  

Where's
the best place to actually buy a car? Where you choose to buy will depend
on the risks you're prepared to take to get a bargain, the kind of service you
expect and how far you're prepared to travel. By
far the most secure is at a franchised dealer - the local official dealer
for a particular car-maker. Most have 'approved used' schemes and they may well
be able to track down a car that suits you if they don't have one in stock. You'll
get a well-checked, clean & presentable car, a long warranty and plenty
of legal comeback if things go wrong.  KwikTip:
always get a car insurance quote from Direct
Line too, as they don't take part in the price comparison websites.
But
what you get in service and security, you pay for in price, and you'll generally
only find one make of car at each location. Franchised dealers have big overheads
so charge a lot more than for a similar car bought privately. Independent
dealers vary hugely in quality, ranging from glossy showrooms to portakabins
on waste ground, and there are usually plenty around your area. They'll normally
keep a good choice of often older, higher mileage stock, and so be able to
offer better deals. The cars will often not be so well prepared as at a franchised
dealer, and may even still need some work done. So it's always worth getting your
own inspection (see AimVI
and the RAC
inspection services for more info). But they have the same legal obligations
to you as a franchised dealer and they'll normally take your car in part exchange.
You could get a better price for it too, as they might re-sell it themselves,
and you'll often still get a short warranty. However, they're not so hot for
finance, which is often expensive. Car
supermarkets operate on the 'pile 'em high, sell 'em cheap' principle.
Buying power and high turnover
of stock lets them offer all the dealer facilities and also knockdown prices.
They mostly stock mainstream, ex-fleet cars and you'll find a wide range at one
location. On the down side, they might be cheap but don't expect much
movement on price. And they might not want to part exchange your car either.
If they do, they're less likely to give you the best price for it. Car
supermarkets do also tend to be few and far between. Distance isn't just a problem
for viewing a car you like the sound of. Even if you buy, you might not be
able to drive your car away the same day and will have to return to pick it
up. Worse, if something goes wrong under warranty, you may have to return it
to the supermarket to make a claim. 
Buying
privately is more risky - what you see is what you get and if the engine falls
off the next day there's almost no comeback. Searching privately is
also more time-consuming as you can only see one car at a time and there'll
be no part exchange, so you'll also have to sell your own car yourself. You'll
also have to arrange your own finance and, if you want one, buy an after-market
warranty. But there's an upside: mainly, that by cutting out the middle-man,
it's easily the cheapest way to buy. You'll also be able to talk to the owner
about the car's history & reliability (while remembering they actually want
to sell you the car!). Going
private, but investing in an expert AimVI
or RAC
inspection to make sure you know what you're getting, can make a lot of sense.
Often the inspection will either give you bargaining chips to haggle the price
down, or prevent you making an expensive mistake. Read
on for our KwikGuide to giving a car
a thorough DIY inspection or read
more about your legal rights when buying
a used car. Auctions
are for people who know what they're doing. There are serious bargains to
be had, but auctions are also a dumping ground for tat and so very high risk.
There'll be a wide choice of cars, but opportunities for testing and inspecting
cars are limited and you might get a very limited warranty. As with buying
privately, there's also no part exchange. General rules are: visit an
auction several times before bidding for anything - it's definitely an acquired
art; follow the car into the ring to listen for any problems; decide on an absolute
maximum you'd pay and don't bid past it; and make sure you understand the conditions
of sale before bidding. And if at all possible, take an expert! 
The
internet now offers a growing number of 'direct' dealers who don't have the
costs of plush showrooms, so can offer some really great deals. Buying sight unseen
is still a risk, but if you're looking for a nearly new car there are now many
companies offering bargain prices and who'll bring the car to you for inspection.
You may even get a short test period or money-back guarantee in case you discover
faults or you find you can't live with the car. Deciding
where to buy your next car means weighing up what's most important to you:
security and convenience, or lowest possible price. Next
page: arranging
to view a car >> |