A used car buying guide: the checklist before you pay

A used car deserves to be bought only after three checks: a history lookup by VIN, an inspection that includes at least twenty minutes of test driving, and a price comparison against several similar listings. A shiny interior or a seller's story does not belong on that list. Below is the order we follow when reviewing cars every day, so it works just as well when buying from a private seller.

Start with your own mileage, not with the listings

Your annual mileage decides which engine makes sense for you, so know the number before you open any classifieds. If you cover 10-15 thousand km a year mostly around town and its suburbs, a diesel with a particulate filter becomes your cost within a few years rather than your saving. How electric and diesel compare in exactly this scenario is covered in our separate comparison.

Then work out the budget to the end. On top of the asking price come insurance, the roadworthiness test, tyres and at least 300-500 euros set aside for small unexpected repairs in the first year. Not fun, but cheaper to know in advance.

In a listing the two numbers that matter

The essence of a listing fits into two lines: the mileage and the year of manufacture. An average used car covers about 15 thousand km per year, so a ten-year-old car with 60 thousand km on the clock looks unremarkable. It may well be true. Ask for the service history, because without it such a number stays a guess.

Treat the phrase "one owner, always garaged" calmly. A good history always comes with documents. Nobody issues certificates for garage life.

Paperwork is cheaper than any repair

A VIN history check answers, for a few euros, the questions many sellers answer reluctantly: whether the odometer was rolled back, whether the car was in an accident, how many owners it had. You will hardly find cheaper protection than that.

Also check whether the car is pledged or seized for debts; the bailiff information system shows this. The owner named in the registration certificate should be the same person who is selling now. If not, expect far more questions than answers.

Start the inspection with a cold engine

A cold start tells you more than any warm one, so try to arrive with the engine still unstarted. The first seconds after turning the key are the most honest. Then watch the smoke: blue means burning oil, black points to poor injection, and thick white smoke once warmed up can mean a head gasket or cylinder head problem.

Inside the cabin, focus on the instrument cluster: warning lights may neither glow nor flicker. Gear changes should stay quiet; noises usually betray wear in the dual-mass flywheel or the synchronisers.

After the stationary checks comes the road. Drive for at least 20-30 minutes, on smooth tarmac and over broken surfaces alike. A thud from potholes most often means anti-roll bar links or shock absorber mounts. Trivial? Not necessarily. It is a perfect lever for the price talk, or a clear picture of the investments still ahead.

If a spanner is not your daily tool, bring a mechanic friend or simply ask for a diagnostic readout. At dealerships OBD reading is routine service, because electronics remember what the seller forgot.

In negotiation the first number is the market average

Checking the market price today is easy: compare a few similar listings and build a realistic range. Worth starting the conversation from it with a private seller too, because asking a discount for the risk is fair; you get no warranty at all, and the condition "as is" legally means exactly what it reads. How such a purchase differs from a dealership one, and what a warranty is really worth, we discussed at length in a separate review.

And the last rule: never buy a car on the day you first saw it. A good car does not vanish, and a decision made overnight beats one made in twenty minutes inside a showroom. Once you have decided, have a look at our stock: every car there has already been through most of this list for you, with verified history and a warranty.