Buying A Secondhand Car

Albert_32

I am looking for any practical advice on buying a secondhand car, if anyone can offer me some advice I would be grateful:-


* I have about £5k to spend
* Looking at Honda Civic, Golf or Astra
* HPI check worthwhile?
* Buying from a car supermarket which offers value for money? Any good ones
in the North West of England worth recommending?
* How much does it cost to get someone like RAC to cast a trained eye on a private purchase? Good idea?
* Any other useful tips??

Any practical advice would be grateful - I appreciate any help...


Cheers,


Albert

jaimeo

I can tell you what I am planning to do:

Buy a 99 plate Ford KA II. Dealership price (even a car supermarket) about £3000. Private seller about £1,500. Pay RAC for full comprehensive check inc. HPI £189. That way, if RAC find it clear, I will save. Even if I end up paying out a bit afterwards for minor repairs I will still save.

RAC basic check = £99 + HPI @ £40 = £140. Go to RAC.co.uk to see diff in checks.

From what I have seen dealerships take the mickey. My friend bought a KA for £4000. Refused to pay £300 for extended warranty. After 2 months the clutch went and it cost her £300! Trade in offered after 3 months £2,400!

I personally think most dealerships finance deals are crap. I also trust the RAC to do a better check than the car supermarket performs on its own cars!

HTH

Jaime.

Phil_rich

I would never go to a garage and definatly not a car supermarket again. Their prices are always way too high. All they do is give the cars a great clean and polish and it makes them look soo much better, but if you look hard enough you will find a better car for a lot less with a private seller. If you are worried about the mechanics of the car then get an AA or RAC check, they are well worth it.

If you do consider buying from a car supermarket, eg carcraft, then just look at the premisis and think to yourself "how do they afford these massive and impressive buildings?????" by overpricing their cars!!

burbs_2

i deal cars for a living. Firstly, as everyone has said car supermarkets are way overpriced, they are aimed at selling finance deals to people, if you have funds avaliable then avoid them at all costs.

secondly you can get a good deal at the local dealers but the problem you have is the cars you are looking at getting. as a dealer these are the sorts of cars (golfs, astras) that we are able to sell easily so the discounts you get on the screen price will not be as high as you may get on a less popular car.

hpi check should come with the car if you are getting it from a trader, if not then definaltly get 1. The best bet for the types of cars that you are looking at with the funds you have is to look on autotrader and get a private sale. You will get so much more for your money. You would get a nice golf or astra off a private seller for 5k.

If you want to get it checked by AA or RAC then you have to book it in advance with them. This is the best bet if you are doing it privatly. PM me if you want any more advice

Ted_Hutchinson

Albert_32 wrote:

I have about £5k to spend
* Looking at Honda Civic, Golf or Astra

You may find what you are looking for in a Motability auction. BCA MOTABILITY
Manhiem

* HPI check worthwhile?

Probably a waste of money if buying in at a Motability auction.

* How much does it cost to get someone like RAC to cast a trained eye on a private purchase? Good idea?

Motability cars are usually already checked by RAC before being placed in the auction so there would be little point in duplication.

* Any other useful tips??

Get to auction early so you have plenty of time to look round. Don't plan on buying at your first visit. If you've not been to a car auction before it's a bit scary as the bids are very fast so you don't have time to think while your bidding. You have to have done your research first and decided by looking at Parkers
or
AAWhat is your car worth
and deciding before you start bidding what the most you are prepared to pay for that model is. Expect to pay Trade plus auction buyers premium. Buying at a Motability Aucion is easier than you might imagine and although it does mean you have to spend a bit of time making sure you know exactly what the trade price is for that age/model you should be able to save a substantial amount compared with other buying sources.

Silent_Bob_3

Try an owners club forum where cars are generally well looked after.

You can get an FTO for £5k :D

Albert_32

I take on board that the Car Suprmarkets look pricey and as Phil says that they need to fund these big shed's by adding a few £££ on.

Will have alook at local dealers to see if I can get a good deal with warranty, failing that I will look privately and go along the RAC check just for peace of mind.

Thanks for all the info and taking time to reply - I am a little more armed with practical advice from you boys!!

Cheers,

Albert

MarkyMarkD

jaimeo wrote:

From what I have seen dealerships take the mickey. My friend bought a KA for £4000. Refused to pay £300 for extended warranty. After 2 months the clutch went and it cost her £300! Trade in offered after 3 months £2,400!

I've never seen any car warranty which covers clutches in any case, as they are deemed a wear and tear part. So, your friend probably saved £300 on a useless warranty.

vansboy

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk clik in 'TheBackroom - Discussion' ask there for ALL things motoring.

You won't find the Honda or Golf in a Motability auction - plenty of Astras though.

Clik the Auctionview link on honestjohn, for a small fee you can search for specific vehicles in all UK BCA auction sites.

An HPI check is part of your 'buyers premium', the amount that is added to the cars selling price, in auction.

Motability is a VERY good source of relativly low mileage vehicles, but if you're not too well up on checking the cosmetic parts of a car (mechanically you'd have few surprises) best take a trained eyed friend with you.

VB