10 Things to Look Out For When Buying Used Trucks in Hobart Indiana
Jul 30, 2022
used ford f150 pickup truck
Purchasing a used truck is one of the most significant investments you can make. Like any investment, you must do your due diligence with used trucks. Hobart, Indiana has a fair few used car dealers. That said, buying used trucks is a bit different from buying used cars. While some of the standard purchasing guidelines apply, there are specific guidelines that pertain to buying trucks. We’re going to tell you everything you need to know when you purchase your next truck.
Why Buy a Pickup Truck?
If you’re considering buying a pickup truck at all, then you have different needs from most car buyers. You probably value the extra space that pickup trucks afford. Not to mention, the sheer strength and durability that these trucks provide.
Durability
Trucks are designed for stress. The engineers and designers expect you to use your truck to haul heavy items, and dirty items, and spend time driving over all sorts of different terrain. That’s why trucks last a lot more than the average car, usually around 200,000 miles.
When you buy a used truck, you can be doubly confident that your truck will stand the test of time. After all, it’s been battle-tested by the previous owner. You’ll also find that a good dealer will check up on the truck with their mechanics, so you know that past use won’t be an obstacle to your future use.
Hauling Capacity
Trucks are known for their elevated horsepower. You know those commercials where they film a bunch of horses pulling absurdly heavy things behind them. That’s your truck. Typically, you’ll be able to pull double the truck’s weight.
Whether you’re moving furniture or you’re moving a boat, you can always benefit from the extra capacity. If all your friends start begging you to move furniture for them, you might want to start a moving business on the side. That way, you can charge them.
Versatility
All those awkward things that don’t fit inside your regular car will surely fit inside a truck. Imagine trying to stuff a mattress inside a sedan. And apart from mattresses, you could fit all sorts of things into the bed of your truck. It won’t matter if they’re dirty or clean, because you can always hose the bed down afterward, unlike the trunk of your car.
Truck offroad
Of course, your truck doesn’t need to be devoted only to messy, grueling tasks. You can also use it in more familiar circumstances. Many of these trucks are quite spacious and provide their owners with plenty of flexibility for hauling their families. It doesn’t matter if you’re going on a road trip, or just to football practice. The extra capacity will always make it more useful than a simple sedan.
Consider Getting a Used Truck
Now that you’re set on buying a truck, we recommend that you purchase a used one. After all, you can typically find a better price with these than for new ones.
Avoid Depreciation and Get a Better Price
As you know, the moment that you drive your car off the lot, your car’s value depreciates. This applies just as much to trucks as it does to cars. So what’s the point in being the sucker who pays a few thousand dollars extra buying that brand new truck. You can often find great deals on trucks that are gently used anyways. There’s no point in paying top dollar.
Proven Reliability
When you buy a used truck, you aren’t exposed to all the risks that come with purchasing a new model. If a truck has been around the block for a few years, there are some known issues. In most cases, they aren’t severe. On the other hand, a brand-new truck could have unlimited downside.
Of course, the older the truck you purchase, the more data points you have available for research. With an older truck, you’ll have access to more customer reviews and industry ratings over a longer period of time. Someone who bought a new car last year doesn’t know the ins and outs of the vehicle like someone would if they had been driving the car for 5 years. Since you have a lot of data at your disposal, you might as well do some good research and then narrow your list of preferred trucks down to 2 or 3 that you would take on a test drive.
Easier to Upgrade
If you’re like most car buyers, you aren’t going to settle for the first truck that you see on the lot. Rather, you’re probably going to make a couple of modifications to the vehicle. The camper shell is, of course, the most obvious one. However, there are all sorts of mods you might want to add including lift kits and all-terrain tires to protect you from the elements.
Since you want mods, wouldn’t it be easier to add them to a used vehicle? After all, you could find a lot more information on the internet from other owners of your truck model rather than buying a new model and trying to go it alone. In some cases, these vehicles might already come with the mods you want anyways.
10 Key Points to Remember When Buying a Used Truck
The day you pull up to the dealership, it can be difficult to remain focused on your goal – finding a truck that meets your criteria. One of the main things you need to consider is what you will use your truck for. Not all trucks are fit for the same use case. We’ve suggested 10 points for you to consider if you’re going to purchase a used truck.
Truck Condition
This is a broad subject. You’ll be able to verify the condition of the truck in a couple of ways. The first way is to test things for yourself. You can look at the truck for dents and cracks all you want, but that won’t give you the full picture.
On your first test drive, you should bring a companion. Aside from helping you avoid getting rushed into making a deal that you don’t want, your companion could also be a second set of eyes to look out for any deficiencies that you don’t see.
During the test drive, you can test certain aspects of your driving experience. Pay close attention when you brake, make sure that the gas pedal doesn’t vibrate upon braking. You should listen carefully for any strange rattling sounds. Make sure to take full advantage of the test drive, you should check every conceivable aspect of the car, from the turn signals to the brake lights.
Vehicle History
Any truck dealer that you visit should be able to offer you a full account of the truck’s history. This will offer you basic information including title, ownership, and accident history. These are important. However, you need to go the extra mile with trucks. That’s because they’re more commonly used for activities that produce extra wear and tear.
Find out what previous owners did with the truck. Was the truck used for casual offroading? Perhaps it was used to haul items back and forth on a construction site. The more wear and tear, the higher the likelihood that the car will produce a defect. Even if it seems like the car was in good shape beforehand.
Many trucks have been offroading
Of course, you should have conducted research into the vehicle history beforehand. That way, you’ll be poised to find the most common defects with the truck right away.
Towing, Payload, and Hauling
When you’re discussing trucks, it’s important to understand the difference between these three terms, and how they might factor into your purchasing decision.
The towing capacity of a truck describes exactly how much weight a truck can pull behind it. This says nothing about the weight it can carry. If you plan on using your truck for odd jobs like towing trailers, then you want a truck with a high towing capacity.
Meanwhile, payload describes the amount of weight that the entire truck can carry. This includes both the truck bed and the cabin. It excludes the weight of the truck itself. It’s practical to know this number when you have to move furniture to a house, or other heavy equipment from one job to another.
Finally, hauling capacity describes only the amount that you can carry in the truck bed. This is different from payload capacity because you don’t want to overburden your truck with a bunch of weight concentrated in one area. Therefore, hauling capacity is somewhat smaller than payload.
Torque
If you want to know how much your truck can tow, then look at Torque. When it comes to trucks, it’s often more important to consider torque instead of horsepower. This is because torque describes the truck’s ability to move quickly. When you’re trying to tow something heavy, you need torque more than anything. Horsepower only helps you go fast once the truck is already going.
Torque also relates to the type of engine you have. While a V6 engine is more fuel-efficient, a V8 engine will give you more power. The engines are the same size, but the V8 gives the engine more cylinders from which it can produce power to make the truck more dynamic.
Engine Bay Example
Choosing Between Manual and Automatic Transmission
These days, few companies are producing manual transmissions for trucks in the North American market. In the past, these vehicles were typically cheaper. However, automatic transmission trucks will make offroading easier on inconsistent terrain. Imagine constantly shifting gears as you’re repeatedly going up and down hills.
Manual transmission trucks are rare in North America
If you still want a manual transmission truck, you might have to settle for a much older one.
Choosing Between 2-Wheel Drive and 4-Wheel Drive
When you choose between 2WD and 4WD, you have to consider what you will use the truck for. 2-wheel drive is usually cheaper, and it’s certainly just as useful as 4WD on city streets. That said, if you want to use your truck for some of the purposes that make a truck valuable, then you want to use 4WD. Whether you engage in activities like offroading, or you often drive in bad conditions, you’ll find that 4WD is far more useful to you.
Gas Mileage
Look, gas consumption from a truck won’t be ideal. Especially considering the skyrocketing gas prices. However, some trucks are more fuel-efficient than others. you should still check your truck and determine how many miles per gallon it consumes. It shouldn’t be your foremost consideration, but it should be an important tiebreaker when comparing two different trucks.
Try to save money on gas
The Truck Bed
We touched on this subject when discussing payload and hauling capacity. In any truck, there is always a balance between passenger space and the truck bed. If you plan on taking your family out with your truck, then you definitely want ample room in the back for passengers. If hauling items is a more important activity to you, then you can minimize passenger space and go for a big truck bed. Just make sure that you don’t overlook any future use cases you might have when you commit one way or the other.
Keep anything in your truck bed
Do You Need a Camper Shell?
Not everyone needs a camper shell, but a lot of people find it invaluable when it comes to protecting their truck from the elements. If you have some sensitive items to haul, then you shouldn’t risk exposing them to the rain or snow. Not to mention, these camper shells also act as a disincentive to theft.
The best part about camper shells? You can swiftly add and remove one as you please. Sometimes you might need to haul something so big and clunky that it sticks out. Modern camper shells are easy to remove in those scenarios.
Of course, don’t let the camper shell turn your truck into a permanent storage unit. We’ve seen it far too many times. Some truck owners haul all their belongings with them every day because they can’t find a place to keep them elsewhere. This leaves you more vulnerable to theft, plus it’s just plain unattractive.
Truck Modifications
As we mentioned earlier, people love making all sorts of modifications to their trucks. Some might have even made mods before trying to sell their truck. While that toolbox built into the truck bed was helpful to the previous owner, it might serve little purpose to you. Don’t settle for used trucks with unnecessary modifications. And make sure to take a good look at the truck’s history in this regard too.
Winter tires are a common modification but add weight
Aside from that, you might want to consider if modifications might become necessary for your purposes. If you have trouble getting in the truck, then you would do well to add a step. For more particular modifications, look out to see if they are even possible with the truck you’re considering.
3 Good Trucks for Sale in Hobart
We’ve come up with a list of 3 reliable trucks that at least one dealer in Hobart has on offer. At Eagle Motorsport, you can find every single one of these trucks on our lot. Sometimes, you might find multiple makes of that same truck.
Chevrolet Silverado
Available with both V6 and V8 engines, the Silverado is known for giving you tons of options. The best part of this truck is probably the handling. You’ll barely feel a thing as you maneuver through rough roads with the Silverado.
2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LT
The Silverado is also designed for comfort. Newer models will provide you with helpful features that allow you to connect all your tech. The seating in these trucks is usually spacious.
GMC Sierra
As one of the best trucks for families, you can rely on the GMC Sierra for just about any road trip. The steering on this truck is incredibly responsive, so you can feel secure no matter what the obstacle. Furthermore, it offers excellent crash protection.
All in all, the Sierra is a nice, quiet ride. Some might be disappointed in the V6 engine on older models for having low torque. However, the V8 makes up for this by providing you with an elevated torque comparable to some of the more prestigious truck models. Indeed, the Sierra is more of a basic model as most models come with a black interior color whereas more prestigious models might offer leather.
RAM 1500
The RAM 1500 is probably the most iconic pickup truck. Compared to its peers, you get a lot more towing. Indeed, it has the highest-rated towing capacity of any truck. Moreover, you have ample room for passengers. In some of the upper-tier models, you even get leather seats.
2018 RAM 1500 Express
This versatility is what makes the RAM so popular. They usually come with 4WD and a V8 engine, so you’ll be able to complete just about any job with this truck.
Buy a Used Truck from Eagle Motorsport
You could head to just about any dealer and find a job-ready truck right now. The problem is, that trucks are a massive investment. Would you drop $20,000 on a stock without poking a little deeper?
You have to ensure that the truck sustains its performance in the long run. The only way to do that is to purchase your truck from a dealer that you trust.
At Eagle Motorsport, we didn’t attract 30,000 different clients by accident. And thousands of those are repeat customers. People in Hobart, Michigan City, and the rest of the Chicago area choose us because of how much they appreciate the entire buying experience.
Quality Trucks
We turn over a lot of trucks and cars, but we always make sure to vet them properly before we offer them for sale. Our expert team of mechanics inspects each truck on our lot. We always look out for inadequate or poorly functioning equipment. Moreover, we emphasize transparency. Each truck comes with an Autocheck and CarFax report.
A Great Price
We’re aware that trucks are a little pricier than the average vehicle. However, even at a higher price point, we’re still committed to getting you the best deal you can afford. For instance, we give you the ability to trade in your old vehicle for a new one if you like.
If you’re worried about your credit, don’t. Our accounting team will work hard to find a financing option that’s feasible for you. There are all sorts of ways for you to qualify for a loan that other dealers might not have considered because they don’t have the breadth of knowledge that we do.
Friendly Service
As we mentioned earlier, our reputation didn’t come about by accident. Our goal is to make the buying experience as comfortable as we can. Our sales agents are respectful and laid-back. We aren’t trying to force you to buy anything you don’t want. After all, why would we? We have so many trucks on our lot that we’re sure you’ll find something you like.
Our service doesn’t end once you buy the truck. We’re always available to help you with any questions or concerns you might have. We want to make sure that you’re satisfied with your purchase for years to come.
Conclusion
Buying a truck is a big decision. However, it’s not one that you have to make alone. At Eagle Motorsport, we’re here to guide you through the entire process. We’re confident that you’ll find a truck that you love on our lot. And if you don’t, we’ll help you find one that you do.
So if you’re in the market for a used truck, then don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’re always here to help.
