5 Things To Know When Buying A Second-Hand Car

Don’t get stuck with a lemon. Follow Kate Ferreira’s guide to finding a winner

Your old skedonk is packing up and you’d love to replace it with the latest model, but the value of your purchase starts declining long before the ‘new-car smell’ starts to fade. That’s why second-hand cars can be better value. Here’s our common sense guide to getting the best deal on four-wheels...

Start your search online

Check out second-hand sales sites to get an idea of what the market looks like, as well as car review websites to help you research models and specs. This way you’ll have a good sense of what you like and applicable costs before even doing a test drive. For a handy round-up see the GumtreeAuto webpage (gumtree.co.za/ roadtests), which features the finalists and winners of their 2017 Pre-owned Car Awards. The shortlist draws on data and real test drives to compare best-selling pre-owned cars across different budget categories, and there’s a comparison tool so you can see the specs of the finalists side-by-side. Another useful website is autodealer.co.za: search by make, model, or price to narrow down your choices from more than 24 000 vehicles listed. Create a shortlist – ideally three vehicles – so you don’t get overwhelmed.

Open your eyes