Ireland Popular Cars » Buying

Advantages of Buying a Used Car

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:36:14 +0000

There are some great advantages of buying a previously owned car.
Previously owned cars offer great value for money as they are competitively priced. With lease cars coming’ off lease’ in two or three years, these are then sold at very affordable prices. Meaning that you can have a car which is only two or three years old at far less cost than a new car.
It is a well known fact that as soon as a car leaves the dealership it depreciates in value. Usually the greater the new car price the faster the depreciation. Buying a car that is less than a year old offers the chance to have a car which is still covered by its warranty. With great deals being offered, luxury cars and SVUs are far more affordable, making this an ideal solution for having a superb luxury car within your budget.
With some car manufacturers offering warranties for five years or more, these will be transferred to the second owner. Giving you the peace of mind of having a car which is still under warranty and paying far less. Some reputable car dealerships offer their own warranties or guarantees on their previously owned cars when the manufacturer’s warranty has expired.
Previously owned cars of all ages are available. From cars which are only two or three years old to a really old model. This provides the opportunity to find a quality car within your price range and still snap up a bargain. On average it is possible to buy a car which is three or four years old at half the cost of the same model new. If you are only looking for a second family car or a ‘run-a-round’ a previously owned car is an affordable choice.
For greater peace of mind it is advisable to buy a previously owned car from a reputable car dealership which specialises in previously owned cars. These companies offer quality cars which have been thoroughly checked inside and out. They will have the car MOTd if it’s applicable and have all the car’s paperwork, including a full service history. In many cases they will have carried out a full ownership check. This will give additional peace of mind that the car is not stolen, been involved in an accident or still has outstanding credit on it. These are very important factors to consider when buying a car that has been owned by someone else.
Another key advantage of buying a car from a dealership is that they will have a service and parts department. Saving you the time and trouble of trying to find somewhere to have the car serviced or MOTd when the time comes. Many dealerships will also offer fair trade in prices if you wish to change your car frequently-this does not automatically apply-but it certainly worth asking.
Buying a used car from a franchised dealer will also give you legal protection under The Sale of Goods Act-something you will not get if you buy from a private seller.
Dealerships selling used cars build there business reputation on customer satisfaction.

5 Steps to Buying a Used Car

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:31:23 +0000

Buying a car that has been previously owned offers you the opportunity to buy a real bargain. However there are some steps you should take to ensure that you are getting a bargain and not being sold an illegal or potentially dangerous car or simply a heap of rubbish!
1. First and foremost buy from a reputable car dealer who specialises in selling quality cars. It may seem a cheaper option to buy from a private seller, but there are some distinct disadvantages of doing this. You will have little or no legal safeguards if you are sold a car which has been stolen or still has outstanding credit. If this is the case the car can be confiscated and returned to its rightful owner-leaving you without a car and well and truly out of pocket. When buying from a reputable dealership a full history check of the car will have been carried out, giving you the peace of mind that once purchased the car will legally belong to you.
2. During the car’s history check the reputable car dealership will have flagged up if the car has been involved in an accident. They will then carry out a visual inspection to check for signs of welding between the front and back doors. If this is present it may indicate that the car is a ‘cut and shut’. This is the term given to cars which have been made from the front half of one car and the back end of another and joined together. Not only is this illegal, ‘cut and shut’ cars are potentially death traps.
3. Always make a visual inspection of the car. Walk round and look for signs of damage, differences in paint work colour, scratches and dents. Check the interior looking for signs of negligence by the previous owner. If you are looking at older models there is bound to be signs of normal wear and tear-if you are looking for absolute perfection maybe you should be considering buying a new car. Be realistic when carrying out your visual inspection.
4. Check the paperwork. Make sure the registration document details match the car you are looking at. Again, if you buy from a reputable company this won’t be an issue-but it’s worth checking for your own peace of mind. If the car is under three years old make enquiries as to any manufacture’s warranties. These can be transferred to the second owner in the majority of cases. Many dealerships offer their own guarantees or warranty on cars they sell-another huge advantage of buying from them rather than privately.
5. Take the car or cars for a test drive. Make sure you use all of the gears, including reverse, during the test. Listen for odd noises, rattling or clanking-these may indicate that repairs may soon be required. The overall handling and comfort of the car is important. Check that there is no pull on the steering and that it drives in a straight-line without any veering to the left or right. During the test drive at different speeds-keeping with the legal limits. Check the car accelerates as it should and of course that the brakes are in good working order when stopping.
Whichever make, model or price range of used cars you are looking for buying from a reputable dealership offers much more peace of mind than buying from a private seller.

Need To Know Before Buying Used Cars

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 10:17:52 +0000

Do you wish to own a luxurious car but the limited budget is restricting you? Now you can simply fulfill your dream of driving a luxurious car by choosing the option of buying used cars. The auto dealers dealing in pre owned cars offer cars of various makes and models, such as Audi, Bentley, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Ford and GMC. As a pre owned car can fit the budget of more car owner aspirant. By buying a used car or pre owned car, you can easily save large amounts of money while fulfilling the dream of owning a car. Used car is the best alternative to expensive new cars, and a smart investment decision too. In terms of manufacture as well as maintenance, used cars provide the same services such as fuel mileage and driving performance as that of a new car. However, buying cars is not an easy task especially if you are buying used cars. There are various factors which must be taken care so that you make the right choice.

Top Ten Tips for Buying a Used Car

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 13:27:54 +0000

Are you in the marketplace for buying a second hand motor vehicle? Choosing the right vehicle which is good value for money and will be reliable in the long term can be quite difficult. You can help yourself make the right decision by following some basic guidelines that can help you choose between the bargain cars and the ones that will cause you long term misery. Read our top ten tips for buying a used car guide.

1) Pick a Budget and Stick to It.

When you are buying a used car it is easy to get carried away when you’re already spending a lot of money- a few hundred pounds more to secure the ‘car of your dreams’ can easily seem reasonable, but could leave you in debt. Remember there are always other expenses that you have to pay for when you buy a car, such as Road Tax and insurance. Before you start looking for a new car decide on a budget and religiously stick to it, that way you can be assured good value for money.

2) View the Car in Daylight

When you do finally decide to go to look at a car, don’t make the mistake of going to see the car at night. Perhaps you have a full time job and it isn’t possible to leave work to go and view a car in the week and you think that the car in question may be sold by the time the weekend comes around. Although it can be a temptation to save time and ‘jump the queue’ of other potential purchases, going to see a car at night can leave you open for an upset. Basically you will not be able to get a good look at the condition of the car in poor visibility. Instead of being impatient either wait until the weekend or take a day off work and go and see a group of cars to make the most of your time.

3) Consider an Inspection

Lack mechanical knowledge about motor vehicles? For those who don’t know their big end from their fuel injection system perhaps a professional mechanical appraisal may be a sensible option. Although there will be an expense involved with this you will get peace of mind from discovering what if anything is wrong with the vehicle. Also by telling the vendor you are going to get a mechanical appraisal then you will be able to see how they react to this. If they suddenly looked panicked and try to dissuade you then you can presume that there may be something wrong with the car that they are trying to hide. If a mechanical appraisal does highlight problems with a car, this doesn’t mean that you should walk away from the motor vehicle- all cars can develop faults. Instead judge as to how much these issues are likely to cost to repair as this can give you additional bargaining power with the vendor to get a discount. However, if in doubt walk away from the deal, there is always another car out there!

4) Take it For a Test Drive

You’ll definitely need to take any prospect car you are looking to buy for a test drive prior to purchase. If this is an unfamiliar vehicle then you’ll get a sense as to whether you’ll actually enjoy driving the car, whether the performance suits your needs and to whether the actual model is right for you? Are the seats comfortable? This may not make so much difference for a car for vehicle you won’t use much apart from short journeys around town, but if you’re looking for a car to do long motorway journeys in you need to ensure that the ride is comfortable.

Even more importantly a test drive gives you the chance to check out some of the fundamentals about the vehicle in question. How are the brakes, do they work well? How does the engine sound, does the car judder when you drive along? Does the gear box change smoothly. Avoid having the radio on when you’re carrying out your test drive as you’ll want to listen out for any erroneous noises coming from the vehicle.

5) Get a HPI Check

You may find the car of your dreams and on the face of it could look like a fantastic bargain, but you shouldn’t part with your money before you’ve carried out a HPI check on the car. A HPI check can highlight whether the car actually belongs to the person who says it does, whether the car has ever been registered stolen or has been written off in an accident. Also a HPI check will discover if there is outstanding finance on the vehicle, if there is then the car could be legally be taken from you and handed back to the finance company as they legally own it, even if you have parted with your money to buy the car. A HPI check can cost as little as £19.99 and provide you with peace of mind and stop you from getting a nasty surprise in the future.

6) Auctions

Unless you’re confident of your skills when it comes to buying a used car or have mechanical knowledge it is best to avoid going to a car auction or to buy a used car. Although you can pick up a low cost deal on a used car at an auction you do only have a limited amount of time to view individual cars. Also if you bid and win then you are contractually obliged to purchase the vehicle.

7) Do Your Homework

Don’t go to look at a vehicle without doing some research about the car first. You should learn about the different models available, which ones are more desirable and command more money, you should try to find out what known faults are on the vehicle and get a general understanding about the car in questions. The internet is a great place to start to compile this information, with car clubs and general car sites often giving you really good quality information about individual vehicles. Also explore trade magazines and online sales portals to get an understanding on how much certain models and vehicles go for. You don’t want to pay over the odds for a car just because you’ve not bothered to do any homework.

Don’t Buy the First Car You See

It can be quite an effort trying to find a car to buy, with the search online often not highlighting any cars close to where you live it can be tempting when you finally go to see a car to buy it just because it seems OK and because you can’t be bothered to go and look at any others. This can prove to be quite a big mistake as you cannot get a feel for the overall quality of the car until you have seen a few of the same model. For instance the interior could look a little ‘scrappy’, but unless you’ve seen a cross section of cars for sale how do you know if this is a one off problem or inherent with all the cars from the range? Check out a few newer and older examples of the model you are interesting in, you can get to see how the car ages over time and whether it holds up well when the additional miles are racked up.

9) Take Someone With You For a Second Opinion

It may be a cliché to go and look at a car ‘mob handed’ and go around the vehicle ‘tyre kicking’ but it is important to get a second opinion from someone you trust. If that second person is a mechanic all the better, but if not get your friend to discuss the car with you and give you an honest appraisal about the car in question. Having more than one person can also be advantageous as unscrupulous sellers may try ‘distraction techniques’ such as keeping you talking and not allowing you a proper look at the car. This is much harder to do when there is more than one person looking over the vehicle.

10) Buy from a Reputable Dealer

If you’re really worried about buying a used car you may want to consider buying from a reputable dealer, as these companies generally provide cars which have passed mechanical checks and MOTs. Other dealer facilities often include car loans meaning you can get a better car than you thought you might be able to afford. The newer the car the less likely it is to be affected by mechanic issues and breakdowns which can also go to ease the worries of buying a second hand car.