How to Pick the Right Used Car
GUEST POST.
Image Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash
If you’re buying a car, there’s one sure-fire way to limit your costs. That’s to buy used. A second-hand vehicle will sidestep a significant chunk of the depreciation that new cars suffer from during the early stages of their time on the road.
But getting the best from the used market means knowing what questions to ask, and avoiding the more common pitfalls. Let’s take a look at how we might approach the purchasing process.
Define your requirements and budget
What do you want from a used car? Once you can set out your requirements clearly, you’ll be able to shop from a limited selection of options. If you need something that’s compact and fuel-efficient for your city commute, there’s no sense in considering options that are massive and better suited for country life.
Of course, among the most salient concerns should be the overall cost of keeping the vehicle on the road. That means thinking about fuel efficiency, reliability and taxation, among other things. Also do checks on roughly how much the insurance would cost you, comparison websites can help you find the best deals once you have a car in mind.
It is also worth considering keeping a little money aside in case any repairs need to be done. Once you start looking at cars, check their MOTs and see if there are any outstanding adviseries.
Selecting the right dealership (or seller) and location
A reputable seller can offer valuable reassurance. You’ll be able to buy with confidence that the transaction is binding and that all of the paperwork is taken care of. A dealership will also give you a fixed point of contact and simplify the process of inspecting and test-driving the vehicle. Look for a local dealership that is a member of a relevant trade body. If you’re based in Yorkshire, for example, Leeds used cars might be the best way forward.
Ask friends and family who they have bought cars through or if there is anyone they have heard of that has a good reputation.
Inspecting the vehicle, history checks and test-drive
Once you’ve composed a shortlist of potential purchases, you can start poring through paperwork, and establishing whether the car really matches up to the data you’re looking at. Check whether you’re going to be assuming responsibility for outstanding finance, and that the mileage on the vehicle matches what’s in the documentation. Run a vehicle history check and also look at the service records for the car.
Test-driving is an art, too. You’ll want to look for specific handling issues and strange noises. This often means testing more than one car of the same make and model. Test drive the car on different types of road, checking the brakes and smoothness of gear changes and make sure all the indicators, windscreen wipers and other electrics are in order.
Research any commons problems with that make and model of car and take a closer look at those areas.
If you can get an independent mechanical inspection that is recommended, or if you know someone who has a background with cars it is always worth asking their opinion.
Also check over the general condition of the car inside and out – for example are there any rust issues and is the upholstery in a good condition? It's also important to look at the tyres, if they are getting near the end of their life you will need to factor in the cost of buying new ones and discuss with the seller how this can be considered when negotiating a price.
Under the bonnet, check fluid levels and look for any possible leaks.
Final checks, negotiation and paperwork
Before you complete the transaction, you’ll want to raise any concerns with the seller and negotiate the price down. If you’re close to the twice-yearly change of number plates, then you might have additional leverage. Be prepared to walk away from any given deal and make sure that you walk into any negotiation having decided where your red lines are.
This is a guest post and therefore these are not necessarily the views of Index Digital.
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