If you’re in the market for a new car our Tried And Tested column should help you decide.
With so many brands and types to choose from, it can often be quite hard to know which car is the right car for you.
From testing them out on the motorways to driving around the back roads of Ireland, we give you the highs and lows of many of the market’s leading brands.
Here’s just a few more tips to help you on your way to a second-hand car in Part 2 of our second hand car feature.
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Check the oil
It’s extremely important to check the oil on a used car. Have a tissue ready and pull out the oil dip-stick, wipe it off and put it back in again. When you pull it back out you should be able to see where the oil comes to on the stick. This should also help you to see if the car hasn’t been serviced in a while, particularly if the oil is extremely black on a petrol car.
Sit back and relax
Once you’ve done all the outside checks, get into the car to get a feel for it. Look at the wear and tear on the interior – check all seatbelts, all electrics (including windows and back wipers), the handbrake and steering wheel.
Play time
Once you have the basics of the interior sussed out, now is your chance to play with all the buttons inside. Make sure the radio turns on, the heating works, move the seat back and forward to make sure it all works.
Turn it on
Next, pop the key into the ignition and turn it to the first click to make sure that all the warning lights come on – and also go back off again. If a light doesn’t come on, it may mean a bulb is missing. Is this to hide a problem with the car? Find out before you go any further.
Take a spin
Always, always bring a car for a test drive. Take it out on the road, drive it up the revs in all gears and bring it back down. Make sure to test the brakes, see how the steering feels and the smoothness of transitions.
Two heads are better than one
If you are buying a used car it’s better to bring somebody with you. Two sets of eyes are better than one and they might notice something that you don’t – especially if you are really excited about the car, you can often turn a blind eye to some of its problems. Have someone there to talk sense into you if needed!
Check it out
Once you are happy with all of the things that we ran through last week, make sure you carry out a car history check. These can be done through websites such as motorcheck.ie and cartell.ie once you have the registration number of the car.
Video via YouTube/ChamillionaireVEVO
