The Test Drive

The best way to organise a test drive at a dealer or from a private seller is to initiate contact using the phone.

By choosing a day and time in advance, I am able to let the seller know when it is suitable to view and drive the car. Usually this depends on whether anyone else is test driving the car or whether the car is available, which the seller should inform you of.

The best time to drive is usually Monday to Friday from 10am to 2pm since most people will be at work and there will be less traffic on the road. Weekend test drives are busier since most people don't work weekends.

Shopping Online for Cars

Thanks to the internet, it is becoming much easier to shop online and to research products or services we as consumers are interested in buying or selling.

Cars are no exception. As a result, I do all my shopping for cars or car stuff online and you know that I prefer to buy and sell cars privately due to the savings.

Rather than wasting time and money, driving from dealer to dealer or house to house looking at cars which may or may not interest me, it's all too easy to jump online and to search from the comfort of home.

Taking delivery of a car as a new owner

So you have signed the contract and the money has been handed over. Now it is time to pick up your new or used car from the dealer.

Check and make sure that any options you ordered have been fitted to the car. Check the mileage.

Go over the entire car and look out for any damage on the exterior, interior, in the boot or under the bonnet. I have seen brand new cars damaged whilst being transported by dealer staff or when fitting accessories ordered by the buyer.

Get your finances in order

So you have decided which car you want to buy, next comes the buying process.

I can't stress enough how important it is to have your finances in order prior to buying a car from a dealer or a private seller. Once you know your budget, then you are in a position to negotiate a purchase price on your terms.

Buy a car privately or from a dealer?

The safest and most uncomplicated way to buy a car is from a licensed car dealer. The laws
ensure that cars sold by dealers are not stolen, do not have money owing on them, they are
safe to drive on the road and come with a warranty.

That being said, that doesn't mean that there are dealers out there who won't bend the laws
when it comes to selling a car. In general, car dealers which sell brand new cars (cars with zero or delivery mileage) will be less likely to pull a blindfold over you than those who don't.

I have seen cars purchased from new car dealers which turn out to be written off and repaired. So be warned and tread carefully, these risks are real and they do exist, though are less likely.

Which car to buy?

Having worked in the auto industry, the question I am often asked is, which car is the one to buy?

My response always leads to the following questions. What do you need the car for? What features are you after? How much do you want to spend?

This is understandable due to the many brands and vehicles on offer which can often be overwhelming and confusing.