits and drawbacks. One of the major benefits of buying a pre-owned vehicle is the fact that you don't have to worry about falling victim to steep depreciation as soon as you drive the vehicle off of the lot. With this being said, finding a reliable used foreign car can be challenging. You'll need to be a resourceful buyer, do your homework, and look for the red flags before you buy if you want to invest in a vehicle that'll last. Here are 4 key things to look for when you choose to buy used:

1. Do Thorough Research On the Car's History

It's easy to get emotionally attached to a vehicle when you take it for a test drive. If you've always dreamed of owning a BMW, finding a used BMW in your price range can be enough to make you overlook important details. Get past your emotions and do all of your homework before you even see the car in person. If you're buying from a used car dealer, get the VIN of the vehicle at the top of your list and run a vehicle history report. This report shows you if the vehicle has been involved in an accident, if it's been maintained, and how many people have owned it.

2. See What the Consumer Reports Say

After you look at the report, you should do even more research to verify that the year, make, and model you are looking at doesn't have any serious recalls or consumer complaints. If a model has transmission problems, you want to know right? Sites like Edmunds have reviews on every vehicle you could imagine and checking these reviews could be the difference between buying a car that'll last, and buying a car that will be in and out of a shop specializing in BMW repair in Austin, TX. If the complaints are consistent across the board in forums and review sites, this might not be the car for you.

3. Don't Just Look Under the Hood, Inspect the Entire Vehicle

If you don't know much about cars, you might lift the hood up and take a glance just to let the seller think you know what you're looking at. You don't have to be a professional to spot some serious problems. Start by inspecting the sides of the front fender and the trim around the vehicle. If there's damage, the cars been in a serious accident and the frame hasn't been repaired. Look for rust under the car and around the wheel wells. If there's rust, run! When you look under the hood, don't just look, check fluids and look for leaks. If you really are inept with cars, you can always bring a mechanic with you to point out potential problems.

4. Check the Status of the Title and Registration

If you're buying from a private seller, you might just assume that the vehicle is registered and smogged. Don't assume this because it can cost you money. You should check the status of the registration through the DMV website with the license plate number, verify the title has no liens, and make sure there are no parking tickets or other fines that you'll be responsible for when registering. Make the seller pay for a passed smog and never sign the purchase agreement until the vehicle passes.

Buying a used foreign car is a big investment. If you want to make the right investment, do the research even if the seller seems trustworthy. You'll be happy you did in the long run.

Toyota Etios Spotted: Launching Soon

Toyota, the Japanese Auto Major's Toyota Etios has been spotted with set of cosmetic updates and it is expected to be rolled out in the markets soon. Our trusted sources have constantly reporting about the updated version of Liva and now they have spotted the 2013 Toyota Etios Liva facelift version, which will be arriving in the markets soon. We have already reported about the Toyota's plans on February 7th, earlier this year and now it is all but official that the facelifted Etios will arrive in markets with some major modifications.

According to the video released by the company, the car has got some major modifications inside the cabin. Now the inside of the car looks much premium than its existing version. Toyota has used some of the finest fabric to give a premium feel to the switchgear, dashboard, and door panels as you can see in the Toyota Etios pictures. On the other side the dashboard now gets a beige finishing, new seat fabrics, adjustable headrest that makes the vehicle more luxurious. It has also got Bluetooth supportive music system that indeed offers high definition entertainment to the passengers.


According to our trusted sources, the Japanese auto maker is planning to introduce a 1500cc petrol engine powered version in the markets. However, it is still unclear that the Etios Liva will be getting a 1.5 liter petrol engine or not. We cannot ignore the possibility of placing the 1.5 liter powered petrol engine in the high end variant of Toyota Etios. This will certainly make the car as one of the most powerful hatch in the segment and makes it as one of the best choice. However, the Toyota Etios price might be hiked because of these updates.

There are some more changes that include the improved braking system along with re-tuned suspension system, much wider wheels that complements additional power and so on. Toyota Cars are known for the quality benchmarks across the globe but they face criticism from many individuals because of the not-so-impressive interiors. Etios was one of those cars that received strong criticism from the markets because of its interiors. This is the reason why the sales of the company were not up to the mark in the recent times. Now the company seems to be realized about the actual problem and disclosed its plans about the face-lifted version of its hatchback.

There is no doubt that most of the Toyota Etios features will be improved and will definitely provide better comforts with better driving experience. If you just take a look at the Toyota Etios Pictures closely, you can notice that OVRMs gets an edgy housing with indicator lamps, design of the tail lamps have been slightly revamped and so on. The rear part of the car looks very decent with much premium look with the cosmetic updates. There is no wonder that the new 2013 face-lifted Etios will grab your attention in the first impression. There is still no update about the official launch date of the Etios Liva Hatch in the markets but many are anticipating that the vehicle will arrive shortly by the end of this month. If the rumors goes right, the vehicle will arrive in this month to lure the Indian car enthusiasts.

This post has been written by Shweta Aggarwal on Toyota Etios.