Where is it best to buy a used car? A dealer place? Or a private place?

Question

Also the budget is about £1000 - £2000 any sugestion for cars?

Answer 1

I'm answering your question even though I'm only familar with the US dealerships, some of my answer may not apply.

You are at risk with either a private seller or dealership of buying a car that's not up to standards so to speak.

Most dealerships will inspect the cars before they sell them, but this doesn't mean that they repair everything that needs repaired.

At my former job as a service manager of a mult-line dealership I've seen numerous vehicles we inspected that needed repairs but the used car sales manager would'nt authorize these repairs.

But as a general rule, anything that was a major safety issue was either repaired, or the vehicle was sold at auction or to some other wholesale source.

The advantage of a dealership is that if something goes wrong, you at least have someone to complain to. Not that they will always correct the problem. But you do have some options such as filing a complaint with the bbb, speaking to a general manager or owner etc.

With a private seller you have very few if any of these options.

You'll get a better price with a private seller than a dealerships, but as mentioned above, at a greater risk.

Dealerships themselves are not always so honest either, they will attempt to add options you don't need, such as window etching and even some add on paint sealants, undercoatings etc, not just new but used cars as well.

If you know what to look for and how to look for those items that may hinder your search, then you can at least feel comfortable about shopping for a used car, rather it be a dealer or private seller.

For financing you may consider a local credit union or bank rather than a dealership, they typically have lower interest rates.

Jerry
http://www.usedcarwise.com

Answer 2

If you buy from a dealer you can get a warranty so that if your car fails, usually within 6 months you can get it fixed, our last car had a few problems which could have been expensive so thank god for the warranty. You usually pay a little more at a garage. When buying from a dealer if there are any marks or light damage, bald tyres, rusting exhaust, to get the sale they will usually commit to repair it or reduce the price. Remember they are on commision and will eat their hat to get a sale over the next guy.

Private, you can expect to pay under the garage price, and i feel there is always the risk that they could rob you at the exchange taking both the money and the car. Also if you buy a bad one, tough, its sold as seen. This is the risk but depends on how much you value your cash, if you see this as a small amount then obviously there is less risk. Not all private sellers are bad and many are legitimate. I have sold a car and a van in this manner on ebay, one winning the auction and the other using it as an autotrader style, can i come and have a look, as long as the person selling is honest and isnt out to decieve you your ok. Check for proof of service history, listen to engine noise, ask questions, for instance, "how often do you need to change the oil and what type should i use" depending on their answer you know how well the cars been looked after.

Answer 3

Im in the same boat as you. Im purchasing a used vehicle myself. To try and summarize..., all vehicles (New & Used) sold at a dealership sell for "Suggested Retail Price", which will ALWAYS be more then the "Private Seller Price". The reason for the difference in price is because a Dealership will often provide extras like a "Warranty", and will always do vehicle history checks, ect. Basically they do the leg-work to ensure you get a quality vehicle which makes the Buyer more comfortable with the purchase,...and you pay for that comfort. On the other hand, buying from a private Seller is a bit more risky, but only if you dont do all the leg work before you buy. I myself will purchase a vehicle from a private seller because I know I'll get a cheaper price, and I will research the vehicle myself. You can do all the same vehicle checks the dealership does on your own, for free. The only thing you wont get, is a Warranty. Which for some people is very important. Since your looking to spend only a few grand anyway, most dealerships that are reputable dont even sell cars for that price..., or that old, and definetely dont provide Warranty's. Long story short, I would buy Privately, and research the vehicle myself. NADA.COM will help determine your prospective cars value also. Hope that helped

Answer 4

With cars of that age then your eyes your merchant whether it be a dealer or private I'm afraid.

Most genuine dealers will check the car has no major faults before selling the car. But cars of the price your talking about wont attract warranty. In any case a warranty only covers items that haven't gone through wear and tear. In a car of that age you would struggle to find many things the warranty holder couldn't attribute to wear and tear.

Take someone with you to look at the car that knows what he's talking about, (not someone who thinks he does as the dealer will make him look an idiot and will probably be less inclined to haggle).

Be realistic in your expectations, £1-£2k isn't a lot of money where cars are concerned but should get you something half decent.

My suggestions would be a vauxhall astra 1.4 8 valve. Cheap, fairly reliable and easy to maintain. You should be able to pick up a decent last of the mark 3's (R/S reg) for about £1200.

Answer 5

I would say to purchase from a dealer via online (or at least negotiate pricing and get financing online). But you will have to determine for yourself what most important to you, best price or convenience and warranty. Dealers give you a warranty and the convenience of viewing many different cars in one place. Private owners usually give you the best price, but you will have to deal with all of the paperwork. Ebay is fun to bid on cars that you are interested in and wait and see if you can steal one for yourself.
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Answer 6

private is generally cheaper, you dont have to deal with salesmen (who are notorious when dealing with that value of car), and often there are more available cars, esp in that price range.

if you TAKE IT TO A TRUSTED MECHANIC and you should have nothing to worry about.

if youre just looking for a get-around-town car, get something like an older carolla, or a polo/lupo tdi. Basically anything small and reliable will do.

Answer 7

Private , but do your research, pick a car you like,start to look at ads in your price range.Check small ads for a couple of weeks. one word of warning,don't bye of a dealer in a private sale there are lots of scams out there.

Answer 8

Private will be cheaper but the car will be bought as seen and have no warranty. The gamble is yours my friend.

Answer 9

for that money i would choose a dealer,you will get some guarrantee,plus the cars are useualy part exchanges with nothing realy wrong with them.

Answer 10

Pub in east end, should get 54 reg Mondeo for £ 2K, they tell it stole but actual wass minicab and haf don 200K mile and been wound bak, sold as stole so no comes back.