Tell Co-op Insurance what you look for when buying a used car - £300 voucher to be won! NOW CLOSED

[EllieMumsnet]

Whether you are buying a small family car, something fun for yourself, or perhaps a first car for your teenager, there are many things to consider such as size, fuel economy, and comfort to name a few. Co-op Insurance think safety is really important but would like to find out what is most important to you when you are buying a used car.

Here’s what Co-op Insurance has to say: “We know safety is paramount when it comes to driving children around and finding an affordable used car that offers the best safety standards will be important to many mums. For this reason we have identified and unveiled the top 5 used cars (under £5,000) for passenger safety. Whether it's your teenager’s first car or your car, passenger safety is very important and often an afterthought with all the other aspects to think about.”

So what is important to you when buying a used car? Are you savvy in finding the best price or do you shamelessly want a nice colour? Perhaps it’s all about the in-car entertainment for you to avoid the dreaded ‘are we there yet’? Or are you adamant that you must be able to fit three car seats in the back? Whatever your most important features are, please share them below and you will be entered into a prize draw to win a £300 voucher of your choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

A nice affordable little runner that isn't too big (so I can park!), is safe and recently MOT'd, reliable, not too old, and not too many miles on the clock.
Colour not so important (as long as not yellow or bright green :D).

Fuel Economy. Safety. Comfort. Reliability. Big enough for tall people and roomy enough to seat five. But with a bit of ooomph so I can put my foot down and move if I have to.

Given we still have an old Polo from 2003 we don't swap unless we have to...

If it's car for the family then yes it has to have 3 full seats in the back and a big boot!
If it's a teen's first car then I would pick something low on insurance, good fuel efficiency and not too nippy!

Price, safety, price, boot size, price, mileage, great visibility, price, rear parking sensors and price

I would need it to be family friendly (good boot space and 5 doors) Also that it iPad good fuel consumption to keep costs down.

Before children I would've been all about the style and colour etc!

Things I consider (in order of importance) are:

Safety
Room for a pram
Reliability
Good fuel economy
Style

We just bought one.
Family of 5.
We look for a dealer who offers at least 3 month warranty for extra.
We look at mileage.
We ask about any previous mot fails or advisories. Full service history would be ideal but can be unrealistic nowadays.
We obviously look for the correct seat and we look at boot space.
We check cost of insurance.
We check if it's been in any accidents.
We test drive!! And on test drive we will now in future check electrics. Doors windrows etc and if it's An electronic key card we check the condition. Have been bitten by this before and extremely expensive to fix.
In the future diesel v petrol may be a factor to consider too.

Few owners and low mileage. I also hate buying cars, so stressful!

Safety is first and foremost. Environmental impact. Price.

For us, it has to be big enough to accommodate our two dogs, and all the things you need with a newborn (which I'm still trying to work out what that is! We are pregnant with our first and currently second hand car shopping)

I tend to get a gist from the price whether it is dodgy or legit. If it's too low or too good to be true, you know there must be something wrong with it somewhere.

Also, decent mileage for age of car, check for any oil leaks or fluid under where car is parked and make sure you see the owner of the car/van.

I would need to be able to fit the buggy in the boot - currently I have to push the seat down, put the buggy in and push the seat back. It's fine, but a massive pain when it's raining.
I would also look for the safety record, reliability, cost and potential resale. I am on maternity leave and the first thing I will buy when I can afford it is a new car, however because of childcare costs I will have to be very price conscious!

Fuel consumption, space, diesel and have an excellent history (good MOT, etc etc).

The most important thing for me are that it isn't a fuel guzzler I don't want a car that's going to cost a fortune to keep it full! 😂😂🚗 and I don't want a 2nd hand car that doesn't have Working child locks 🔑

Full History & Safety, reliability, cost when replacing tyres etc and servicing, all round visibility then roomy for legs including boot space, 5 doors, cost though cost drives how I compromise on the aforementioned sadly!

I'll be on the lookout for a new car soon (although it'll be a used one!) & I'll look for the following;
Low mileage
Full service history
In generally good condition
Cheap to run
I'll also consult my brother (mechanic) as he is mad on cars & I trust him to point me in the right direction re: reliable brands/models.

Enough boot space for a couple of bodies, or alternatively our shopping (plus, in the past a massive SN buggy)

Decent fuel economy. (40mpg in our Toyota Avensis Tourer)

Good reliability.

A large boot sale, economic to run and safety first.

I'm looking for a used car right now. Was interested to read your list.
Price is most important for me, followed by safety. I'm also looking for something reliable with reasonably priced new parts as my current car has really cost a lot when bits need replacing.
Low insurance and tax would be great too. As you can tell, costs over the year is important to me. But only if the car is safe.

A reliable brand - pretty much all the Japanese brands are, along with Ford.

Good to drive. Smooth over the bumps, definite in the bends, and enough power that I can accelerate quickly when I need to.

Decent safety. I wouldn't want to go older than mid noughties; if you get into late 90s stuff the safety's a lot worse back then.

Affordable to insure.

As it happens I got gifted my current car by a family member. I like it in all respects except the ride is too hard. Oh and the air con is kind of crap.

I look for something with a small turning circle and good torque, for easy roundabouts and parking. And enough boot space for a family holiday. For a second hand car, I'd also want it to come with a guarantee.

I look for low mileage, reliability and safety firstly. The car needs to be spacious as well. I am not bothered about gadgets and gizmos although parking sensors are great.

I want to buy from a garage I trust who takes me seriously.

We're car shopping at the moment - we're looking for fair mileage, a full service history, MOT with no advisories, decent bodywork with no galloping rust, good amount of boot space, and good head clearance/height (v tall DH!).

Reliability and easy to park

Safe, small, affordable and automatic - theyet all I want in a car.