When you drive a new car out of the showroom, it
loses about 20% of its value almost straight
away - which goes to show that buying a New Car
is never going to be an investment. However, if
you buy a
second hand car, you will find an
affordable car at a price which won’t depreciate
as quickly as that of a new car – so buying a
second hand car can prove to be a much more cost
effective purchase than buying new one.
But we're sometimes lead to believe that the
world of second hand car sales is awash with the
stereotypical car salesman, ready to pounce on
unsuspecting customers and take advantage of
their ignorance of mechanics. So, how do you go
about buying a second hand car which is not
going to break down the minute you drive off
into the sunset? There are three key places to
buy a second hand car: from a second hand car
dealership, a private seller, or an auction.
Buying from a reputable second hand car
dealership is probably the safest way of buying
a second hand vehicle, especially if you don’t
have much knowledge of cars. Dealerships
normally test cars for safety and mechanical
soundness and often offer some form of
guarantee. However, the down side of buying from
a dealership is that they tend to be a little
more expensive than buying privately - although
they are often still open to negotiation on
price.
It is possible to pick up some great bargains on
second hand cars
at auctions. However, buying
from a car auction normally doesn’t allow you
much time to inspect or test drive a vehicle -
so caution must be taken; even more so when
buying from online auction sites where you only
have a photograph and a short description to go
on.
Private car sellers can be found in local
papers, notice boards and via online second hand
car classifieds. There iare no shortages of
private car sellers and this is probably the
most common way of purchasing a second hand car.
Upon finding a car of interest, a buyer can
contact a seller via phone or email to arrange
an inspection and make an offer.
Before buying any second hand car, first check
the current market value for the vehicle you
want. There are guidebooks available from most
newsagents that list makes and models for almost
all cars and give an approximate value with
relation to the age.
When you first inspect a car, check the body
work first. Are there any corrosion showing or
rust? It’s rare to find a car more than 5 years
old that is completely rust free, but make sure
that any corrosion is cosmetic, rather than
structural. Then look at the general state of
the engine and check the colour of the oil and
coolant, as this can give clues to the
condition. Also check the mileage, ask to see
the car’s log book and check on the amount of
tax and M.O.T. left on the car.
As long as you do your background research, and
conduct a thorough check before parting with
your cash, buying a
second hand car
can be a
very cost effective way of purchasing a good
used car it gets you on the road without
breaking the bank.
