# Best place to buy good used car?



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

As I probably won't get round to matriculating my UK plated RHD car and it will be out of tax/MOT by the end of the summer we're thinking of getting a good used car which will be beyond all reproach.
I've read horror stories about people buying cars only to find they've inherited huge debts in fines etc. from the previous owner. 
So it seems going to a main dealer with a used cars sales department would be sensible as presumably they deal with all that.
I'd be interested to learn of any experiences, good or bad, that people have had buying used cars here.
We bought two used cars in Prague, one, ten years old, from a company everyone said sold rubbish cars which turned out to be an excellent vehicle - a trusty Ford Maverick 4x4 which is still doing a regular Prague-Hamburg run . A second car we bought, a newish Peugeot convertible, from a relatively anonymous dealer, turned out to have been in a smash, badly repaired so we had horrendous problems with the roof.
We know nothing about mechanical things in spite of involvement in the (respectable) motor trade so would be like lambs entering the lions den.


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

Yes, a main dealer would probably be the best place to start although round here most dealers take them in p/ex and pass them straight on to non-franchised dealers for re-sale. The only ones they might keep are ones that have hardly any mileage and are nearly new. The main dealers will be able to tell you where to go.
Some dealers are not averse to "clocking" as it is nearly impossible to find out who the previous owner was, as if the car was taken in p/ex., a decent dealer will change it into his own name so that prospective customers are not testing a car and possibly getting tickets that would go back to the person who traded it in.
I changed my car 9 mths ago and the dealer changed my old car ( bought from new, fsh, ) into their name but I happened to look on their web-site a couple of weeks later to see that it had 'lost' 30,000kms. When you eventually buy , on the day you pick it up ALL the paperwork should be available and in your name. Don't accept anything less, in fact tell them that from the outset. 1) reg . document ,2 ) permiso de circulación, 3) up to date road tax receipt. Papers not all in order , don't accept it or pay. There is no reason why all the papers should not be available. Here at 'El Trafíco' in Murcia for anyone getting their paperwork in before 11am,(assuming you've got all the right bits) you pick up at 2pm,if not the next morning.Gestorias always have it right, that's why they don't queue and just drop a stack on the counter and walk out.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

gus-lopez said:


> Yes, a main dealer would probably be the best place to start although round here most dealers take them in p/ex and pass them straight on to non-franchised dealers for re-sale. The only ones they might keep are ones that have hardly any mileage and are nearly new. The main dealers will be able to tell you where to go.
> Some dealers are not averse to "clocking" as it is nearly impossible to find out who the previous owner was, as if the car was taken in p/ex., a decent dealer will change it into his own name so that prospective customers are not testing a car and possibly getting tickets that would go back to the person who traded it in.
> I changed my car 9 mths ago and the dealer changed my old car ( bought from new, fsh, ) into their name but I happened to look on their web-site a couple of weeks later to see that it had 'lost' 30,000kms. When you eventually buy , on the day you pick it up ALL the paperwork should be available and in your name. Don't accept anything less, in fact tell them that from the outset. 1) reg . document ,2 ) permiso de circulación, 3) up to date road tax receipt. Papers not all in order , don't accept it or pay. There is no reason why all the papers should not be available. Here at 'El Trafíco' in Murcia for anyone getting their paperwork in before 11am,(assuming you've got all the right bits) you pick up at 2pm,if not the next morning.Gestorias always have it right, that's why they don't queue and just drop a stack on the counter and walk out.


Thank you very much for that very useful advice.
I have made a note of what I should expect.


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## nectar (Feb 19, 2010)

*Volkswagen Golf*

If you want a good reliable car your best bet is a good german diesel. I say that now after living in spain for a while where diesel is a lot more common than petrol. ie the opposite of England.
I have just moved back to the UK for family matters and have brought my spanish volkswagen golf 1.9 TDI sport over. I am looking to sell it so if you want any details let me know. It has been well looked after which unfortunately isn't so much the case with most cars in spain.

Now as for the specs on UK cars in comparison with european cars...it is a complete joke. UK cars look so poor in comparison.

Anyway, good luck


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