| Used car prices continue to fall as manufacturers release more and more must have gadgets into their latest models. As a result, most people would prefer to buy the latest model, but that means savings for those who are prepared to buy a used vehicle. |
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| Buying a second hand car used to mean that you could expect reliability problems, but cars are now so much more reliable than they used to be, so you can expect that a used car with a moderate mileage should have many years of trouble free motoring left in it. Having said that, you do of course still need to take car when buying used, and should consider taking out an extended warranty to protect you against unforseen circumstances. |
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| Used cars also used to have a tendancy to rust, whereas now, buyers expect comprehensive long term corrosion warranties, even if they only intend to keep their cars for a few years. |
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| The process of buying a used car has been made considerably easier with the advent of the car supermarket. Once the choice was small independent garage, private sales, or dealer trade ins. Now you have the additioal choice of the supermarkets where you can browse through thousands of cars of all different makes in order to find the one that you want. |
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| We'll be adding lots more information into our used cars section, including reviews of the most popular used cars, and advice on what to watch out for when buying a particular used car. |
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| We also have a feature in the pipeline regarding the economics of buying used compared to buying a new car. Which is best for your pocket probably depends very much on your own circumstances and your need for the latest features. We've observed that manufacturers have a vested interest in selling on the latest features of their new vehicles, but do you really need these? |
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| Do beware of used cars at inflated prices. One factor that many buyers look at when buying new is the depreciation of the model of car that they are buying. As a result, manufacturers have a vested interest in trying to keep the price of their second hand cars as high as possible. Some of the techniques used to achieve this result in high priced used cars on the delaer's forecourt; take note and shop around for much better deals on used cars. |
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| Of course there can be many advantages in buying a used car from a main dealer; they have a reputation to uphold so you should be able to expect that their used cars are of a certain standard. Most dealers offer comprehensive checks on their used cars which gives you some guarantee of the car's quality. In some cases the presence of a vehicle at the dealership that sold it can indicate that the previous owner was happy enough with it to buy another car from that dealer, though of course this may not be the reason that that car is being re-sold by that dealer. |
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| Usually the cheapest option when buying a used car is to buy it from the person who owned it previously. In many cases this offers an opportunity to buy a used car at prices only slightly higher than dealers trade in prices. Hoever, even if you know the owner of the used car, you can't expect the same level of protection in the event that there is a problem with your used car. |
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