I agree that a well maintained used car is a very smart buy. That is exactly what I do! The chief advantage is being able to get a much nicer class of car than I could afford new.

Over here we have something called Carfax which enables you to enter a car's VIN number, thenget a report that shows if it has been reported as stolen, or if there has been a damage claim made on the vehicle. It is a good resource.

"Program" cars are a good buy too, these are off-lease used vehicles that have low miles and are recondition to near new quality by the dealer. Of course nothing beats buying an old "creampuff" from that "little ole lady in passadena". LOL