Buying used car - is it always this hard?

mkirkhope

So I passed my driving test last week at the age of 33 and have been looking for my first car. At the start I was excited but I'm at the point where I'm almost giving up (I'm based in London).

I'm looking to spend about 4k on a used golf. Sounds simple but most of the small independent dealers we've visited have turned out to be dodgy/have very bad feedback, most private sellers we have contacted have turned out to be dealers in disguise, large well-known dealers seem to operate in the 6-7k plus range for these cars and stock newer models only, and the genuine private sellers we have found wont allow test drives.

Am I missing something? Is it always like this? It seems like the most painful process I have ever been though, with people trying to con you at every turn.

Hudson1984

the trouble is you're looking for a popular car in a popular price range yes unfortunately buying a car is a pain in the backside if you don't know the marketplace too well.

i've had 18 cars so far and have grown accustomed to the pain it is when purchasing

bortone1

hi
you are right it shouldnt be that hard
where have you been finding cars you are interested in?
try looking on pistonheads or the golf owners forum as the people on these sites are more likely to be keen owners and will welcome a test drive, offer good knowledge, etc..
dont get disheartened the right car will turn up

ILW

mkirkhope wrote: »

So I passed my driving test last week at the age of 33 and have been looking for my first car. At the start I was excited but I'm at the point where I'm almost giving up (I'm based in London).

I'm looking to spend about 4k on a used golf. Sounds simple but most of the small independent dealers we've visited have turned out to be dodgy/have very bad feedback, most private sellers we have contacted have turned out to be dealers in disguise, large well-known dealers seem to operate in the 6-7k plus range for these cars and stock newer models only, and the genuine private sellers we have found wont allow test drives.

Am I missing something? Is it always like this? It seems like the most painful process I have ever been though, with people trying to con you at every turn.

What do you mean about wont allow test drives? Surely they will drive the car whilst you sit in the passenger seat.

boyse7en

To be fair, if I was selling my car and you rolled up and wanted a test drive, I'd not be very keen on letting you drive.
I'd want to see proof that you are insured to drive my car (which I reckon is unlikely as you are a new driver) and I'd want to have the full value in cash in my hand before you got in (since your insurance, if you have got it, will only cover 3rd party if you bin it)

Just let the owner drive. There aren't many problems/issues with a car that you won't notice from the passenger seat.

MrsPBikerChick

If you're after a specific popular car at a specific (and possibly quite low) price point then it will take time for the right one to come along. I found this last year when looking for a super economical diesel in a decent sized car within a certain price range, but patience paid off and I now have a car I'm very pleased with after searching for about 2 months. To be fair I already had a car, albeit not a very good one, so not quite the same impetus as you.

Have you looked further afield geographically? London is notoriously expensive for everything so might it be worth the cost of a short train ride outside the capital if you get a cheaper/better car?

Better yet, hitch a ride with a friend who's held a licence for a long time in case your new driver status is the reason private sellers won't allow test drives (which seems counter productive to me - no-one in their right mind is going to buy a car privately without test driving it!). They're probably more likely to spot driving faults you might not pick up on too. I did this for a new driver friend as the garage weren't keen for her to test drive alone and the male salesman wasn't allowed to go alone with a young single female (company policy). She was too nervous to test at higher speeds as well so I did that for her and the car turned out to be fine.

Also, you're focussing one a specific and very popular car but have you considered other similar ones? VW also make Seat and Audi so what about the Leon, Ibiza, A3 or A4? Ok Audi's are generally more expensive but you never know. My Ecomotive Ibiza has exactly the same engine as the BlueMotion Polo of the same era but I got a lot more kit for my money with a Seat badge than I would have with a VW badge. When I changed my brake discs a couple of months ago the I found the callipers are actually branded VW so there really isn't much difference when it comes down the mechanical parts. The rest is just styling.

Chin up and keep looking. And congrats on passing your test :j

mkirkhope

I have been offered to sit in the car as a passenger but didn't think that would be enough to get a good feel for it. I'm new to all this, so sitting in the passenger seat I wasn't sure what to look for.

I can understand people not wanting to let me drive despite showing them insurance but from my perspective I don't want to hand over the full value of the car in cash either to someone I don't know before I've even been in the car.

It's not really the private sellers that have been the hardest work though. It's the fact that so many of the small garages turn out to be dodgy, and that so many 'private' dealers turn out to be dealers who just photo the car in a driveway.

I guess I just didn't know it was this hard to avoid being ripped off, but will keep at it. I'm sure it will work out in the end.

mkirkhope

MrsPBikerChick - thanks for the big response. I had thought about the Seat Leon and should really try one out. The issue for me has been that I'm 6'5" tall and my main critera for the car has been something that I can fit in. The golf was the one I've tried that I felt I could be comfortable behind the wheel hence the decision to go for one, rather than just liking golfs.

I may find that a Leon has similar room though so should check one out. The only other car I tried that felt I had room in was the A2, but they seem hard to come by.

Good point about getting another driver to do the test drive. My girlfriend could do it with me and the owner in the car and she could just let me know if there were any problems etc.

Thanks everyone for the advice - much appreciated.

ILW

mkirkhope wrote: »

I have been offered to sit in the car as a passenger but didn't think that would be enough to get a good feel for it. I'm new to all this, so sitting in the passenger seat I wasn't sure what to look for.

I can understand people not wanting to let me drive despite showing them insurance but from my perspective I don't want to hand over the full value of the car in cash either to someone I don't know before I've even been in the car.

It's not really the private sellers that have been the hardest work though. It's the fact that so many of the small garages turn out to be dodgy, and that so many 'private' dealers turn out to be dealers who just photo the car in a driveway.

I guess I just didn't know it was this hard to avoid being ripped off, but will keep at it. I'm sure it will work out in the end.

Think the problem you are having is expecting main dealer service at private prices. You need to maybe compromise and take a bit of a gamble.

You can get an AA or RAC check done for around £150.00 which may be worth it if you are a little uncertain.

Hudson1984

when you sayyou show them insurance - what insurance do you have? as if you're a new driver and this being your first car i'm a little confused on how you can be insured on test drives and even so if you came to test a car I was selling privately i most certainly wouldn't let you behind the wheel - I sold my car a few months back for 12K and didn't let the proposed owner drive it but that being said I did transfer the warrenty so he did at least get some piece of mind.

If I were you i'd go to various dealers trying cars you like (with trade plates) to get a feel of what you like to drive and can fit inside, once you have a list of options i'd then look at private cars available at that price range comparing them to the ones you drove from the dealers. You can even go to the lengths of writting a little diary blurb for each car testing giving pros and cons.

mkirkhope

ILW wrote: »

Think the problem you are having is expecting main dealer service at private prices. You need to maybe compromise and take a bit of a gamble.

You can get an AA or RAC check done for around £150.00 which may be worth it if you are a little uncertain.

I'm not expecting that. I'm just expecting honesty and legal practice.

Maybe it's just because I'm new to this (or gullible!) but I didn't expect to have lots of people insisting on the phone that they are private families selling their car only to find out they are a dealer.

We also visited a small dealer at the weekend who seemed really legit but a google search showed customers saying they had been given fake warranties.

I understand the nervousness about letting a new driver do a test drive (even though you can get 1 day fully comprehensive insurance). I would say though that I've seen plenty nutters on the road who aren't new drivers.

Thanks again everyone.