test driving/buying a car-what to look for?

bluedrop

Dear all,
Thank you for your support so far.

Based on our needs and research, we zeroed on Ford Focus.

We'll be test driving 4 cars this weekend and will hopefully buy one of them

2 cars are at Ford Dealerships
2 are with Cargiant.

One of the cars with Ford Dealership is an ex mobility vehicle. I am particularly interested in this one. Registered in Apr 2011, 21k miles. It has 3 months manufacturer warranty left. I am viewing this car this evening, its 40miles away!

My questions are:

1. what should I check when I view the car. What to look for when I test drive?

2. How much can I expect to negotiage?

3. FOrd dealer (Bristol Street Motors) says there is 3 months manufacturer warranty left on the vehicle. I need to purchase AA extended warranty if I need more warranty. I thought dealer cars came with 1yr warranty - wrong???

4. If the condition etc is okay, would you recommend I buy the ex-mobility one straightaway without seeing other cars?

bluedrop

Bump...bump...

Slowly_does_it..

I'm no expert, but things I would look for are
all body panels fit together properly, internal+external
climb under and look for rust
evidence of engine repairs
even tyre wear
normal wear on drivers seat
engine sounds nice and smooth
engine starts easily
is the exhaust oily
check all the warning lights turn on and then go out
any leaks under the car
all the under car panels are still in place
stone damage to the front radiator / air con condenser etc.

re the mobility car - have any mods been done to the car, and if so have they been properly un-done.

40 miles is not that far to go back if you do have issues.

There are plenty of cars available, do not think those are the last 4 focuses in the country! If the mobility car is the one, nothing wrong with getting it without looking at others.

I am terrible at negotiating, so I will not answer that question, sorry!

My only experience with a dealer was a 3 month warranty and after that he would treat me better than a bloke off the street. (still got a discount one year later for my MOT!)

Good luck car hunting!

alleycat`

Warranty seems to vary.

At a dealership, especially if the car was serviced by themselves, i'd expect a minimum of 6 months from them.

Mitsubishi gave me 12 months on a recent car purchase for my other half (not the dealer, this is a true Mitsubishi warranty) and the car is nearly five years old.

try this:-

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/buy_sell/buying_used/checking-the-car-out/

fivetide

point 4. Remember, motability is just a lease. It doesn't mean the car has been better driven or looked after, indeed it could mean it has done a lot of short journeys. All it really guarantees is that it has had main dealer services on time.

If the other cars have FSH too then don't put too much weight on it being motability.

I'd have a look at them all and use the cheapest one, assuming similar spec, as the bargaining chip. Take a print out of the car with you to the dealer so they can see you are serious.

And don't take any baloney from Car Giant as it seems it can be hard to get out of the door!

3. approved Ford (Ford Direct) offers a two year manufacturer warranty. This car clearly doesn't come into that bracket. Under SOGA if the car isn't right you have that six months cover any way (within reason) and can probably get a better warranty from a 3rd party for less. Do shop around though and get them to knock the cost of that off the bill.

Also, I'd not be paying for HPI checks etc. For me it is a deal breaker. Either they have good title to the car or they don't. It is for them to check it out not you.

colino

Why would you possibly bother driving 40 miles to see a Focus? Even if it has a bumper-to-bumper, gold-plated warranty, for every affliction it has you will have to get it there and back for attention.
Buy local.

forgotmyname

Ive seen them thrashed to death by younger members of the family. Left running for ages with the heaters on to melt ALL the snow / ice on the cars.

Couple of them running when i arrived at the inlaws and still there ticking over 20 minutes later when i popped out.
Thats not good for an engine. Ticking over from cold.

Excess fuel washing the oil off the bores.

londonTiger

search for used car buying guide on youtube. Tonnes of videos many buy which, fifth gear, autotrader and other reputable companies.

If you have a specific make and model in mind look up enthusiast forums for common faults.

Ultrasonic

colino wrote: »

Why would you possibly bother driving 40 miles to see a Focus? Even if it has a bumper-to-bumper, gold-plated warranty, for every affliction it has you will have to get it there and back for attention.
Buy local.

Unless the OP lives in the middle of nowhere I totally agree with this. What can be done is to use the availability of a possibly cheaper car 40 miles away to help negotiate a better price on the one you want locally.

There are loads of guides to buying used cars online. Here is advice from the AA:

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/car-buyers-guide/cbg_usedtips.html
http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/car-buyers-guide/cbg_testdrivetips.html

Don't forget to test things like heating/air conditioning and the sound system. They may seem secondary to the mechanics of the car, but if they don't work as you want you'll regret the purchase.