Used cars - what to look out?

[JackB]

I am in the market to buy a used car. I don't want anything over 5 years old but don't really know what criteria to search for? I will probably buy from a dealer but want to narrow down my search online first, if anyone has any advice on how to approach this - that would be great

Work out what you want first. Budget. Type of car. For me I’d avoid main Steelers.

Questions to ask

What size of car? How many passengers? Will you carry children? Do you need a big boot

How are you going to use it? Short trips around town? Long motorway journeys?

Do you just want a practical vehicle or do you need it to project an image.

Are low running costs important?

Just look up the euro ncap safety ratings. Buy the safest car you can afford and only buy cars that haven't been involved in an accident and have a full service history only using the manufacturers parts and garage (which will be fairly standard for cars that age anyway).

Budget?