Age and mileage are definitely the main data you should process during that harrowing period of indecision that precedes the purchase of an used car. Try to be realistic: most people do not care for their vehicles as much as they should, so odds are your "new old car" will have suffered for a while in the hands of someone who goes nuts with the gas pedal, swerves a lot or just does not worry about hitting sidewalks and proper use of gears. So just follow the age-old, time-testes thumb rule: less is more!

You should also ponder carefully on the type of vehicle that will meet your wishes and needs. Do you have a big family, and would hate to drive your kids to school all cramped up in a compact? Does the word "faster" tickle your senses? Are you a spendthrift who doesn't mind plodding along at snail's pace just to safe a few gas bucks at the end of the month? All this must be taken into long, careful consideration. And it'll make your job a lot easier once you narrow down the possibilities to just one or two vehicle categories. As for those extras we all just love to see, they should count in your decision, of course, but try to avoid that urge we get to buy a car just because the stereo is amazing or the dashboard has some really nifty lighting work in it. Try to be reasonable and not let these details overlook the main issues.

Once you have jotted down these basic items, just surf the web for some used car sites. That should be a nice place to start, and you can visit them at home or during a break from work. They usually have these long forms you can fill in with the decisions you made above. They will filter the results for you. Oh, and if possible choose to see only those cars that are with pictures. In my book, if they do not put a picture on the web, then it does not look well at all! Magazines and newspapers are also a good place to have a look, if you are comfortable with the idea of forsaking filters, sorting and all those wonderful features the Internet has brought us. But, ultimately, there is nothing like going to your local used car stand, strolling through row after row of nice and less nice cars, opening them, checking out their innards at will. Just be wary of crafty salesmen and their aggressive techniques. Good hunting!