Many people are afraid of the used car because of the risks involved in buying something from a stranger. Follow these tips to make it worth your while and make the most of your money.
The variety in the inventory of Auto For Trade is one of the ways to demonstrate how convenient it can be to buy a used Land Rover Discovery in the UK, because paying the same or less, you get something more in line with your needs and it is not a matter of leaving for “What there is” . In addition, it is possible to access something safer, faster, more spacious or all the previous together, although you have to sacrifice in year (sometimes not even that), in warranty time if we talk about a semi-new and in dealing with a potential problem that, following the correct steps, will be perfectly avoided.
So we leave you some tips and easy steps to follow because, as we have said on numerous occasions, depreciation is our friend.
-Define needs
It is always good to be clear about what is required: How many will be traveling most of the time? Do you need a lot of space? A lot of city? Do we frequently use a small and cumbersome parking lot? Will we travel often? Questions have come to us in which there is a doubt between a pick-up and an entry compact and hence the importance of being clear about what we want and need.
-Establish a budget and do not get on it
And if there is a total budget, you have to consider possible services to do immediately, the cost of insurance and even pending procedures. It is not about spending everything on the single purchase and then realizing that there were extra expenses after said acquisition.
-Investigate
Review, from the first step, what is fair to pay for the cars that are on the list of interest according to their use and year. This way, it will be possible to determine which ones are above or below the average and why. A very cheap one from the same year could be due to some hidden vice, because it has too much mileage or an emergency. A very expensive one may be in better condition or simply its current owner is leaving a margin of negotiation so that they pay him what he really wants. At other times, they simply ask for more than the average for no reason and, if they don’t want to go down there, it’s not worth overpaying for the same thing either.
When it’s time to go see them:
-Do not see more than three cars a day
Seeing a used vehicle is not something to do in a hurry, you have to look at the small details and an omission could be very, very expensive. Everything in its time and calmly, that impatience is an enemy.
-Go with company
We all have that acquaintance who knows about cars, they are our guide and can advise us. The best thing is to tell him that it is that company that helps us detect problems, they are two extra outstanding eyes that give us more security and margin.
-Drive the car
One of the best forms of diagnosis, in addition to the small inspection while standing still, is to go for a spin in the candidate. What to be aware of? Stay with us because we’ll get to it later.
-Review service history
Either in the manual or in a separate booklet that should be in the glove compartment, it is convenient and essential to review the services stamped at the agency during the warranty period, if they coincide by date with the mileage indicated on the odometer and, already out of warranty, it is preferable to find out from receipts and proof of tickets to the workshop for maintenance that have been done outside the official network, that to be sure that the car has received the necessary care. It is normal for the periodic change of brake fluid or antifreeze to be skipped, which is usually every two years. See what was changed in the most recent inspections to anticipate which one is the most urgent. No history of services? Better go.
-Don’t be afraid to ask
Does something not add up? Any bad feeling? Any detail that caught our attention? It is best to ask the owner for explanations. If it is something that does not imply a certain gravity, it is a great excuse to ask for a price reduction.
-Is the purchase intention serious? Coordinate the inspection of a professional
Does the car look good? A trustworthy workshop or the official network of the brand will help us to solve the last doubts and give us extra peace of mind of what may arise. The cost of the inspection is usually covered by the buyer and it is a worthwhile expense if we are talking about a used with a lot of mileage or a vehicle with some complexity (such as a premium car with more electronic systems).
-Watch out with emotions
A salesperson, be it an individual or someone in an agency, can take advantage of a customer who looks excited when he sees the car. Furthermore, these emotions skew and make us susceptible to ignoring very obvious problems. Show no intention or much interest until the last moment and until there is certainty.
-Don’t ignore the expert!
As much as you like the car, you always have to prepare to reject it and go see something else if the owner or seller answers any questions with evasion. And if whoever you took from the company to help review shows a concern, do not ignore it, because it is someone who knows more (that is why their help was asked in the first place) and a stubborn decision, in addition to expensive, also shows lack of respect for the time of the person who wanted to be a companion.
-Watch out with money advances
It is normal that to show interest in a vehicle a deposit is left so that the current owner does not offer it more, but scams abound in which claims are made for advances on platforms such as Western Union to set aside cars that have not even been seen and that In many cases, they are scams in fake car advertisements that do not exist and of which photos taken from another side were used (internet ads). You have to have full security before dropping the first peso and it is best to make a bank transfer in a safe place and avoid the use of cash in large amounts as much as possible.
What to look out for?
Standing:
-Internet is a great source to investigate frequent failures of the car that interests us. There are specialized internet forums that could help us rule out a problem car before we even look at it. Be careful with those pages that gather fans of a brand, those in which more objective and sincere owners coincide are better.
-Who is the owner? You have to make sure that there is no bank or finance company waiting to repossess the car. Or that he has no theft report.
– Rust is rare in a modern car but over the years it is easy to appear on used cars that live in coastal or very humid areas. The most frequent places where it will appear is in the lower part of the doors, in the running boards and in the wheel arches. It is also enough to lift the rubbers a little because there too it tends to accumulate. Recent plates? Find out where they were from before.
-Is the car too clean? A too shiny and greasy engine compartment can be a sign of a car made up. Nothing like the spontaneity of opening the chest and seeing everything in order but not sparkling. Lots of cleaning is perfect for hiding leaks.
-If you buy from a private person, try to see him at his residence. Or if you go to an agency, make sure you are the first person to turn on the cold in the car during the day, as it is a great sign for strange noises or potential failures to appear.
-Check the tires. Some of an unknown brand, that are different from the original size or that do not coincide in each axis are the first alert of a stingy owner who does not want to spend more. It is essential that the tires are not very worn or that they do not show chips from a blow.
-Another bad sign is the excess of modifications that are not original. Giant wheels or a trunk full of speakers? Those are the first cars that, in the name of appearance, are not very careful to maintain. A car “tuned” in excess, in many cases (it is not necessary to generalize), nor is it worth looking at having so much offer.
– The honesty of an owner is very important. If you see a repainted surface thanks to a union between pieces that is not even (between fender and headlights, for example), a strange surface that is not completely smooth or a tone that does not match completely, the answer given by the owner It’s very important. A minor incident repair that clears up does not mean the car is to be scrapped. If, on the contrary, they deny it or respond with evasion, it is better to walk away.
-The witnesses on the board are the first indicator of an oversight. Does the Check Engine light up all the time? Are the tires bad pressure? Does the air bag light stay on? A responsible owner ensures that no alerts remain permanently.
-The interior must show wear according to use. Are the pedals very smooth despite a theoretical 40 thousand kilometers? Does the skin on the steering wheel shine brighter than everything else? Is the left driver’s seat bracket badly peeled or scraped? Does the steering wheel cover or dashboard look original? If an air bag came out as a result of an accident and a poor repair was made, it is very easy to notice how the plastic does not match or the “hole” left by an air bag was forcibly hidden.
-A quick look at the engine or when bending over can reveal leaks or bumps in critical places. A minor leak is an easy but labor-intensive fix. An ignored leak, where there is already a lot of accumulated dust that makes the oil or liquid that is leaking sticky, is a sign that something more serious is coming.
– A lot of urgency to sell? Are you in a lot and instead of the car you are looking at, they want to show you another one? They could have the intention of wanting to get rid of some problem.
At the wheel:
– No well-maintained modern car should have steering play. That is, there is no dead center when turning before the wheels start to turn.
– Does the brake pedal vibrate when you press it? You have to make sure that the discs are in good condition and not for change due to warping (twisted). The ideal would be to feel the car at highway speed on a major road and not just drive around the block.
-Is the lineup good and recent? Is it well balanced? When releasing the steering wheel on an even street, the car should stay straight and not vibrate when picking up speed.
-Permanent noises when passing through a street in poor condition that makes the suspension work? On our bad roads, the bushings are usually the first thing to hit. These are pieces of rubber above the shock absorber and on the stabilizer bars that better absorb all the movement of the wheels and isolate us from many vibrations. Engine mounts (also made of rubber and even filled with fluid) are another source of this type of noise.
-When leaving the engine running without accelerating (idle gear), the car should be as silent as possible. An extra noise or squeal indicates a belt or pulley that is going out, be it the accessory belt or, more critically, the distribution belt in the case of vehicles with a belt and not a chain. Cars with a timing chain usually need service because of the tensioner and a tensioner in poor condition is identified if there is a constant vibration or a constant dry sound when it is turned on (do not forget to see, when cold, if the oil is at the correct level). If a belt or belt bursts, the consequences can be costly and even fatal to a car.
-Is it manual? Beware of a clutch that vibrates too much, the coupling point of which occurs when the foot is raised too far and until the end of the travel or with a lever that requires too much force. It’s automatic? Make sure that there are no obvious kicks, noises or blows between each change. With a lot of mileage (more than 100,000 in general), there are automatic boxes that are this new and have been announced as “sealed for life”, ask for a change of their internal fluid, which ensures that they continue working without any problem for years and years.
– See that everything works, press each button. From an air conditioner that cools without delay and without clogging an old filter to an electric glass that does not creak when raised or lowered. Do all the bulbs light up? Are the seats not giving way too much?
