spring is the season for used cars again. When buying a used car, you can make real bargains – but you can also make a lot of mistakes. Tips for the search, the used car check, the test drive and the purchase contract.
mileage rolled back, concealed accident damage, worn tires: as a used car buyer, you can quickly fall on your face. Good preparation is the be-all and end-all. With the right tips and tricks, you won’t get any nasty surprises during the vehicle check and you’ll be ready for price negotiations.
FOCUS-online shows you together with the used car experts from mobile.De the four steps to a new used car – from the car search to the purchase contract.
Step 1: tips for the car search
- If you are looking for a used car warranty you should specifically look for offers from the dealer. When buying privately, there is usually no warranty, but the offers are usually more favorable and there is more room for negotiation.
- The prices for individual vehicle models can vary greatly from one federal state to another. It is worthwhile not to limit the search to a few kilometers around your own location, but rather to look for a new car across the state border to see.
- usually, when you search online, you can save offers with a "parking lot" function so you can access them later and directly compare the shortlisted vehicles.
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Finding the right car?
before you inspect the car, you must prepare well.
- Tell the seller relevant documents such as TuV certificates, invoices or the maintenance checkbook want to see.
- Tell the seller that the car is under should not be driven warm. Because only with a cold start you can judge the engine in cold condition.
- Bring as much as possible expert friends with – four eyes see more than two.
- With expensive cars it can also be worthwhile, at the tuV, dekra or other expert organization to have the car checked by a professional on the stage. It’s not free, but the fee is definitely a sensible investment that can save you from soon to be incurred expenses.
On the next pages, you can read how to check the interior and exterior of used cars and what you need to bear in mind when test-driving and signing a purchase contract.