How much for a second hand car

[Ric.ror]

My son has seen a car in the local garage priced at £2,995 - how much should he realistially be prepared to pay - he is a cash buyer - or rather I will be

[TTG]

Depends on make and model. Ensure it has a full service history.

[Ric.ror]

Its a red VW with three doors - thats all I know about cars but I thought if it was priced on the screen at one price they would accept a ??% reduction

[Davethedog]

Depend how old - Make - Model - Mileage.

When you know this look on other sites for comparable cars and look at the prices.

If you look at it take someone who knows something about cars or get the AA to inspect it, this will cost but may save you a fortune.

If you decide to buy never offer the full price be prepared to haggle.

[TTG]

VW's good for high milage but as said before, needs a fsh.

[jake-the-peg]

That is a little like saying I saw house yesterday it was £200,000 is that too much?

Check out the prices of comparable cars on line or in some magazines to get an idea.

Remember you will be paying a premium buying from a dealer - because you are getting some degree of comeback.

Is the dealer offering a warrenty?

[Ric.ror]

Firstly I dont think its a dealership - just a local 'car shop'
Please all bear in mind I dont drive and dont know a gasket from a gear box but I thought someone might say something like 'they will have priced it to expect a ?% sale'
Your answers so far have been very helpful and I will pass them on to my son

[McMouse]

Get someone knowledgeable to check it out.

[Davethedog]

ric - Get the Model i.e Fox - Polo - Golf 3 door will be one of those. Is it Petrol or Diesel, How many Miles has it done. Look around the car for any obvious damage or rust. How old is it.

[jake-the-peg]

It's still a company rather than a private individual so there is a bit of comeback.

It may also be worth an HPI check too

there are a number of sites like this one
http://www.hpicheck.com/

You can see it it's been written off and repaired or if there is outstanding finance etc.

[Ric.ror]

Thank you all again - I love this site for help like this

[joko]

dont think there are any 'rules' to this, its just what they are prepared to go down to...they may say the price is the price..

[TWR]

As Said, get someone that knows the workings of a car otherwise you/ he will come unstuck, if high mileage, CAM BELT needs replacing, if that goes Add approx £300 after sales cost for repairs, check the condition inside the car, Eg/ seats condition, does all work this is where the Mechanic comes in, there are thousands of cars out there so tread the water with your bargaining price, your son has the money so he has the winning hand? in other words the seller does want to sell the car & your son has the money, but your son can walk away & look elsewhere. remember to get some sort of Warranty, do not pay for an Extra Warranty as they are not worth the paper its written on. Beware, Good Luck

[Hopkirk]

Even if you get 99% off, it's not worth it if it's a lemon.

[Andyvon]

Hi Ric.ror,

If possible, you MUST get someone to check/inspect the car before you part with any money. The most important factor for any car is whether they have been regularly serviced and maintained. My VW Golf is 26 years old but I service it every 2000 miles and everything is renewed when needed (all parts are available and cheap). Generally, a 15 year old car that's been well maintained will be in much better condition than a 6 year old car that's been thrashed, rarely serviced and still has all the original parts fitted when new.

The basic rules of thumb for you would be:

1. Only buy a car with a very recent MoT (11 or 12 months and don't listen to any excuses as to why the car doesn't have a recent MoT).

2. Make sure the vendor is giving a proper and comprehensive guarantee. £3000 is a lot of money to spend only to find you have to spend a great deal more.

If the car you have seen doesn't have these, then walk away. Good luck.

[Andyvon]

Me again!

One more thing - never pay the full asking price for a second hand car. Dealers and vendors always over price cars slightly as they know most buyers will knock them down to some extent. I've knocked 25% off prices in the past and got away with it. However, 10% is about the norm and expected by the seller.

Remember - it's your market entirely and the pressure to sell is on the vendor. If they won't accept your price you can just walk away and they've still got their car to try and sell. Haggle with confidence!

[stumac46]

unlike many on here i actually run a car dealership and no, we do not price up cars just to expect to give a discount. thats what private sellers do. we price cars up depending on what we have paid for them plus service costs and a reasonable profit margin. one more thing, we will have the same profit margin in a £4000 car as a £25000 car so to get 10% off any car is far from being correct. it all depends on how much the garage has invested in the vehicle and how much interest they are likely to receive in that vehicle. if you havent opened the doors of a car for 6 weeks you will give it away at cost. others you wont budge on......