The used car market is constantly plagued by the bad reputation that sleazy car dealers have developed over the years with their toxic business practices and low quality vehicles. Navigating a used car sale can be like walking through a minefield; with each vehicle presenting a risk that can potentially waste your hard-earned money on a faulty piece of machinery.

CMH Carshop understands that there are occasions when a customer may want to make an impulse purchase from a private seller for a number of reasons. Whether the vehicle make/model is of sentimental interest, or the seller seems to be offering the deal of a lifetime on an appealing car, we recommend that all customers buy their used cars from an approved used car dealership such as CMH Carshop because we rigorously test all the pre-owned vehicles that we offer for purchase. If it’s a specific make or model you’re after, CMH Carshop will help you find what you’re looking for.

Visit our website for more information on assessing used car sale options. CMH Carshop strongly recommends purchasing used cars through our second hand vehicle database - contact us to discuss.

What to look for when entering into a used car sale

The more customers who are educated on the aspects of valuating vehicles, the less likely the public is to be taken for a ride by under-handed used car dealers. Hopefully this leads to an overall improved sentiment for those used car dealerships that strive to sell only approved and certified pre-owned vehicles that meet the strictest standards.

The following points are crucial when hoping to ensure a smart used car sale purchase:

• Test drive: It’s always essential to test drive a vehicle yourself at a used car sale. However, there are some questions to consider first. For example, are you insured to do so and, more importantly, what route takes into account a variety of driving conditions. Your test drive route should comprise a highway, a suburban setting and winding roads - and don’t forget to test the reverse gear!
• Exterior: Always do your bodywork and exterior inspection in good light at a used car sale, the critical thing that you’re looking for is rust. What may seem like a slight surface issue at first could be a severe problem when you look underneath the body panel. Also, check for signs of collision damage. A good trick is to take a magnet with you - this will be attracted to metal but not quick fixes using plastic body filler.
• Interior: Compare the interior condition to the odometer to asses tampering with the numbers; asses whether the mileage matches the wear and tear on components such as the steering wheel, gear lever and driver’s seat cushion. Remember that a vehicle with low mileage that has hardly been driven can be just as problematic as a car that’s been abused. What you likely want is a car that’s been used regularly but serviced well.

Buy an already approved and certified used car from CMH Carshop

CMH Carshop boasts a database of over 3 000 well-maintained and approved cars. Search our used car database to find the best value vehicles available for your budget. Or, contact us for advice or information regarding our used cars.