Some of you may be able to read an ad like the one above, but for many of us, this may be a little too vague. The rules of writing an ad when you want to see a car yourself are: Don’t over-abbreviate, don’t under-abbreviate, and don’t be too vague.

The above ad is an example of over-abbreviating. You may have seen ads full of acronyms and strange words, usually written that way so the seller can get in as much information as possible. Someone browsing the classified ads might skip over one written this way because it’s too much to figure out.

Under-abbreviating can cost you more money to place the ad. It’s even said that those who are experienced car buyers will interpret this kind of an ad as written by an inexperienced seller, and may assume from that that you’re an "easy target."

Writing an ad that is too vague, on the other hand, also is defeating. Stating that the car "runs fast" and "looks great" isn’t really very helpful. A car buyer wants to know the details: number of doors, what kind of stereo system, with or without air conditioning, etc.

In his book, "How to Buy a Used Car," Tod Makower lists the following as those items that are really important to include in an ad to sell your vehicle:

• Transmission: auto or manual, 4-speed, 5-speed, 4WD, FWD.
• Engine: V-8, V-6 or 4-cylinder. You can add fuel injection, or turbo, or diesel, supercharger, turbocharger.
• Any optional accessories: type of radio, AM/FM, AM/FM/Cassette, A/C (air conditioning), PS (power steering), PW (power windows), PD (power door locks), ABS (antilock brakes). If your car is "all power," you might just state it that way.
• Condition: No need to mention scratches, dents. Emphasize the positive: "perf. Cond.," or "like new."
• Mileage: Round-off the miles; if the car’s got 32,200, just use 32K.
• Doors: 2-dr., 4-dr.
• Make/model and year: ’86 Merc Coug. (Mercury Cougar).
• Phone number and suggested calling times.

If the car has some special luxury items (leather seats, alarm system), you can mention those. And, if you’ve recently done some major fixing-up (new tires, recent tune-up), you can mention that also. The list can be as long as you want.

How to handle what you will and will not tell a potential buyer is always tricky. If your car has serious problems, you don’t need to mention each one. A used car inherently has some problems. If, however, there are bigger problems with the car, it’s probably better to mention them. It’s always best to focus in on the car’s positive aspects. If the car runs well but needs body work, you might describe it as "good basic transportation."

One last reminder: You probably want to check the laws in your state concerning private-party used-car sales. Even if a car is being sold "as is," you as the seller do have certain obligations.

Ready to sell? Place an Ad Now!

By posting a listing in our service, or searching listings, you agree to be bound by the terms and conditions contained herein, as well as our Visitor Agreement. Please read both carefully.