Top 10 Best Tips For Buying A Used Car

Buy a new car or a used one? Most of the people would want to buy a brand new car but due to money constraints they end up buying a used car. Although it is not what you wanted, you can still find the car right for you by paying attention to certain crucial points when you buy the car. Also, buying a used car is a great way of cutting the cost of your driving as most new cars lose much of their value in the first year. Here are Top 10 Best Tips For Buying A Used Car.

10. Where to Buy from?

You can browse the Internet for used car portals, they are a good place to start you search. You can also browse through various used car classifieds in the newspaper and magazines and tick some of the options that you feel is the best. You can directly contact most of the car manufacturers because nowadays they have their own wings of used car business.

9. Making Decisions before Short Listing a Car

It is essential that you know what “type” of car you are looking for and what are the basic needs that you want your four-wheeler to fulfill for you. Also try to find about the estimated mileage of different cars and compare them with the one that you want to buy and make sure that you are making an economical decision.

8. Car History

First of all check that the car you selected is not stolen, snatched or illegally brought to the country. You can do this by taking the cars registration, chassis and engine number and check for clearance from the police or local transport authorities. They can check all the history of the car from these numbers.

7. When to View the Car

To view the car for inspection you need proper light and for this daytime is preferred. If you are viewing the car at night or during rain, it would not help you make a smart decision. This is because if the surface is wet or not clearly visible you would not be able to find out the scratches and dents on the surface of the car. By checking the car thoroughly you can have a good idea about its value.

6. Body Condition

Run your hand over the surface of the car and feel for any scratches or dents on the surface. Apply force to move the car up and down to check the suspension of the car.  See if the car has been repainted, you can do this if you observe closely for any difference in color of different parts of the car or saturation of color on any one place. Check for any signs of leakage under the car, if there are leaked liquids under the car try finding the source of the leak. Tyres are essential part of the car and you should make sure that they are in a good condition.

5. Engine and Interior

Check the condition of the engine. Any serious frontal accidents usually leave a mark on the engine. Check the quality of the steering wheel, brake pedals, and the dashboard. See if the cockpit and instrumentation appeals to you. Check for the quality and look of other car electronics and technologies that the car interiors are equipped with. Find out how many new and advanced features the car owner has fitted in the interiors of the car. You can evaluate the car price depending on the same. Also check the quality of the car seat covers and other upholstery.

4. Checking for Deception by the Seller

Check carefully for clocking, car cloning and cut-and-shut, some common techniques used by sellers to sell used cars in Mumbai. In clocking the seller winds back the odometer reading which increases the value of the car. Car cloning is done by giving the car the identity of some other car; this is done to sell illegal cars successfully. Cut-and-shut are techniques are used to mend and repair cars which were in a major accident.

3. Test Drive the Car

After all the checks are complete, your final test for a used car before you decide to purchase it is a test drive of the car. During the test drive check the efficiency of the ignition system. See if you can reach/operate all the controls easily. Check if there is any kind of unwanted noises or vibrations coming from the car engine or other parts while driving the car at different speeds.

2. Don’t be Pressured into Buying

What if you find some major problems with the car but you really like it? The wise thing to do would be, not to buy the car because even though it is tempting now, you’ll regret the decision later due to never ending visits to the automobile workshop. Many times sellers start reciting ‘sad stories’ of their lives when they see you slipping away, do not fall prey to such stories because they are usually well rehearsed and are told to get a soft corner in your heart.

1. Finalizing the Deal

Make delivery arrangements according to your convenience. Before taking the car, confirm any work that the seller has agreed to do, has been done. Handbooks of cars are usually expensive so make sure that it’s in the car. Read the legal documents carefully and satisfy all your concerns before signing the papers.

If you follow these simple ten helpful tips you will be the owner of a very promising car. Drive safely.