Understanding Listings for a Used Truck

The internet has made shopping easier than it has ever been in human history, giving all of us more access to goods and materials. Just like you can shop for anything else from home, you can even do a lot of car shopping while in your pajamas. One of the best ways to approach a used pickup dealership is by going to their website and looking over the inventory that they have listed. Here on our site, you can easily see our fantastic selection of both new and used vehicles we have available, including a number of pre-owned pickups in great shape.

But just like looking at anything else while shopping online, it’s important that you understand what you’re seeing when you’re checking out our inventory. The picture of a truck is pretty straightforward, but after that, you’ll find a lot of specs and stats about each vehicle. All of this information is important and gives you a good sense of what the truck has to offer and whether or not it might be the right one for you. So today, we’re going to briefly go over the sort of information you’ll typically see for a vehicle listed on the website of your favorite used pickup dealership.

Year, Make, and Model

Some of the first information you’ll usually see for a vehicle listed by a used car dealership is its year, make, and model. This is pretty self-explanatory, but it’s important because it can tell you a lot about the truck. You probably already have certain models in mind that you’re interested in, so this makes it easy to narrow down your search.

Used vs Pre-Owned vs Certified Pre-Owned (CPO)

You’ll typically see each vehicle presented with one of these three descriptors in its listing, such as “Pre-Owned 2018 Ram 1500.” The terms “used” and “pre-owned” are essentially the same; dealerships just feel that “pre-owned” sounds nicer than “used.” Certified Pre-Owned, however, is different and means that the vehicle has met certain conditions set by the original manufacturer through a dealership. These models will cost more than similar used trucks, but they’ll be in great condition and can have warranty coverage. However, real CPO vehicles can only be sold by an affiliated dealership (for instance, we can sell Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, and Ram CPO vehicles), so look out for unscrupulous unaffiliated dealerships using this term.

Body Type and Style

Trucks are available in different sizes for both the cab and the bed. Be sure to pay attention to both of these things to get a pickup that really works well for you. A regular cab is quite a bit smaller than a crew cab, while a short bed can be several feet shorter than a regular bed. You’ll also find information about the exterior color if it’s something you’re interested in.

Trim Level

This is usually the last thing you’ll see in the main listing for a vehicle, after its year, make, and model. It tells you what specific options the vehicle had before any available features and packages were added when it was bought as new. You might not know every feature for every trim, but it’s a good idea to look up vehicles you’re interested in and see what each trim included. The trim level of a used pickup can impact which engines it had available, the interior features, and even how well it can tow a trailer.

Additional Options and Equipment

Once you get past the main listing name for a vehicle, then you can look at more specific information for that truck. This will usually include additional equipment found on the vehicle that goes beyond what it would’ve come with standard. So you might see a baseline trim like the Tradesman for the Ram 1500, but the additional equipment list may show that it includes optional features like carpeted floor covering or a spray-in bedliner.

Equipment Groups or Packages

In addition to some specific options that you might find listed, in some cases, any packages or groups that were chosen for a vehicle will be listed on a used pickup dealership website. A lot of companies, including Ram, will offer Equipment Groups or Packages that let you choose numerous available options all at once. So you’ll see this information, which lets you easily look up what was included with them.

Seat Type and Interior

Look for information about the type of seating and specifics about the interior, including color and materials used. Some of this might be directly tied to a particular trim that was chosen, but in many cases, there can still be available options for each trim. If you’re looking for high-grade leather seating, then look for a high trim level or a vehicle where the buyer chose such an option.

Entertainment System

This is probably not your top concern, but it’s still worth looking for. If you are interested in a more recent model, then look for information about the size of the infotainment display and connectivity features like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. These can make driving your truck more fun and help with productivity.

Engine

Any vehicle you look at in the inventory of a used pickup dealership should include information about its engine. At the very least, look for the displacement and number of cylinders, such as a “3.6L V6” or “5.7L HEMI V8.” Sometimes you’ll see additional information like horsepower and torque or details about cooling, but even if that’s not provided, with the make and model, you can easily look that up for the engine in question.

Transmission

This might be listed with the engine information, or it might be a separate section. Depending on the model year you’re looking at, an automatic transmission might’ve been the only option, or you could find a model with a manual transmission. Know what you’re looking for, and then be sure to choose a truck that you’ll enjoy driving.

Towing Information

Sometimes a particular towing package will be listed, or it will indicate if the truck comes with a towing hitch or not. You won’t usually find specific towing capacities listed, though you should still look for them. If nothing is provided, you can look up the make, model, engine, and other information to get a sense of what its maximum towing capacity might be. However, the only way to know the exact towing capacity of a specific truck is by inspecting the label on the driver’s side door jamb.

Mileage

This gives you a pretty good sense of how much the truck has been driven by a previous owner or owners. Low mileage is typically best, of course, but higher mileage can also mean a better price for you. Ultimately, a vehicle history report can tell you more about how the truck was treated than the mileage on it.

Fuel Efficiency

Estimated fuel efficiency can tell you what to expect in terms of how often you’ll head to the gas pump. Of course, with a used vehicle, other factors will impact this, like the engine’s condition, the wheels, and the alignment. So keep in mind all of these things when picking the right truck.

Additional Information

Beyond these specs, you’ll find information like an overall description and any deals or incentives going on with that vehicle. The price will be listed too, of course, which is going to be a big factor in finding the right vehicle at your preferred used pickup dealership. As long as you know what you’re looking at and what it all means, you should be in great shape. If you have any questions, contact us at Orange Coast for more information. Our team will work with you to help you find the right used truck.