How do I buy a car?

[Georock]

Please no nasty comments, I have never bought a car and I am completely lost. DH has always been the one to buy cars etc. and never taken me with him so I have literally never in my life even been to a dealership, my self esteem is rock bottom so I don’t trust myself to do this alone. Can someone please guide me?

the only dealership I know is car giant, any opinions on this? I don’t feel comfortable going to peoples houses to look at cars and would prefer from a dealership. Please help me. I’m so useless I don’t know where to start from, we have a car currently that we both drive that is on its last legs and I drive kids around in it and I feel it’s not safe, it’s about 14 years old

Go to a car supermarket and look round/test drive some. Decide what you like then whack it in auto trader and choose dealers only.

If it passes an MOT and hasn’t been in a bump, then I’d be surprised if a 2011 car isn’t safe.
Other than that, you literally just arrive, discuss your wants, look around, go for a few test drives and if you like it then you pay. It’s really quite simple and sales people are trained to make it straightforward so that you part with your money!

1. decide on your budget/type of finance
2. decide on what you want from a car
3. go to a dealership etc
4. see if you can trade in your old car
5. Make a deal
6. buy the car

@Georock don’t buy…. Lease!!!

I ve bought and leased cars and the latter has always come cheaper (mainly cause they’re new so no issues for 3 years )

Google car lease offers , there are some great EV offers around

good luck x

Do you think car giant is a good place to lease/buy from?

I understand your anxiety completely. Sorry I don't know your situation, is DH not about now? I'd decide on budget/size/non-negotiable features/preferred makes at home and the look if your budget matches what you want via autotrader or similar. If you're particularly keen on one car brand you could go to their main dealer to see what they have in stock or if not try Arnold Clark or another big multi brand dealer. Do you have a friend, neighbour or colleague who's keen on cars who might go with you?

IMO everyone will tell you that you need to haggle at the car dealership. But unless you're buying from a one man dealership in the 1980s, haggling isn't a thing - the head office set the prices, the same way they do at Sainsbury's - they're fixed. The only room for negotiation is if you are buying the car and want a deal on extras, such as service plans and replacement tyres, where you might get a discount for getting more than one optional extra.

I only mention this because I remember feeling like I just wasn't assertive enough or that people took me for a walk over until I made a friend who knew more about the industry (he's a mechanic who does work for a dealership) and he just laughed!

Its good to research in advance to know your limits in terms of budgets etc. Eg most people I know not buy PCP or lease, personally I only ever do bank loan or cash because I have higher than average mileage which means the cost per month on leasing/PCP is WAY higher than the advertised deals.

Can you ask for recommendations from nearby family or friends, or even on a local Facebook group? I’ve bought my last 5 cars over 20 years from the same small one man dealer locally and have always been very happy with his service, have recommended him to lots of people. Last time I got in touch to enquire about one car he had on his website and on listening to what we liked about it he sent details on another he was about to get in, which ended up much better for us than the one we’d seen. Whenever the question comes up on our local pages every second recommendation seems to be for him.

Never heard of car giant. Check the reviews i guess

Find person selling car you like. HPI check. Hand over cash/bank transfer. Tax and insure, leave with new car.

I would prefer a car supermarket type place over a BMW or whatever dealership. We bought our car from a Motorpoint and we’re both completely clueless. They have a no haggle policy so the price is the price, and it was all very straightforward.

Personally, I prefer to research and narrow it down to a few specific makes and models, then find somewhere I can go and test drive them. So if you like a particular make but want the next size up model, that’s fairly easy.

Oh and my other tip is once you test drive a few cars and have a good idea what you like, Google them!
I have a fiesta, I love it, but there is an issue with the engines that needs some expensive and tricky work doing around 8 years in. Most cars have some sort of 'common problem' so it's not something to panic about, just to know of and be prepared for (less of an issue if you're buying nearly new or on lease, but if buying outright, google make+ model+ year + problem and you'll see if there's anything in particular.

I was in a similar position myself as my car broke down unexpectedly two weeks after my ex left me. I had to put my big girl pants on and this is the process I went through:

1. Googled "the most reliable car" and looked through the list of top 10.
2. Decided which car out of the list I fancied based on size, looks and price category. Picked three options.
3. Went to Chat GPT and asked to compare the chosen models based on my lifestyle and driving style (short city trips mostly, motorway driving at weekends, able to handle country roads with ease, decent boot size for SUP and camping gear, keeps resale value etc.). From that, I narrowed down to one option
4. Went on Auto-trader and looked at available cars.
5. Found a dealer who sold the car I wanted in good condition, lower mileage and within the budget.
6. Booked a test drive online at my nearest branch
7. Went over, drove the car. Bough the car.
8. Lived happily ever after with my new car.

They re awful! I bought once and never again!

don’t think they do car lease as leasing is in new vehicles but they do something similar in used cars that’s not worth it

this gives you an idea of car leasing . If you you register your interest you get contacted by dealerships of the brand you like with numerous offers https://www.carwow.co.uk/car-leasing?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_account=6984742135&utm_campaign=21649591645&utm_group=166018900025&utm_keyword=affordable%20car%20lease&device=m&campaignid=21649591645&adgroupid=166018900025&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21649591645&gbraid=0AAAAADkNbBVcBF89NJJc7qWQzqPegwHfv&gclid=Cj0KCQiAxonKBhC1ARIsAIHq_lulRI4gx1_lKmhkuo6xA2YxZBvrvSyX74V-RxjwT86jhnBOJglCN40aAg6iEALw_wcB

As a former newbie to buying carsI have learnt a few things. Firstly, be careful and check the car you like's MOT history which you can do online. (Better to go for a car that has had few problems in the past in my opinion.)
Also be aware of, and read up on, Category S and N cars which will appear on Auto trader, often at a cheaper price. I believe it means they have had insurance write offs so again avoid those.

What are type of car are you looking for?
Why do you think your current car isn't safe?
What is your budget?
What is your mileage and what type (distance/short trips)

Look for service history, match mileage from service history to the MOTs (unless buying brand new?)
Look for dealers that are offering six month warranty.

I think a local garage would be a better option than Car Giant or similar. Do you or your DH already have a car and therefore a relationship with a garage? You could ask them to look out for something for you. Otherwise, go and test drive some different cars and work out what you like. And be prepared to haggle hard. My car cost £2000 less than it was advertised at because my dad (who is a haggling master) helped me.

I'm driving a ten year old Fiesta and it's perfectly safe because it's been well-maintained, by the way.

Would your DH help you?

I get what you mean. Before my current car id only previously bought one other car on my own.

Firstly do you know what type of car you want, and whether you want brand new, ex demo or a few years old? Work out your budget. I went a dealer for the type of car I was going for but the salesman was not helpful. Second dealership much better and they offered me more on the car I was part exchanging. Be careful about upselling on pointless polish finishes on paintwork.

I'm 54, always had to find my own second hand car when my previous one has died and gone off to the scrap yard.

I start with my budget. Say £900. Look on local Facebook, selling pages, gumtree. Then I look at the cars listed which look like good value- low mileage, long MOT etc.

Then I have a quick research about those cars, about their reliability and so on. I also check the MOT history on .gov.uk

You can pay for people to do a buyers survey type thing. I never have. But might be worth a go?

Find a good local used car dealer (yes, they do exist)! Don't be pressured into anything and wal away if it doesn't feel right.

Look at auto trader as it will give customer reviews etc. Lots of people seem to like leasing cars these days but it is such a waste of money. For our last two cars, we have taken a low interest bank loan over 3 years and brought a 2-3 year old car and never had any issues. Lots of manufacturers have extended warranties so if you buv something that's 2-3 years old you can still buy something that is covered by the manufacturers warranty (Kia for example have a 7 year warranty these days).

Our last car loan payments were £200 pm for a 3% interest bank loan and a dealership finance or lease scheme would have been nearly triple that. We paid the loan off a year earlier too, and it only cost us £25 to repay it early.

I’ve mostly bought ex demo cars. Low mileage but they are technically used so I get a deal. Bring a friend with you if you can for moral support. I’ve never paid sticker price - they expect a haggle, if not on price on the finance or they can throw a few extras in.

Leasing is paying for convenience, peace of mind and usually, a very new/high spec car, eg a new EV. It isn't something I'd do personally but whether it's a waste of money really depends on the OPs personal circumstances.

Warranties also need to be looked at carefully, in my experience warranties sound reassuring but eg the Kia warranty they really only cover if there were potential manufacturing faults, they don't cover anything that comes from using the car, lack of maintenance by previous owners etc.

Ex-demo cars are a great idea if you can afford it. You are basically getting a new car for often half the price or less if you negotiate.

What’s your budget? Cash or finance?

I picked a newer version of what I already had 😆 figured I knew how it should feel and sound.

Look out for advisories on past MOTs. Maybe Google how often a clutch and cambelt might need changing and see if the car has had that.

Check warranty e.g. 1 or 3 months.