What to look for when buying a used car
Barbara weber reports on insurance and legal topics for finanztip. A lawyer specializing in labor and social law, she came to writing in a roundabout way: after studying and then completing her traineeship, she first worked in a business consulting firm and helped companies set up their own businesses. in 2020, she took an additional journalism course. So she has the ideal qualifications for working in the finanztip editorial team.
- You can buy a used car privately or from a dealer. Dealers are usually more expensive, but offer more security than private sellers.
- For a young used e-car you get an environmental premium.
- Used car portals offer a good market overview.
- Search for your car on an internet portal like mobile.De, autoscout24 or autouncle.De and make a price comparison.
- Use our checklist for the viewing appointment and our sample purchase contract to settle the most important points.
- compare insurance premiums at check24 or verivox before you buy. Then do a cross-check with huk24.
In this guide
Buying a used car can be financially worthwhile: you save the depreciation of a new car – because that is highest in the first year. And for a young used electric car, you even get an environmental bonus from the government. In this guide, we show you what you should look out for when buying a used car and how you can save money in the process.
How to find the right car?
First think about which car type you need. First of all, you should clarify your needs. If you are single, a small car might be enough for you. For a family, a station wagon or SUV can be practical. An important point is also the drive type. Maybe you’re still going for an internal combustion engine, or maybe you’re switching to electromobility and buying a used hybrid or electric vehicle.
The right one is also important equipment. For a family with a small child, it probably has to be the five-door model. If you travel a lot with your car, you need as much storage space as possible. You may also be interested in special equipment such as heated seats or parking assistance.
Also, you should check your set budget. If you decide to buy a young used hybrid or electric car, you will receive an environmental bonus. Keep this advantage in mind when planning your budget.
If you need a car loan, we recommend you a credit comparisonstart your credit comparison at verivox. The portal clearly shows you all the banks from which you are likely to get a loan. With check24 you can sometimes improve this result a bit more. For more details, see our guide to loans.
- Automatically requests interest rates from all connected banks
- account view and completely digital conclusion possible
- Does not show what part of the rate is the residual debt insurance
- Comparatively few banks
- Shows how much the residual debt insurance costs
- account overview and completely digital conclusion possible
- Residual debt insurance is highlighted in the application section
- Requests all banks only after additional clicks
Compare prices and negotiate
If you now have a rough idea of your future car, you can go to a dealer with it or you can look directly in online portals like mobilie.De or autoscout24. If you decide for a buy from a dealer or for one private purchase, nevertheless, we always recommend an online price comparison. So first look for a car at a dealer or privately and then see if you can find the same car cheaper online get. With the offer you confront the seller and try to negotiate a lower price.
Compare insurance premiums
before you buy a car, you should compare the insurance premiums. Because they can differ greatly depending on the model.
recommended way to the cheapest rate: first compare at verivox or check24, then get an offer from huk24.
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New or used car: which is better?
There is no general answer to the question of whether a new or a used car is the better choice. In the following we would like to show you the advantages and disadvantages of both purchase options.
This speaks for the new car
manufacturer warranty – when you buy a new car, you get a manufacturer’s warranty for several years, sometimes up to five years. in case of damage, e.g. to the engine or the chassis, the manufacturer will usually cover the costs of the repair. In case of self-inflicted accidental damage you are covered by fully comprehensive insurance. Costly repairs are therefore usually not an issue for you for the time being. the expenses for your car are calculable for the next years.
Newest technology – with a new car you always drive with the latest technology. A used car can already be technically outdated when you buy it. Especially with electric cars, the technology can change quickly. If you want to minimize the risk of depreciation, you can also lease a car first or test it on a car subscription.
A car according to your wishes – you can configure a new car as you wish. Maybe you really want heated seats, but you can do without the navigation system. A used car, on the other hand, you have to take as it is.
What speaks against the new car
The price – a new car is an expensive purchase. You may need a large credit that runs over many years.
depreciation – as soon as you put the new car on the road, it has already decreased in value. Within the first year the depreciation is the highest.
The advantages of a used car
Favourable purchase price – the purchase price of a used car is usually lower than that of a new car. Even with a year-old car you can save a lot of money and the car is still in almost new condition.
Available immediately – a used car you can take home promptly, because it already exists. new cars are usually manufactured according to your wishes, this can take several months depending on the model.
The disadvantages of a used car
You have to know your way around – no matter if you buy the car privately or from a dealer: you should have a good understanding of cars and their technology. Because unlike a new car, you can’t trust that the car is in perfect condition.
Repair costs – you may be faced with high repair costs if the car is already a little old. And if the warranty has expired, you usually have to pay for it yourself.
Buying a used car therefore makes sense if you want to keep the purchase costs low and you know your way around cars. If, on the other hand, you value the latest technology and do not want high repair costs, then a new car could be the right choice. Most often the annual cara good compromise.
Buy from a dealer or privately?
You can buy your car at a used car dealer or of a private person buy. Both variants have their advantages and disadvantages.
safe purchase at the dealer
In principle, buying a car from a used car dealer is the safest option. The vehicles are usually in good condition. In addition, dealers are required by law to provide a warranty. Within the first two years after purchase must sellers liability for material defects. This period can be shortened to one year in the sales contract.
material defects are faults that the car had already at the handover. The seller has to prove in the first six months after purchase that the defect was not present at the time of delivery.
New : for contracts from 1. January 2022 the period is extended to twelve months.
If, for example, the catalytic converter is defective, the dealer must prove that this was not the case when the car was delivered. This rule puts you in an advantageous position, because the seller will often not be able to prove it.
Buying from a local dealer is also a good idea convenient for you. You usually don’t have to drive long distances, and dealers often have a large selection of vehicles to choose from.
But for the service at the dealer you also have to dig deeper into your pocket. The vehicles are mostly more expensive than a private purchase. Our tip: compare prices online and go to your used car dealer with the best offer. This gives you a good basis for negotiation and you can push the price down.
unfortunately, there are also black sheep among used car dealers. In any case, stay away from dealers who sell "on behalf of private". With it unserious dealers want to avoid the warranty.
Private purchase is cheaper
You will get the best price if you buy a car privately. However, there are many disadvantages to buying privately: sometimes you have to drive long distances to get to the seller. Private sellers usually have only one car on offer. If you decide not to buy this car, all the way and the effort were unfortunately in vain.
unlike commercial dealers, private individuals are allowed to exclude the warranty in the purchase contract. Therefore you should take the car especially well under the magnifying glass. In any case, take a person with you who knows about cars. If you want to be on the safe side, have the car inspected by a check the car with tuv, dekra or ADAC.
Which online portals are there?
The largest selection of used vehicles can be found on online portals on the Internet. There are sites that are called classical mediation portals act. Private and commercial sellers offer cars for sale, whereby the dealer offers are usually clearly in the majority. Other sites work like search engines: they bundle the offers of the mediation portals and thus make it possible to search for different suppliers.
On such portals you can search specifically for cars. you can limit model, age and equipment and you will get suitable offers in the result list. If you are explicitly looking for private sales or on the contrary for dealer offers, you can also post that.