How to buy a used car
Tips for buying used cars
A certain number of customers decides to buy a used car because they believe it is more cost-effective than buying a new one. In fact, only in the first two years a new car loses 35-40% of its original market values. So it often seems that a smarter thing to do is to buy a used car of higher class, than to use the same amount of money to buy a lower class car. The current situation in the economy is in favour of the customer. Due to general insolvency and lack of money it is difficult to sell a car, and a customer with cash is in a very good position. The most important thing is that if the customer prepares and chooses well, he can buy a quality used car.
What do you need to know before purchasing a used car?
The buyer is in the better position than the seller and because of that does not need to rush into purchasing a car. Don't fall for stories about quickly purchasing the vehicle for any reason. You should carefully look at as more cars as possible, and not listen to what the seller says about the car. A decision whether to buy the car or not should be made solely on the basis of your observation.
You should have as many information as possible about the car you want to buy. How much is it worth in the used cars market? Is there a new model coming out soon? When a new car line appears, the price of a used car drops by 10%!
Many are attracted by the economical Diesel cars, but if you want to spend a little on a car you can forget about them! Diesel car are unquestionably cheaper, because they spend less of the cheaper gasoline that the Petrol cars. But maintenance and repairs of Diesel cars are much more expensive.
It is advised to choose a bigger car since they are cheaper than the small ones, because of the bigger consumption.
You shouldn’t be a slave to a certain brand or vehicle type, because it is smarter to buy a better Fiat that a bad Opel (and vice versa). If you come across a good opportunity, you shouldn’t count the doors on the car, or think about the color or the shape of the car bodywork. In general, it is the overall condition of the car you should look at.
Avoid the traps and recognize the 'pig in a poke'
You should take the declaration of mileage with great caution and you should definitely check it well, because there is great danger in potentially fake mileage. It is usually more important how the car was driven and maintained that the mileage itself. So, before buying a car you should check it overall condition.
Beware of freshly painted cars! It is best to buy a car painted in original factory paint, even if it is in a bad condition. New paint is often a way of covering up the real condition of the car bodywork, the fact that the vehicle was in a car crash or the fact that its car bodywork is rusted. If the car was in a more serious crash it is not smart to buy it, no matter of the quality of the repair. The car is unsafe and more prone to corrosion.
Before buying a car you should take it to a canal or a crane. With a thorough check-up from the bottom of the car you could reveal any kind of fraud (signs of paint splash on the car, bumps on the inner carriers and car body work...). If the seller wanted to cover up a crash or if the car is rusted, you should give up on buying it.
How to recognize a stolen car?
It is your right and duty to buy a better car for less money. But in that sense you shouldn't exaggerate. If you buy a solid Golf, Audi or a BMW for a couple of thousand Euros, it will be very difficult to persuade the police that you bought it 'with good intentions'. This is also the case where the numbers on the chassis have been changed and the documents have been falsified. Crime knows no limits, and when it comes to stolen cars data is often changed. So the origin of the car is not the absolute guarantee, although it is recommended to buy a car from Croatia to avoid complications and to buy a car from a reliable source.
You should thoroughly check if there are damages around the locks and the contact key. Even the slightest damage can be a sign that the car was stolen. All locks and keys should be original and if there is something wrong with them, you should immediately give up on buying the car. All glasses should have factory marks and if the glass has been changed, this is a not good. This is also the case if the wheel and the console switchgear have been changed.
Look at the documents carefully. If the car had more owners, check if the documents are valid at the notary and if possible, ask the experts for help.