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Tips for Buying a Second Hand Car

Buying a car, any car, is usually a very exciting experience, especially if that car is for a first time owner. However the biggest mistake that anyone can make when looking for a second hand car is to allow sentiments or emotions play anything but a minute part in the decision making process. Cars are a very important part of our lives, and people who recall their lives before they had a car, and after will rush to agree that there is no comparison, despite the extra costs that owning a car brings into their financial spectrum. However there is also a minority of people who are in the unhappy situation of owning a car and not being able to drive it. Why? Because they let their hearts rule their heads and bought a "pig in a poke" that spends it life in the garage, or worst still on blocks, because the owners cannot afford to repair it.

Buying a brand new car is a luxury very few people can afford to take, or if they can afford it, choose not to. The fact is that more than 70% of new cars registered in the UK in 2007 were company cars, and most of them owned by leasing companies. New cars notoriously drop in value in their first year or two, and after they tend to level out.

Buying an ex lease-hire car is becoming an attractive option for people in the market for fairly new second hand cars, as the leasing companies want to trade them on after three years or so. The advantages are that the car will be in a generally good condition, will be on sale at below book price. The disadvantages are that unless you have access to inside information that will tell you different, the car will have had several drivers none of whom were the owner, with all that that entails. The other downside is that the car will usually have run up more than an average mileage for the years that it has been on the road. However if you are not planning to use the car excessively, then the average will soon level out.

There are many car lots that specialize in selling cars from leasing companies, and it is very convenient to go along and have a choice of fifty or one hundred cars to choose from. These cars usually come with a three months warranty on parts only, which can be reassuring but only in the short term. Whatever you decide, and no matter what the salesman tells you, request that the car be taken for a pre-purchase inspection at a garage of your choice. Look for major damage to the chassis or the engine, and not if the cigarette lighter is working.

The same rule applies to any used car that you but, even if it is from your best friend or your brother. In fact, one of the best rules in buying a used car is never to buy it from someone you know. Keep it impersonal.

If your budget does not stretch to newer cars, then you should try and stay away from used car lots and search the private market. Used car lots tend to look for a profit per unit on a car, usually of around £600, which is not a lot in a car retailing at £8,000 or over, but a very high percentage when the car costs £3,000 or under.

Buying a car at auctions can be a good way of saving money, but certainly not for the faint of heart. Decisions have to be made instantly, and the cars are almost always sold as seen. Any hope of doing a pre purchase inspection is nonexistent, and there is no recourse whatsoever to the buyer if the car is found to be mechanically flawed.

The next, and most likely option, is to search the internet or the local paper for second hand cars in your price range. It always helps to narrow down the field by short listing a few models of cars that you like. The criteria should be engine size, the model's reputation and information on running cost. Things that should not be taken into account are the cars colour or does the radio work.

Once you have narrowed down the field, you should set off, never alone, to have a look at the cars you have in mind. Bear in mind that you are going to look at a car and not to buy one. People, who set off with that mindset, often have plenty of time to reflect on their misplaced over-enthusiasm.

The first thing you should do when you arrive at your destination is to inspect the seller and not the car. If he has a patch over his eye, a parrot perched on his shoulder and a wooden leg, then that is good enough reason to be worried. If he is the local parish minister, then you should still ask for identification. Before you get close to the car you need to examine is the paper work. Is the car registered in the name of the person who is selling it, as well as the car's log book and MOT certificate? If everything matches up, then you can begin to look upon the car as a potential purchase. If it doesn't, move on.

Look for how many owners the car has had, average mileage in relation to year, check inside the boot to see if the car's paintwork is original. If the car owner has a service history to show you, then this is a very positive sign. Yet no matter how good it looks, and how much you love the colour, insist on a pre-purchase inspection. If things work out, you will have bought yourself a good car that will serve you well, in safety and comfort, for many years.

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