Purchasing a second-hand car is a great way to get a new car without breaking the bank

Purchasing a second-hand car is a great way towide selection of cars of this type, and if properly
get a new car without breaking the bankchecked over for faults and maintenance issues
05th April 2007will usually constitute a safe purchase. Cars that
Author: Andrew Reganare over three years old are generally a little
These days, purchasing a car can be a minefieldmore tricky with a much larger variance in quality;
of uncertainty - especially so for the majority ofthese cars may cost as little as £2-300, but
us who do not have detailed technical knowledgeas always at the lowest end of any market, you
of the workings of the car industry. But having aget what you pay for.
basic knowledge of how the second-hand carWhen looking for a second-hand car, a good piece
industry works could end up saving you thousandsof advice is generally to stick to independent
of pounds; providing you do some carefuldealers. This is because dealers with affiliations to
research beforehand!major brands of vehicle generally receive a
Due to the way that dealers classify thecommission for every car they sell, and as such
second-hand car market, motorists can oftencan often be even less impartial than non-affiliated
save themselves thousands of pounds on asalesmen. Affiliated dealerships are also generally
second-hand car if they shop with care. Dependingless willing to consider other brands or other
on such factors as age, mileage and condition ofmakes of car. However, although generally
the vehicle, second-hand cars normally fall into onefavouring one brand of car and being more
of three categories. The first of these categoriesexpensive initially, the flip side of the coin is that
is nearly new cars, which are those vehicles thataffiliated dealerships (or "main dealers") do offer
are up to one year old, have very low mileagebrand specific after sales care and servicing, hold
(usually sub-10,000 miles) and can cost thousandsa large stock of spare parts and offer good,
of pounds less than an equivalent brand new car.multiple year warranties.
The old adage of a car being immediately worthAnother option to consider when looking around
three thousand pounds less the moment youfor a second-hand car is to cut out the middle
drive it off the forecourt may no longer be true -man entirely and use the internet to search online.
but the principle certainly is.Online car buying has exploded in recent years
The next category of second-hand car involvesand generally provides the cheapest way of
the most commonly seen used cars on the roadbuying second-hand cars, as advertising costs for
today and constitutes the vast bulk of theboth car sites and independent sellers are much
second-hand car market. This category includescheaper than via traditional channels, as well as
those cars which are one to three years old, arehelping to avoid the high pressure sales
in good condition and have reasonably low mileageenvironment that is often associated with buying
on the clock - making them excellent vehicles fora second-hand car.
the cost-conscious buyer. Most dealers will have aAndrew Regan is an online, freelance journalist.