First of all, figure out what you want. If you need comfort, buy a luxury car, and if you want the money invested to be tangible, buy an American "cruiser", especially since its price will not scare you, and high fuel consumption will be offset by low operating costs. If you are a fan of long trips and family holidays in the bosom of nature, the station wagon is what you need, and, believe me, your choice will not disappoint you. It is comfortable, roomy and modern.
It is best to opt for a middle-class car with a body type "LX"/"GL", they're well-equipped and in demand, but don't get smitten and shell out extra money for a variety of extras, of which only the power steering and sunroof are really valuable. Automatic transmissions can cause a reduction in resale value, especially for smaller cars.
So, you have decided on the model. Now, slowly, proceed to inspect the car.
First of all, carefully study the registration documents: how many owners were there, do the registration and identification numbers of the car match the numbers in the documents? According to the vehicle passport, make sure that technical inspections were carried out and this is marked with the appropriate warranty seals. Check the authenticity of the ID plate (bent ends of the plate and new and clean rivets - a signal that not everything is in order, and it is better to refuse further inspection). If everything is in order, feel free to move on and proceed to the external examination.
Inspect the car in natural light rather than in a garage or showroom, as you will be able to notice many color differences.
The main question - was the car in an accident? If it stands on all four wheels, there are no badly fitted panels, differences in paint shades and traces of putty, the side members are not bent, the centering of the bumper and headlights is not disturbed, there are no traces of the old license plate, which means that the car has avoided an accident and no repairs have been made before.
If you peel back the window seals and compare the color underneath to the color of the car, you'll know if the car has been repainted. Also pay attention to traces of painting under the arches, doors, suspension parts.
Coloring the electrical wiring and hoses in the engine compartment to match the body color is a sign of careless repair.
The fact that the car was looked after, you will be told by liquids and clean engine oil filled by level.
Minor parts such as worn out treads or bent rims can be quite expensive to replace.
Sagging seats in the cabin, worn-out rugs and upholstery, squeaks, knocking and strange smells, rust and dampness in the trunk easily betray themselves. All these are signs of a long life, and getting rid of them is quite expensive.
Do not forget to check the operation of the central locking, fog lights, power windows. You don't need expensive minor repairs.
By rocking the wheels vertically and looking at the wear pattern on each tire, you can check the wear on the undercarriage of the wheels and learn a lot about the condition of the suspension and steering system.
Rock the car from every corner. So you check the health of the shock absorbers and the stability of the car on all four wheels, especially if it is a station wagon or a car equipped with a towing device.
After an external examination, proceed to check the main mechanisms.
Engine
With a cold engine, check the automatic choke and start the engine with fuel injection. Any engine, including a diesel one, should not make noise and quickly switch to a quiet ride.
With the engine warm, driving at low speed in high gear, check for wear on the crankshaft and bearings. There should be no rumble. Check the cylinder and valve surfaces for wear by operating the throttle. If blue smoke appears, a serious engine repair is required, black smoke is a sign of worn injectors and problems with the fuel mixture.
The temperature sensor must work reliably under any change in conditions (e.g. during idling). Remember to make sure that the electric fan turns off in time.
After warming up, the engine should run quietly and smoothly, even a diesel. Light tapping indicates wear on the valve train or camshaft. With a hot, idling engine, remove the filler cap and check for smoke and carbon deposits. Also check for leaks. The oil pressure warning light should normally be off. If this is not the case, then it indicates wear on the crank mechanism or oil pump.
Transmission
First of all, check the clutch. Try to start in high gear with the handbrake firmly set. The engine should stop immediately. Then check the clutch engagement. If it occurs at the very end of the pedal stroke, this indicates clutch wear.
Gear changes must be sure and the operation of the gearbox must be quiet.
Automation should work smoothly and very accurately: if the gearbox does not want to smoothly switch up, then its wear or poor adjustment is likely. Check if the switch from normal to sport mode works properly. Gearboxes on all-wheel drive vehicles should run particularly smoothly when driving, although some models should expect some "sagging". Check the oil level in the automatic transmission. If it is low or the box is completely dry, we advise you to stop further inspection of this machine. Repair of automatic transmissions is time-consuming and expensive.
Be sure to drive at least 30 km on different roads to identify all the shortcomings of the car.
Be careful: if the car wobbles or moves to the side, at best it is an incorrect alignment, at worst, suspension or steering parts are bent.
Checking for play, shake the steering wheel to the sides. If you have power steering, be sure to make sure it is reliable at different speeds and loads. On front-wheel drive vehicles, turn the steering wheel to its maximum angle to check for wear on the CV ball joints, which is indicated by a clicking sound.
Rumble or floating indicate wear on the shock absorbers and springs. Check the electronic shock absorber adjustment in different modes.
Carefully check the brakes at different efforts. If the car moves to the side, then it may be a sticky caliper. Disc wear is indicated by a jogging pedal. Also check the anti-lock brake system (when driving, the signal light should not light up, and when starting - vice versa).
Having checked your chosen one in this way, think carefully whether your impressions correspond to the indicated mileage and, after weighing everything "behind" And "against", make up your mind. A qualified informed choice is a guarantee that the car will become your assistant and friend.
Some more tips
Once upon a time, all car buying guides indicated that wear on the pedal rubber was a good indicator of mileage. These days, this defect is too well known to be trusted, because the rubber on the pedals is easy to change.
Upholstery in modern cars is much more durable than it was installed ten years ago, but the driver's seat is still the first to wear out. Examine the outer edge (it rubs when the driver gets in and out of the car) - it is on it that the age of the car is determined.
Check the operation and condition of all lamps and other electrical devices. Cracked headlight lenses are especially important - some of them can be very expensive.
The condition of a tire is a good indicator of mileage - the claimed 40,000 km with mismatched tires is highly suspicious! The cost of replacement can also be factored in, especially in the case of low profile and other special tires.
From the driver's seat, check the operation of instruments and controls - dangling knobs, like the smooth surface of the steering wheel rim, indicate high mileage.
Broken numbers
Broken numbers can be "calculate" by characteristic features. When buying a used car on the market, especially by proxy, it is easy to get a car with broken numbers. The advice of experts will help to protect yourself from such a nuisance.
Theory. If you decide to purchase a used foreign car and have chosen a specific model, then try to collect as much information about it as possible in advance. The best way to do this is to inspect a similar model in a showroom that sells new cars. First of all, find out where the identification number should be (VIN). The car may have additional VIN stickers (performed as decals), - find out where they are located.
Practice. So, you start to inspect the selected car. It is worth starting with checking the condition of the paintwork near the identification numbers. It should not differ in color and texture from the coating on the inside of the trunk, hood, engine compartment. soft surface (there is a trace of deformation even from the nail), paint streaks and uneven application - all this indicates that the place where the identification number is located was repainted. And repainting hides either the consequences of the accident, or traces of a number change. The coating near the number can be rubbed with a swab moistened with solvent: if the paint dissolves at least partially, this is a sure sign that it "not native".
Now directly about the numbers and identification plates. If the number is interrupted, the characteristic features of this operation remain: the metal surface is most often deformed, slightly convex or concave. With the artisanal method of interrupting, a double contour is often noticeable; the signs are not on the same straight line, but "jump", they have different indentation depth; between letters or numbers - gaps of different sizes. Pay special attention to the same signs. They should not differ from each other in shape or size. Another important point: if you notice any characteristic feature on the same signs in the numbers, be sure that these signs are not factory ones. The company number is applied with a single stamp, "handicraftsman" for each number or letter uses a separate stamp and repeats the characteristic "mistake".
Harder to identify "criminal" car, when the number is replaced together with the part or that part of it on which it is embossed. As a rule, in this case, the number is the factory number. Therefore, it is necessary to inspect the attachment points of this part to the body. A simple way to detect such a substitution would be to tap. You should be alerted if the sound when tapping is deaf, "wood" or rattling. It is worth remembering that in cars, individual parts of the body are fastened by resistance welding. Connection points are usually points with a diameter of 5–6 mm. If at the attachment points "license plate" parts to the body have traces of a different type of welding, and their surfaces are also deformed - which means that the part is not fixed to the body in a factory way.
When inspecting the engine, pay attention to the area with the number: it should be flat, and the signs on it should be clearly and brightly embossed, without double contours. By the way, the site itself is machined on a milling machine, from which traces remain in the form of semicircles. They are clearly visible even with severe corrosion.
The described signs are quite easy to identify even for a non-professional. There are others, but they can only be identified by specialists. You should contact them if you have any doubts.