Anyone else rubbish at buying cars?
Discussion
Going to see an Audi A4 later today however I'm crap at buying cars, never know what to ask, how to find out if it's a good car or not.
It's got full Audi service history.
Good condition for age
60k ish on the clock
MOT and 4 good tyres.
Anyone know what else to ask or look for? Not specifically for this car but in general. The trader says HPI clear but should I check myself?
I think it needs a cambelt soon so will check if that has been done or not.
Anything else?
It's got full Audi service history.
Good condition for age
60k ish on the clock
MOT and 4 good tyres.
Anyone know what else to ask or look for? Not specifically for this car but in general. The trader says HPI clear but should I check myself?
I think it needs a cambelt soon so will check if that has been done or not.
Anything else?
Definitely check the HPI yourself, wouldn't be the first time I've heard of an unscrupulous dealer lying about that.
Other than that, I'm no Audi expert, but look to see that the car is exactly as described. Look for anything that looks bodged or non-standard, look for anything that looks dodgy or broken. Sit inside, try all the switches, all the function etc to make sure they all work. Go over the service history with a fine tooth comb and look for anything that does not check out.
A full Audi Service history will be pretty easy to look over, and you are doing well to inquire about the cambelt, changing those can be expensive and it's not uncommon for an owner to sell the car to avoid paying for it, but if it snaps it will not be pretty.
If you aren't sure, ask plenty of questions, hell - ask plenty even if you are sure, and take everything they say with a pinch of salt. Anything that looks suspect or seems a bit off, check it out online before you consider handing cash over.
Most importantly, remember that there will always be another one to look at if someone gets to the car you want first, especially when it's something like an Audi A4!
Other than that, I'm no Audi expert, but look to see that the car is exactly as described. Look for anything that looks bodged or non-standard, look for anything that looks dodgy or broken. Sit inside, try all the switches, all the function etc to make sure they all work. Go over the service history with a fine tooth comb and look for anything that does not check out.
A full Audi Service history will be pretty easy to look over, and you are doing well to inquire about the cambelt, changing those can be expensive and it's not uncommon for an owner to sell the car to avoid paying for it, but if it snaps it will not be pretty.
If you aren't sure, ask plenty of questions, hell - ask plenty even if you are sure, and take everything they say with a pinch of salt. Anything that looks suspect or seems a bit off, check it out online before you consider handing cash over.
Most importantly, remember that there will always be another one to look at if someone gets to the car you want first, especially when it's something like an Audi A4!
If you can get a look at the V5 or an MOT certificate you can go online with the reference numbers and get its MOT history so you can feel more confident the mileage is accurate.
Also check the VIN number, because you never know! Was a thread a while ago where everything seemed to check out but the VIN was wrong or had been obviously changed I can't remember which and it turned out the car was a ringer.
Also check the VIN number, because you never know! Was a thread a while ago where everything seemed to check out but the VIN was wrong or had been obviously changed I can't remember which and it turned out the car was a ringer.
check on an audi owners forum for any common problems.
Remember that there are thousands of A4s for sale so be picky and if anything doesn't add up then walk away.
If mechanically unsure then get the AA / RAC to do an inspection.
I'm a bit like you - I absolutely hate buying cars but love driving them.
Remember that there are thousands of A4s for sale so be picky and if anything doesn't add up then walk away.
If mechanically unsure then get the AA / RAC to do an inspection.
I'm a bit like you - I absolutely hate buying cars but love driving them.
Mate, it's pish easy..
Walk around it shaking your head a lot and taking the odd sharp intake of breath through your teeth.
Make sure you push down on the front wings to bounce the suspension
Shine a torch around random areas of the engine bay.
Kick the tyres. You must do this.
Get on your back so you can see under the car, just hold your head under there for 10 seconds or so.
Get in it, put your foot on the clutch and row through the gears.
Look the seller in the eyes and tell 'em it's a shame these cars are falling into this sort of condition.
State that very much unlike the general public, you've got a misguided soft-spot for this model, and against your better judgement you might look to do the poor chap a favour.
Bid him half the asking price and start counting out wad of used "10's and £20's.
Walk around it shaking your head a lot and taking the odd sharp intake of breath through your teeth.
Make sure you push down on the front wings to bounce the suspension
Shine a torch around random areas of the engine bay.
Kick the tyres. You must do this.
Get on your back so you can see under the car, just hold your head under there for 10 seconds or so.
Get in it, put your foot on the clutch and row through the gears.
Look the seller in the eyes and tell 'em it's a shame these cars are falling into this sort of condition.
State that very much unlike the general public, you've got a misguided soft-spot for this model, and against your better judgement you might look to do the poor chap a favour.
Bid him half the asking price and start counting out wad of used "10's and £20's.
Matt UK said:
Mate, it's pish easy..
Walk around it shaking your head a lot and taking the odd sharp intake of breath through your teeth.
Make sure you push down on the front wings to bounce the suspension
Shine a torch around random areas of the engine bay.
Kick the tyres. You must do this.
Get on your back so you can see under the car, just hold your head under there for 10 seconds or so.
Get in it, put your foot on the clutch and row through the gears.
Look the seller in the eyes and tell 'em it's a shame these cars are falling into this sort of condition.
State that very much unlike the general public, you've got a misguided soft-spot for this model, and against your better judgement you might look to do the poor chap a favour.
Bid him half the asking price and start counting out wad of used "10's and £20's.
Walk around it shaking your head a lot and taking the odd sharp intake of breath through your teeth.
Make sure you push down on the front wings to bounce the suspension
Shine a torch around random areas of the engine bay.
Kick the tyres. You must do this.
Get on your back so you can see under the car, just hold your head under there for 10 seconds or so.
Get in it, put your foot on the clutch and row through the gears.
Look the seller in the eyes and tell 'em it's a shame these cars are falling into this sort of condition.
State that very much unlike the general public, you've got a misguided soft-spot for this model, and against your better judgement you might look to do the poor chap a favour.
Bid him half the asking price and start counting out wad of used "10's and £20's.
Stop giving away trade secrets to the general public!!!
After the test drive, make sure you can start it up again. Just to make sure there are no hot starting issues. Give it a good test drive. I'm not suggesting 50 miles so you can 'work out the fuel consumption' but give the car a reasonable drive. Also make sure the heater works. I've been there and bought a car with a dodgy heater thinking it would be an easy fix later and it was a bit of a pain, but more importantly when you drive a car without one and it starts steaming up you're knackered!
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