Used Car Buying Tips

We've put together some top car buying tips from people that have bought and sold, used cars from all over the U.K.

1. Decide what type of car your looking for
2. Check the internet
3. Locate the vehicle you want to buy
4. Check the vehicle over
5. Take 10 minutes
6. Negotiate for a better price
7. Best way pay for the car.

Decide what type of car your looking for,

It sounds daft, but the majority of people who set out to buy a used car, don't know exactly what car they want to come home with. There is no perfect car, just opinions. If there was a perfect car, then everyone would be driving it. Our advice is, decide on a type of car that your interested in and stick to it. Remember used car salesman will try to get you to buy the cars they have in stock, and not the one that you want. They receive training in how to talk you off certain cars and on to others. If your absolutely sure, before you set out, their chances of doing this are substantially reduced.

Check the Internet,

Once you have decided which car you are looking at, do as much research about it on the internet as possible. One big tip that most overlook is, try to find an "Owner Club" forum, these owners clubs are populated by people who own the cars your looking to buy and will gladly tell you the most common faults to look out for when buying one. Also check the recommended parts change data, this data shows you when you need to change timing belts and clutches etc. Very important as no-one wants a car that needs constant maintenance.

Locate the vehicle you want,

You don't always have to buy from a used car showroom, Ebay has become very popular these days with people wanting to get a good deals on cars.

A popular misconception these days is that you can still get a good deal from old style car auctions. The truth is that this isn't the case anymore, there is too much competition and by the time you have added on all your buying fees, there isn't much money saved and you haven't had the opportunity to check it over.

Autotrader is a good place to get a decent car, but the prices wanted for most cars on autotrader are over the odds. Remember Autotrader charge around £40 to list a car in there magazine / internet site, and the seller is going to want to make that money back from you.

Check the vehicle over,

If you like what you hear about the car over the phone / internet, set up a meeting to see the car during the daytime. Go on a long test-drive and get a good idea of how well it handles in a variety of driving conditions. Think about your comfort as well. Because you're test-driving a used car, you'll need to pay attention to all aspects of driving. It's best to drive with the radio off so you can notice if there is any engine noise.

Once under way, there are a few things you can ask yourself:

• Does the gear box change smoothly?
• If you're driving a manual, does the clutch fully engage before you take your foot off the pedal?
• How well do the brakes work? Does the car pull?
• How is the alignment? Does the car drift to the left or right?
• Do you notice any shuddering, vibrating, rattles or squeaks?
• How does it handle while driving uphill?
• Perform some turning maneuvers on a side street. What is the turning radius like?
• Are there any blind spots?
• Drive over bumps and dips. How is the suspension?
• Now get on the highway. Does it have the acceleration you need?
• Does the cruise control work?

While you're driving, think about comfort:

• Does the seat offer plenty of support?
• Do you have ample leg and head room?

  Before you go to the expense of having the car professionally inspected, look at it yourself and make sure it's worth the money. Check out the exterior of the car:

  • Do a thorough walk around and look for scratches, dings and rust.
  • Make sure the doors, hood and trunk seal well and evenly align with the surface of the car.
  • Look for differences in color on the panels and paint on the rubber seals around body openings. These are signs the car may have undergone body repair work or been repainted.

  Take a look at the tires:

  • See if tread wear is even on all four tires. If not, they may not have been rotated regularly.
  • Make sure the tires have enough tread on them to be safe. (This could be a negotiating point if the car will need new tires soon.)
  • Make sure there isn't a mix of brands or sizes on the same axle.

  Open the boot:

  • Sniff for a mildew smell and look for signs of water leakage.
  • Check the condition of the spare tire. Make sure the jack and other tools are there.

  Look under the bonnet:

  • Check for signs of leaking fluids, battery corrosion, damaged wires or cracked hoses.
  • Check all the fluids—are they at the correct levels? The engine oil should be a smooth dark brown or black. Transmission fluid should be pinkish and smell like oil.
  • If the engine is completely cool, remove the radiator cap and look at the color of the coolant. If you see a layer of oily film or what appears to be rust, there could be a problem. (Don't confuse rust with orange coolant. Many newer vehicles use orange coolant instead of green coolant.)

  Look under the car with a flashlight:

  • Look for signs of oil leaks, coolant or rust.
  • Check out the condition of the different parts. If you see any pristine sections, then the car may have been repaired.
  • Inspect the condition of the tailpipe. It shouldn't be overly black and greasy or heavily rusted.

  Inspect the interior of the car:

  • Try every function, from electric windows and locks to the sunroof to lights. Play the radio and tape or CD player if there is one.
  • Study the upholstery for wear and tear or sagging.

Take 10 Minutes

Whatever you do, we always advise that you walk away before making your decision. This will have a couple on effects.

• It will let you cool off and think rationally, there is nothing wrong in wanting something and we all do it. Talk to your family or friends that will give you there opinion, remember it's just there opinion and they are your friends.
• The chap that is selling you the car, knows that the best chance of you buying the car, is if you buy there and then on impulse. They have seen so many people walk off, and no matter how much they tell you someone else might buy it, ask them why the car is still there then. He might offer you some money off if you buy there and then, but still walk away and have a thing. There are other cars out there.

Negotiate for a better price

This is key when buying a used car, it's built into the price. Everyone knows there is room to haggle. If your at a used car showroom, the sales guys are there to baffle you. They don't want to knock money off the total price, for example the cars at £10,000, they won't haggle to £9500 or £9300 etc. What they will try to do is, haggle from £200 a month to £195.00. Our aim is to stay away from that side of things, it's too complicated and above our heads. When they ask "how you want to pay? (monthly / total) just say, I'll decide at the end when I get the best price. no matter how hard they push don't tell them your payment method. Stick to negotiating the whole figure, It's what we understand. If they don't want to negotiate in that, then threaten to leave. If they are good sales people then they'll back down.

Secondly, employ mind tactics on them, they are trained to mess with your mind, but they aren't trained to withstand it being done back to them. If their job is to make you as comfortable as possible, your job is to make them as uncomfortable as possible. Below are some great psychological examples

• If they are nodding their head at things, you start shaking yours.
• When sitting down to negotiate, have a newspaper or a list with some other dealerships listed and a few cars circled in big red pen, leave it on the desk so they can see it. When they see this, they know your looking at other offers and will be on the ball.
• Put your wallet on the desk, it shows them your interested and wanting to make a decision today, it's there job to make it happen.
• Keep checking your watch, this will put them seriously on edge. It's one of the most off putting things that you can do.

Right now you're back in charge of the negotiations, lets crack on with the price. There is one golden rule to remember, if you buy from them without walking out of the showroom and them chasing after you, Then you've overpaid. Your first opening shot, should be 15% off. Say the price and don't say anything more. He may come back to you with a couple of sentences of excuses, don't interrupt him, and when he goes silent don't speak. Throw in the odd watch check, and the shake of the head. By this point he knows he's up against it. Just keep telling him, it's 15% off or your going to have a look at other showrooms. He'll probably have a word with his boss at this point and will be gone about 5-10 minutes (he's gone this long to try and make it look like he's having a heated discussion with his boss, when in fact they already know the price and will be chatting at the coffee machine).

The sales guys will come back with a good offer but not a great one. Whatever he comes back with, shake your head. At this point, pick up your paper and put it in your pocket, but leave your wallet on the desk, you don't have to leave, he'll be on the verge of losing a sale at this point and will start to panic a little. Now tell him he has one more chance to come up with the 15% of your leaving. He should go to talk to his boss again.

He should come back with his best price at this point. Still shake your head and tell him it's too much, even if you think the price is okay, there is still more to be had. Tell him he's getting closer, but still to far away, now pick up your wallet and put your hand out to shake his. Thank him for trying his best but your looking elsewhere, he'll not be expecting the hand shake movement and this will throw him even more (it's a trick used by them on you, it works both ways). He'll shake your hand, because it's what polite people do, now you have him by the balls. He's already conceded defeat by doing this. Now he'll be that thrown, he will come up with a silly offer to make you stay. Now it's up to, what you want to settle for?

Remember it is a psychological battle from the minute you walk on their property and they will try to convince you, that your not in charge. YOU ARE IN CHARGE, THE MONEY IS IN YOUR POCKET.

Best way to pay for the car

If you have your own cash to pay for a car, this is by far the best. But most people don't have enough cash to pay for a car outright and will need to take on some sort of finance. In these cases, the best way is usually an unsecured loan from a bank. All you really need to look at with deals when comparing them is the APR, don't be put of with special offers etc, although many companies may give you free breakdown insurance, that kind of thing. Banks also tend to be around 1-2% cheaper than showrooms deals, because the deals found in showrooms are from the banks anyway, just with their commission added on.

We hope you've found this site helpful and wish you all the best when buying a new car, and remember one thing. You put pressure on them, not them on you, you have the money.