7 Tips to Help You Pick the Right Used Truck – Buford, GA

A used truck is a great way to get all the performance and power you need in a pickup at a significantly lower price than a brand new model. Choosing the right truck, however, might not always be as simple as it seems – and overlooking something important can result in serious regrets and wasted money. Before you go out shopping for used trucks for sale, take a little time to think about what you need, do some research, and then pick the right dealership.

To keep things simple, we’re going to focus on pretty general concepts and specs, rather than looking at a bunch of specific trucks. If you already know exactly what you want, then that’s great; but for everyone else, you should think of this as a way to get started and make sure you consider everything you need. The more you know ahead of time, the easier it will be to look at different used trucks for sale, pick the right one to meet all your needs, and make sure you drive away completely happy.

Tip #1 – Engines and Power

As you look at different used trucks for sale, you will typically see them advertised with information about the engines in them, particularly how much horsepower and torque they can offer. These specs are important because they directly relate to your experience when driving that truck. More horsepower and torque will make driving the truck feel better overall – you won’t feel like you’re fighting to get uphill or hoping your truck can quickly merge onto the highway.

In general, the simple thing to remember is that more is better with horsepower and torque. You’ll also find that these specs usually relate to the size of the truck. A full-size heavy-duty pickup will usually have a more powerful engine than a mid-size truck, which it needs. Horsepower and torque aren’t everything, but you certainly want to make sure you choose a pickup that is enjoyable to drive and can handle what you throw at it.

Tip #2 – Towing and Payload Capacities

A lot of people look for used or certified pre-owned trucks for sale to use with work or for recreation; either way, towing and payload come into play quite often. Don’t get these two things confused, however: towing capacity refers to how much weight the truck can pull behind it, while payload is the amount of weight that can be loaded onto or in the truck itself, including people. Once again, higher numbers are better as it means you can get more work done.

Before you look at any used trucks for sale, figure out how much weight you need to be able to tow and load up on your truck. There’s a big difference between your needs if you occasionally have a few hundred pounds of cargo loaded up in the back, compared to if you haul a trailer full of lumber across town every few weeks. Once you know what you need, then you can eliminate trucks that won’t work for you. Also, remember that mid-size trucks will have the lowest capacities, then standard full-size models, and finally heavy-duty pickups will be able to tow or be loaded up with the most weight.

Tip #3 – Box Length and Options

It can also be helpful to figure out how large a box you need for your truck – this is sometimes referred to as the “bed” of the truck. They are not all the same size, and you will often see short, standard, and long boxes available on different models, or even on different versions of the same model. Consider the length of items you want to load up and choose a truck accordingly. When looking at used trucks for sale, also keep in mind your lifestyle and home; make sure you choose a truck that you can fit into your life.

Tip #4 – Cab Size and Options

At the same time, you should also think about how large a cab you want for your truck. These are usually labeled as regular cabs, extended cabs, and crew cabs in increasing size. If it’s almost always just you in your truck, then a regular cab with no rear seating might work fine. On the other hand, if you want to load up your family or friends, then an extended cab is necessary while a crew cab will give people in the backseat a lot more room.

Tip #5 – Interior Features

You might think that looking at used trucks for sale means you have little freedom regarding the interior options you end up with. In fact, it’s quite the opposite – with so many different used models to choose from, interior features can vary quite a lot. While you might not be able to choose from different packages like you can with a brand new pickup, you can still typically look at what’s available and find something that meets your needs.

Consider the tech features and options that you want, such as a large infotainment screen, a digital driver cluster, and the sound system. Since you’re going to spend a lot of time sitting in your truck, you should also look at the quality of the seats and choose one that will be as comfortable for you as possible. You might not be able to find the perfect option, so try to prioritize these features and look for what’s most important to you.

Tip #6 – Safety Features

While it’s easy to get wrapped up in towing capacity and impressive tech features, the safety of your truck is the most important thing of all. Look for newer used trucks for sale so you can find impressive safety features like blind spot detection, cross-traffic alerts, and front and rear collision detection. A used truck with great safety features might be a bit more expensive than some other options, but you really can’t put a price on safety.

Tip #7 – Buying from the Right Dealer

Finally, once you have a sense of what you’re looking for, it’s important to shop for used trucks for sale from reliable sources, so you know you’re getting the best quality possible. It can be tempting to save money by buying a used truck from a private seller, but this has some major risks involved. The seller has no liability or responsibility to you after the sale is made if you discover something is wrong with the truck. While they might seem forthcoming and honest, there’s no way to really know what they’ve done to the truck while they owned it.

You’re much better off looking at used trucks for sale from professional dealerships, either ones that offer both used and new vehicles or those that specialize in used models. With a dealer, you always know where to come back to if there is an issue and it’s in their best interest to maintain a reputation of honesty and integrity with all of their customers. Plus, dealerships can have certified pre-owned trucks that have been thoroughly inspected by the original manufacturer and guaranteed to be in the very best condition possible. This gives you peace of mind that no private seller can offer.

Choosing the right dealership is also important. At Rick Hendrick Chevrolet of Buford, we’re not just here to sell vehicles; we’re here to build relationships with our customers and be a part of our community. Contact us in Buford, GA, and put us to work on finding the best used truck for you.