Buying a used car
From shortlist to handover
Últimas en Buying a used car
-
Buying a used car: the step-by-step roadmap
A clear order of steps from setting a budget to driving home with the keys, so nothing important gets skipped.
-
Understanding the data plate and stickers on your car
Where to find the manufacturer plate, VIN and other labels on a car and what the information tells you.
-
How to bring a bought car home: transport options
Driving, towing, trucks and transporters compared, with the questions to ask before you choose.
Más guías
-
Timing belt vs timing chain
What the timing drive does, how belts and chains differ, and why the replacement history matters when you buy.
-
Test drive checklist: what to check on the road
What to do before, during and after a test drive so you notice problems that a quick look will not show.
-
Signs of odometer fraud and how to spot them
How to notice when the mileage on a used car does not match its real wear and history.
-
Signs of accident repair on a used car
How to notice that a car has been in a crash and repaired, and what questions to ask when you find signs.
-
Set your budget: the total cost of a car
How to work out what a car really costs each month, so the price tag is not the only number you look at.
-
Sell privately or trade in?
A fair comparison of selling your car yourself, selling to a dealer or trading it in against a new purchase.
-
Scams and fake ads when buying a car
The most common tricks in fake car ads and how to spot them before you send money or travel.
-
The real cost of owning a car
Fixed, running and hidden costs of a car, and how to see the full yearly picture before you buy.
-
Reading a tyre label and sidewall markings
What the size, load, speed and other codes on a tyre mean, and how the label helps you compare tyres.
-
Questions to ask the seller before you visit
A ready list of questions to ask by phone or message that save wasted trips and reveal how honest the seller is.
-
Private seller or dealer: which is right for you?
The real differences in price, protection, choice and effort when you buy from a person or from a business.
-
Car paperwork overview: what you need and when
The types of documents that go with owning, buying, selling and importing a car, and how to keep them in order.