New cars are expensive
Many people can’t afford them. Even those who can afford them may at times be better off purchasing a used car, for example when they are on a short-term contract in some foreign country. Used cars are cheaper, and they do not burn a hole in the pocket with high auto insurance premiums. Yet, there are corresponding drawbacks too. Used cars imply more maintenance costs. It is difficult to get loans for purchasing used cars, especially for purchasing the used cars that are much too old to have adequate resale value. The third drawback is, of course, reselling the car. The value that would be received on resale of a used car would be considerably lower.
It would also be difficult to sell such a car. Notwithstanding these factors, buying used cars makes sense if such cars meet certain criteria. These factors include age of the vehicle, and the distance it has traveled till date. Ideally, the used car should not be older than 5 years, and it should not have run more than 18000 kilometers per year. Unfortunately, odometers installed in the cars are often tampered with. But a test drive would expose many of the flaws. The engine of the car should start as smoothly, and as noiselessly as possible. This should be checked a couple of times as some problems are not obvious immediately. Any dark smoke from the car’s rear would mean it is not worth purchasing that car. The life of car battery matters, as does the life of its tires, wheel bearings, bushings springs, etc. It is also necessary to check the wheel alignment, as this can be a problem while driving. Any acid wear near the car’s batteries indicates that the car owner has been negligent with the car, and has not maintained it well. Opening the bonnet can reveal this. To check the air conditioner, take the car out on test drive in the afternoon. Do not forget to check the other electrical components, lights and door handles. These may seem not so important, or negligible in terms of cost, but not having them can be rather inconvenient.