Around nine million cars are bought by UK drivers each year – but only two million of them are new. The rest are used and can represent an excellent, value-for-money buy. Here are MotorCheck’s top tips for purchasing a pre-loved motor.
Not everyone can afford to buy a new car. And not everyone wants to buy a new car, even if they have the cash in the bank. Just look at the figures – nearly four times as many second-hand vehicles are bought each year as new ones.
Those used cars might be anything from a near-new dealer demonstrator, only a couple of months sold, to a cheap runabout that costs no more than a few hundred quid.
Big ‘supermarket’ style and online organisations are set up to shift good quality, low mileage used cars, and they do very well. And alongside that, millions more, older, higher mileage cars change hands every year.
Buying used can be a good idea, but purchasing any vehicle is not just a one-off payment – it’s a longer-term consideration because, whatever you buy, you want to ensure you get service and reliability from it. Nobody likes to be ripped off or left with a vehicle they wish they had never set eyes on.
Getting a well-maintained two or three-year old model can save you thousands of pounds compared with buying the equivalent new car. But it can be risky if you don’t carry out the correct checks first to ensure you know exactly what you are buying and are therefore not taking the chance and ending up with a ‘dodgy motor’ that can turn into a money-trap.
Here are MotorCheck’s top tips to help you find a good quality used car that will give you everything you want from your ‘new to you’ motor.
1. Set a price
It’s easy to get carried away when you find the used car of your dreams. And it’s worse if you know other people might be looking at it too. But set yourself a budget and stick to it. Otherwise, you could end up paying over the odds for a vehicle that just isn’t worth it. Any dealer will expect you to discuss or haggle the price and you should be able to get some cash off, or at the very least some extras such as car mats, a full tank of fuel or a free service in a year’s time. Above all, wait for the right car at the right price, with head ruling heart.
2. Comfort issues
It doesn’t matter how lovely your intended next purchase might look, if it doesn’t suit you when driving it, you need to walk away. A six-foot driver might not even fit into a two-seater sports car, let alone be able to control it safely. Get behind the wheel of any car and make sure you are comfortable and can adjust the seat and steering wheel to exactly how you like them. Drive it and make sure you ‘feel’ right. Ensure there is room for rear seat passengers including children that might use a baby seat or booster. And check the boot space too – especially if you play golf!
3. Used car warranty
Many used cars will come with some sort of warranty to cover parts for a short period of time, especially if you’re buying from a dealer or specialist sales company. But if you’ve spent hard-saved cash on a decent car you should be thinking about buying a used car warranty once any guarantee has run out.
A used warranty covers you for parts and labour repair costs if your car fails dramatically. Policies vary greatly and each has its own ‘small print’ limits on vehicle age, mileage and the total amount of payout, so it’s worth looking carefully at what’s on offer before signing up to anything. Each case is different, and you can often build a policy to suit your circumstances.
4. Breakdown recovery
New cars usually come with at least a year’s roadside assistance and recovery as part of the manufacturer’s offer. Used cars do not. Additionally, they will have covered several thousand miles and might have parts that are starting to wear out and so are more likely to break down at the roadside than a brand new model.
So, recovery is another service that is worth considering and adding into your used car buying budget. There are plenty of roadside rescue companies to choose from, with costs from around £45 a year, rising if you want a more comprehensive ‘recovery to home’ policy.
5. Regular servicing
Check to see if the car you’re thinking of buying has any sort of service record. You really want to be buying a vehicle that has had at least the minimum annual safety and maintenance checks. If it hasn’t the chances are the previous owner hasn’t bothered to look after it very well. A car that has been regularly checked and with a service record book up to date will reduce the chances of something failing on it, increase your safety, and maintain the vehicle’s value too – a car with an FSH (full service history) is more attractive to buyers when you come to sell on.
6. Parts and accessories
Before you buy any car, think about how much its parts and accessories will cost you should you need to replace them. Prestige and higher performance models have more features on them which could go wrong (such as a powered tailgate, a turbo, or parking sensors) and, depending on the make and model, the costs for these will vary wildly. A Bentley windscreen wiper will cost more than one from a Fiat 500. It might be worth having a maintenance budget set out in your mind, or on paper, so you know you will be able to afford parts when (not if) you need them.
7. Tax and insurance
The higher the CO2 emissions a car produces, the higher its vehicle road tax will be, so opting for a low emissions car will help your budget. Work out what you can afford before falling in love with a five-litre V8 gas-guzzler.
Likewise, insurance costs vary greatly. Everyone’s insurance premium is different because they are worked out according to the car being insured, the driver’s age and experience and other factors such as where you live and your driving record. An expensive high performance car is going to cost a lot more to insure than a sensible town runabout, so bear this in mind before agreeing to buy any vehicle.
8. Car history check
Industry reports have shown that half of all cars available for sale second hand, have some form of ‘hidden history’. Usually this is as simple as a number plate change, but it may mean that the car was previously written off in an accident, had the mileage illegally rolled back or still has outstanding debt to a finance company.
A car history check, such as MotorCheck’s £9.99 ‘Single Check’ will scan through all these features and more for the car you’re thinking of buying. All you need is the registration number or VIN (vehicle identification number). If the seller seems reluctant to give you either of these, be suspicious.
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