A General guide to buying a used car

The Test Drive
Take at least 20 minutes for the drive. Check for steering play, suspension clonks, mechanical noise and pulling brakes. Make sure all the equipment works. Drive more than one example to get a benchmark for comparison.

Do Your Homework
Research car values online, classified ads and by touring local dealers. Use the telephone to check the car's age, mileage and condition.

Consider a Warranty
Warranties get a bad reputation when people who sell them fail to explain they are only insurance policies. Check for exclusions such as wear and tear and poor maintenance. Buy a quality warranty and it could pay for itself with one claim.

Check it Out
Don't be rushed by the seller; subject any car to an inch-by-inch examination. Check panel gaps for consistency, inner body walls for buckling, tyres for uneven wear and the engine for noise and smoke. If you're not sure what you're doing, use an inspection company. Ensure the logbook bears the seller's name and address. Examine the service history, cross-check mileages with garages and old MoTs.

Doing the Deal
Stay cool when haggling and never be pressured into closing a deal. The seller needs you more than you need him. Know your prices and the market and go in low, but pitch your bid sensibly to retain the seller's interest.

Spotting a bad car
The used car market has always had its share of rotten apples waiting for the unwary. Follow this 10-point guide and you'll avoid the worst of the crop.

Clocking
Clocking (winding back odometers to boost prices) is big business. Digital odometers are as easy as tumbler-style units to clock. Worn-out pedal rubbers and seats can be replaced so may not clearly indicate a car's age. Use What Car? History Check or the AA, and check the mileage reading with the service history and past owners.

VIN and Engine Number
Check for chassis or VIN number plate. Is it new? Have numbers been altered? Check the engine number too. Cross-check both numbers with those on the logbook before contacting What Car? History Check for the low-down on the vehicle's history. Look at the bonnet slam panel and top of the wings for a respray and disturbed bolts. Examine the bulkhead for crash damage and fresh paint.

Tyres
Don't ignore the condition of tyres. Worn rubber helps reduce the price but could also indicate wheel alignment problems and crash history. Kerbed alloys are common but repairable. Check brake discs for wear.

Oil
Look at the quality and level of the engine oil. Check the oil filler neck for sludge indicating that oil has been contaminated by water. Are the oil filter and battery quality branded items? If the engine is hot, the seller may be disguising cold running noises or starting problems. Rev the engine hard and check the exhaust for blue smoke.

Crash Damage
Scrutinise the wings for any signs of body filler, rust repairs and dents. Check inside the wings. Buckling will indicate crash damage. Look for consistent panel gaps. If suspicious, ask questions or turn your back on the car.

Cut and Shut
Weld across width of car is a sure sign of cut and shut (one car made from two). Walk away.

Filler
Examine for body filler. Peel back interior trim to check for signs of welding. Both indicate a cut and shut. Look for oversized sunroof, a common trick to disguise roof cut or damage

Documents
Check all documents, most importantly the logbook, but also service history, old MoTs and workshop receipts to establish mileage, condition and important milestones such as cambelt changes.

Paintwork
Peel back window rubbers to check for colour changes or overspray. Inspect paint quality, look for orange peel and different densities of metallic paint and paint runs.

Boot Floor
Check the boot floor for rippling or buckling following rear-end impact. Is the bumper straight and has the body been repainted behind?

Where to buy...

Dealer Forecourts
Top for convenience, service and consumer rights but not the cheapest. Main dealers are good for low-mileage cars up to three years old. Independents good older cars.

Supersites
Multi-make used car sites increasingly popular. Downsides are no-haggle prices and low part-exchange prices. Upsides are plenty of choice and low prices. Beware of normal dealers masquerading as supersites but offering average deals.

Auctions
The biggest auction houses divide sales stock by category - for example, late/low mileage - with a guarantee that the cars are mechanically sound. Take a knowledgeable friend and visit a few auctions before you raise your bidding arm.

Private Classifieds
Great for bargains but not for consumer rights. Spot crooked traders masquerading as private sellers by overblown vehicle descriptions. Keep a copy of ads as evidence of any claims made about the car's mileage and condition. You may need it if you take the seller to court.

Car Brokers
These act as middlemen from whom you buy your car or introduction agencies for dealers. Expect nothing more than trade price for your part-exchange.