Where to buy your next second hand car

There are several places to buy second hand cars, from private owners listed in the back of the newspaper to large franchise dealerships with showrooms all over the world.

There are advantages and disadvantages to every approach, but if you are careful, and weigh up your options sensibly, then there is no reason not to end up with a great bargain on your next automobile purchase. Here is a rundown of the most common options available to the automotive bargain hunter:

Franchise dealerships can usually be counted on to have high quality, fully serviced cars in their lot. Normally, they will offer a healthy part exchange deal on your old car, and a solid warranty on your new one. However, their cars do tend to be rather on the pricey side, as does their service facility, which they may insist that you use, and there is normally only a few makes of car that they will deal with.

If you feel that you need a certain level of customer service and quality assurance, but want a wider choice than is available at franchised dealerships, then you might want to consider buying a car from an independent dealership. They are usually a little cheaper than their franchised counterparts, and give similarly good trade ins, so they can be a good way to take the hassle out of buying a used car.

Car supermarkets offer a huge amount of choice, and their vehicles tend to be very clean with a low mileage. Although they are generally cheaper than specialised dealers, there are often a number of hidden costs attached, and they do not always offer part exchange deals. You also have less legal comeback with a car supermarket, although you can always arrange a private warranty with an independent broker.

Classified ads can be a great place to look for cheap second hand cars from private sellers, but this is also one of the most time consuming ways to buy a second hand car. You have virtually no legal comeback when buying from a private seller, so it is important to arrange a vehicle inspection before you commit to buy.

Auctions can be an exciting way to buy a car, and sometimes you can get a stunning bargain. In fact, this is where many independent dealerships get their cars from. However, your legal comeback is quite limited, as is your opportunity to inspect the vehicles before bidding, so this is a bit more of a risky route to take than some of the others.

You can now buy cars directly over the internet, which is one of the cheapest and most convenient ways to do it. However, you are often buying sight unseen, so if you are not prepared to take the risk, make sure that you at least get some sort of warranty with the car. Arranging payment and collection can be tricky, but if the car in question is relatively nearby, this need not be an issue.