Buying Your First Car

Buying a first car can be full of dangers that can either have you buying a whole heap of someone else’s trouble, a ringed stolen vehicle, a cut & shut or simply pay through the nose for something that isn’t worth anything like the money you hand over.

As a young driver can be a very daunting prospect, especially if you are not mechanically minded. What make do you go for, which model and how much should you pay?

Project Management The first thing to do is to set yourself a budget. This will be a maximum amount of money set aside for buying a first car. Once you have decided this, use as much self–discipline as you can muster to make sure that under no circumstances will you exceed that amount. Always remember that the price you pay for your first car as a young driver has got to leave you with enough cash to be able to by car insurance. An annual premium paid for car insurance can often be more than what you pay for the car. Be Brave and Haggle Another rule to stick to is that having set yourself a budget for buying a first car, never pay the asking price. There is always scope to haggle and you should not be shy about doing this. When people advertise a used car they expect to have to take an offer and so they will build that margin into the asking price. Even if you buy a first car from a dealer you should never pay the asking price. If you see a car you like advertised at £3,750 there is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to negotiate this down to £3,500. If the dealer or the owner isn’t prepared to budge on the price, then walk away. Never fall in love with a particular car as this can prove to be expensive.
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As much as you may feel this isn’t the case, there will actually be many more cars to choose from. You just have to be patient.

If a dealer or owner of a car for sale isn’t prepared to take your offer, make sure that when you walk away you leave your phone number, as often you will get a call later that day, asking you to come back. Remember, you are the one with the money in your pocket and should see that as you being in control.

Research Your Subject

Things like colour and body style should be irrelevant,unless it is a convertible. You need to remember you are buying a first car and it is not meant to last you a lifetime, so it doesn’t need to look sporty. You just need to own it to get you from A to B and long enough for you to work your car insurance costs down (no claims bonus). Later, when you are in a better position, you will get a better car.

Purchase price may seem too obvious as something to mention here, but always remember if the car is being sold dirt cheap that may well be because it is a make or model that no one wants. Therefore, when you come to sell it, you may have a problem trying to get a buyer yourself. Do some research on what is hot and what is not.

Keep Looking at Car Sales Websites and Magazines

Spend a lot of time looking at dealer’s websites and the classified ads in local newspapers. Consult the Autotrader website in particular as this is one of the biggest collection of classified advertisements for used cars that you will find. What you are looking for is what you can get for your budget.

By researching what price certain used cars are being sold for you will be able to get an idea if someone is overcharging for theirs. Some people will try and get back all the money they have paid out on car accessories, but this is a nonsense.

Remember, a 5–year old car with a load of bling on it is still a 5–year old car, and if it has a load of bling on it then all the more reason to walk away. If it has been mucked about with like this you do not know what else has been messed with and some accessories, such as alloy wheels, actually attract a higher rate of car insurance.

Research the Cost of Servicing & Repairs

To find out the cost of servicing a car do some research on the Internet. Look into the cost of everyday parts, such as tyres, exhausts and batteries. If you are buying an older car that is MOT age then think about other things that may need replacing, like brake disc pads, coolant hoses and the radiator. This cost of these varies considerably from make to make.

It’s all very well finding out the cost of spare parts, but how accessible are they if you need them? If you are going to have to go to a main dealer then consider where that is. This will be even more important if the part that has broken on your car means you can’t drive it.

What bits can you get from motor factors, such as Halfords and Autoparts as these will often be a lot cheaper than main dealer prices.

The Cost of Car Insurance

The price of car insurance is a major issue, especially for a young drivers. The price of car insurance will vary from car to car and many factors will determine the rate you are charged.

Your age is a main consideration and the horsepower of the engine relative to the size of the car. There are plenty of websites what will tell you what motor insurance group a car has been classed at, so do lots of research to see what your options will be.

Don’t go for a car with lots of toys on it, as you will pay through the nose to insure it. Things like alloy sports wheel do look nice, but will increase insurance prices. Don’t out allow wheels on your car after you have bought it either, as this will raise the premium.

It you do fit alloy wheels and you don’t tell your insurance company, if you then have a crash, the company may well refuse to pay out. Not a good time to find out you are not covered.

Fuel Consumption

There are plenty of websites that will tell you about the fuel consumption of various models of car, even for those that are no longer made. If you can get your hands on a small engine diesel you are really laughing, as these will almost go on forever and practically run on fresh air.

Diesel cars are highly sought after, so when the time comes to sell it, there will be a queue of people outside your door asking to buy it. For this reason a diesel is worth paying slightly more for it when you buy the car.

The Resale Value of a Car

How well a car will hold its value is an important factor to consider. A car that is cheap because its value has fallen like a lump of lead might be a good thing when you are looking to buy one, but really bad news when you come to sell it.

Don’t forget you will want to use the money you get from the sale of this car to put towards the next one. Always think about the future.

However, you could consider buying a really cheap car if you are prepared to just throw it away when you have finished with it. This would make sense in the case of a low price car that isn’t too old and you don’t pay any more than about £750 for it.

If you consider this option, look at the other costs here in relation to insurance and repairs. Some cars can be more expensive to repair than what they are worth when they go wrong.

Viewing a Car to Buy

When you go to look at something you are thinking of as buying your first car do not become blinded by a nice glossy paint finish. Shiny paint can be hiding all sorts of issues that are under the skin. Just remember the proverb, all that glitters may not be gold.

Ask yourself if the car has been in a smash and then bodged back together. Shiny paint can hide all manner of nightmares. Don’t be frightened to lift carpets, even in the boot, to see if the paint colour is different underneath or of there is any attempt to cover up damage.

Look under the bonnet for altered weld seams where the wings are joined on and around the bulk head. Also check the oil by pulling out the dip stick. If there are traces of water in the oil this could be a sign the head gasket is leaking and that is an expensive repair. Check in the coolant reservoir too for traces of oil as this is also a sign of gasket trouble.

Take a good look underneath for fluid leaks of any kind and ask the owner to start the engine whilst the bonnet is open. Get him to pick the revs up slowly on the throttle whilst you listen for rattles from inside the engine. If you hear any, shut the bonnet and go home.

Ask to compare the Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) between what is recorded on the registration document and what is on the VIN plate. You will usually find this plate in the bonnet slam panel or around the frame of the driver’s doorway.

Does Everything Fit?

Do the body panels line up and fit properly? Walk a few yards away from the car and squat down on your haunches, closing one eye and looking along the side of the car. If any of the doors are slightly sticking out, or the wings don’t line through with the doors, be suspicious. Do this along both sides.

When all the doors, bonnet and tailgate shut, put your index finger in the panel gaps and then run it all the way up and back along that gap. If the car is straight then the gap will remain the same. Do this around the bonnet, tailgate and all doors.

Lightly run your hands over the tyre tread areas, feeling for particular roughness caused by feathered tread pattern. Any unusual tyre wear will suggest the wheels are out of alignment, and if that is the case, it could mean the car is twisted, but is not complete proof.

If you are really unsure what you are doing then get the car checked out by an expert service. Both the AA and the RAC offer this and although there will be a small cost involved, it could be worth it in the long term.

Another thing to check is the car has not any Hire Purchase payments outstanding on it. To check this out you need to do something called a HPI check. Again, you can find out more by doing an Internet search.

A good rule of thumb to use is that if the deal doesn’t smell right then it probably isn’t. If you remember nothing else from this page remember this. Always be prepared to walk away and never set your heart on one particular car.

Buying From a Main Dealer

If you are buying your first car from a main dealer you should be pretty safe, because if there was anything genuinely wrong with a car then they would not be selling it. If they did miss something, and you have a genuine complaint, getting a refund should not be a problem. Main dealers are too worried about reputation to think about diddling you.

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This page was last updated
Wednesday, 02-Feb-2011

Buying Your First Car