How to Buy a Great Used Car
There are a number of ways of going about buying a used car to give yourself the best chance of getting a great one, and the good news is you certainly don’t have to be an industry expert to get the used car that's perfect for you. So, here are a few things you can do when you're looking to buy a used car to make sure you get a great one.
Do your homework
It's easy to get carried away when you are on the hunt for your next car, so make sure you are focused on the right vehicle and you know what a good one should be like, and what you should expect to pay. It used to be hard work to do this, but the internet is the buyer's best friend as it opens up the entire world of used cars at the click of a mouse. Use it to help you decide what vehicle you are looking for by reading reviews from both industry professionals and owners of any models you are particularly interested in. Once you have pretty much decided what model you are going to buy, look at sites listing used vehicles for sale to get an idea of how much you should be paying for one of the kinds of age and mileage you want.
The particularly important information you need to know is anything about faults or things to watch out for with the model you’re interested in. It could be anything from an area of the vehicle that's particularly prone to rust, an engine bulkhead that's prone to fracturing, or any number of other possibilities.
Buy from a trusted source
If you really know what you are doing, or if you have someone to take with you who does, buying from a private seller can be cheaper than buying from a dealer. However, there are no guarantees when buying privately and no warranties offered by the seller, so as well as representing an opportunity to get a good deal, it can also be a huge risk.
By going to a franchise dealer, although you will pay a little more, you will also get some type of warranty and you have a lot more legal comeback if the vehicle doesn’t turn out to be all that it seems. The thing is though; main dealers put their used cars through a rigorous set of checks before putting them up for sale because they don’t want to be selling a sub-par vehicle as it will only come back to haunt them and cost them money to put right.
Auctions are where you can get what seems like an incredible deal, but steer well clear unless you are an expert. After all, why would anyone send a car to auction in the first place if they could get more money selling it themselves? Buying from an auction is the ultimate used car risk, and even the experts can get it very wrong at times.
If you’re looking for a used BMW, your first part of call should always be Kearys Motor Group – BMW, where you'll find a fantastic selection of quality used BMWs all backed by the full resources of a BMW main dealer. For more information and to check out our current stock of used BMWs, check out our website right here.