r/Glasgow Tools

Title
Author	Working_on_Writing
Comment	Short Car Buying Guide: Used Car Dealers I've never had a good experience with a used car dealership. They seem to be, to a man, utter shits. I have used car dealers in my family, and I wouldn't lend them a fiver if I needed it back. Mostly they get their stock in from car wholesalers, and just roll it off the transporter and onto their forecourt. Don't believe the "it's been through our workshop!" shit, they've at best checked it's got 4 wheels, an MOT, and isn't stolen. If the car doesn't sell in say 6 months, they roll it back on a transporter and get another one out. The last time I nearly bought from a used car dealer, I went through the car history with a fine-toothed comb and realised it had had half the brakes replaced due to rust just before it was traded in. HALF. So it needed the other half done before next MOT, and the cost was right there in the receipts - £1800. Walked away then and there. If you really want a car from a used car dealership, insist it gets looked over by a garage of your choosing before you buy it. Main Dealers Main dealers are very hit-and-miss. I've had a decent experience with Phoenix Honda, or did when they were out near the Clyde Tunnel, not sure about their Linwood branch. Honda might be a good shout though, they are very reliable cars, cheap to run and insure. I had a Civic for 4 years, and it never needed anything more than tires, brakes and a yearly service. I've also had a good experience with Lexus Glasgow, but that's a different end of the market. Relatedly, if you're ever buying expensive cars, avoid Stratstone like the damn plague. Buying Direct from a person This is also hit-and-miss but actually easier than a dealership because there's a very simple litmus test - does the person give you a bad feeling? Trust your gut. If they seem upfront and honest, likely the car is good. If they make the hair on the back of your neck stand up, they aren't telling you something. I've previously used Autotrader, but that seems to be largely used by main dealers now. You could try Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace, also Ebay does a lot of cars. General Advice * MOTs are a fairly low bar to jump over, and frankly lots of garages are dodgy as shit, so it's having an MOT is really not a guarantee of anything. * If you're looking at a particular car model, look up what the common faults are and how to tell those faults are present. Also look at the cost of repairing those faults. * If you're going to go to a dealership, look at their website first and check their stock before you go, so you don't turn up and find they have nothing suitable. Also, their site can be out of date, so if they only have 1 or 2 cars you're interested in, call them up and ask if they are still available, and you can test drive. * Use an insurance comparison site. Compare The Market lets you run insurance checks all day against cars you haven't bought if you know the registration. Insurance costs can be kind of surprising. You may find it would cost less to insure yourself on a 2002 Jaguar XJ with a 4.0 V8 than it does to insure a 2015 Honda Civic with a 1.4 I4. I used to rock about in old Jags in my early 20s, and it really was surprisingly cheap. * Relatedly, Direct Line allow (or at least used to) Named Drivers to rack up no-claims discounts, so it can be cheaper for your mum or dad to insure the car via Direct Line and put you as a named driver.
Reddit Link	https://www.reddit.com/r/glasgow/comments/q03r9h/cheap_but_reliable_car_dealers_in_glasgow/hf7i4hg/
Created	Sun 3rd Oct 2021 10:56am
Status	normal ()

**Short Car Buying Guide:**

**Used Car Dealers**

I've never had a good experience with a used car dealership. They seem to be, to a man, utter shits. I have used car dealers in my family, and I wouldn't lend them a fiver if I needed it back. Mostly they get their stock in from car wholesalers, and just roll it off the transporter and onto their forecourt. Don't believe the "it's been through our workshop!" shit, they've at best checked it's got 4 wheels, an MOT, and isn't stolen. If the car doesn't sell in say 6 months, they roll it back on a transporter and get another one out.

The last time I nearly bought from a used car dealer, I went through the car history with a fine-toothed comb and realised it had had half the brakes replaced due to rust just before it was traded in. HALF. So it needed the other half done before next MOT, and the cost was right there in the receipts - £1800. Walked away then and there.

If you really want a car from a used car dealership, insist it gets looked over by a garage of your choosing before you buy it.

**Main Dealers**

Main dealers are very hit-and-miss. I've had a decent experience with Phoenix Honda, or did when they were out near the Clyde Tunnel, not sure about their Linwood branch. Honda might be a good shout though, they are very reliable cars, cheap to run and insure. I had a Civic for 4 years, and it never needed anything more than tires, brakes and a yearly service.

I've also had a good experience with Lexus Glasgow, but that's a different end of the market.

Relatedly, if you're ever buying expensive cars, avoid Stratstone like the damn plague.

**Buying Direct from a person**

This is also hit-and-miss but actually easier than a dealership because there's a very simple litmus test - does the person give you a bad feeling? Trust your gut. If they seem upfront and honest, likely the car is good. If they make the hair on the back of your neck stand up, they aren't telling you something.

I've previously used Autotrader, but that seems to be largely used by main dealers now. You could try Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace, also Ebay does a lot of cars.

**General Advice**

* MOTs are a fairly low bar to jump over, and frankly lots of garages are dodgy as shit, so it's having an MOT is really not a guarantee of anything.
* If you're looking at a particular car model, look up what the common faults are and how to tell those faults are present. Also look at the cost of repairing those faults.
* If you're going to go to a dealership, look at their website first and check their stock before you go, so you don't turn up and find they have nothing suitable. Also, their site can be out of date, so if they only have 1 or 2 cars you're interested in, call them up and ask if they are still available, and you can test drive.
* Use an insurance comparison site. Compare The Market lets you run insurance checks all day against cars you haven't bought if you know the registration. Insurance costs can be kind of surprising. You may find it would cost less to insure yourself on a 2002 Jaguar XJ with a 4.0 V8 than it does to insure a 2015 Honda Civic with a 1.4 I4. I used to rock about in old Jags in my early 20s, and it really was surprisingly cheap.
* Relatedly, Direct Line allow (or at least used to) Named Drivers to rack up no-claims discounts, so it can be cheaper for your mum or dad to insure the car via Direct Line and put you as a named driver.