When buying a used car, it is best to have a number of options to choose from so consider using used vehicle websites in SA to find your ideal wheels. As more and more people conduct a wide range of activities online, the internet has become one of the best ways to browse a variety of used cars and find the motor you would like to be behind the wheel of.
Why buy a used car?
There are a number of purchases you wouldn’t want to be pre-owned (underwear and cough lozenges come to mind), but when it comes to cars you can be sure that there are a number of benefits to going the used route:
- With a used car, you can enjoy all technology and advancements of a new car without having to pay the premium simply for taking the car fresh out of the showroom.
- Today, dealerships sell a variety of reliable and well-maintained used cars that are almost as good as new (some may even still have the coveted “new car smell”).
- When buying a pre-owned vehicle, you can often get a car similar in quality to a new car, but selling for a fraction of the price).
Here are some of the most useful and popular Used Car Search Websites in SA:
- At Car Find (www.carfind.co.za), the lazy among the licenced actually won’t have to hunt at all. You can simply fill out a form to “Request a Used Vehicle”, filling out your car requirements, such as price, model, and the option to add your own specifications. Car Find will then alert you when a car that suits you becomes available.
- Auto Trader (www.autotrader.co.za) is one of the most user-friendly websites that lets you enter a number of specifications, such as mileage, price, model, year, make. However, if you are less picky and want to conduct broader searches you can choose to leave out these specifications.
- At Auto World (www.autoworld.co.za), you can select the make and model of your used car or select your favourite manufacturer.
- Carshop (www.carshop.co.za) only advertises and sells used cars that are in excellent condition and are almost as good as new. There are about 3000 cars listed on the Carshop website. If you can’t find the deal you are looking for, you can also give them a call on 0861 CARSHOP or shoot an email to atcarshop@cmh.co.za
There are also a number of general classifieds where you can find used cars, listed both by private sellers and car dealers. One of the most popular is Gumtree. Just be wary when buying from private buyers and be sure to see the car before you commit to any purchases.
Some hints and tips when using used car search websites in SA:
- Use an online vehicle guide to check what you should be paying for the car that you have your eye on. Be sure to check how the bells and whistles added to cars may affect the price. Other factors that affect the price are economy, servicing and depreciation.
- When you are choosing a car, the most important factors to consider are age, mileage, condition, service history, and specifications.
- When you test drive the vehicle, spend at least 20 minutes behind the wheel, checking for any faults. If you’re choking on the exhaust fumes, or if it sounds like you’re being shaken around in a percussion band, this used car is not for you. Make sure that you feel comfortable in the car and like the way it drives.
- Also make sure to check for any dents, rust, windscreen chips, and inspect the condition of the interior of the car to check that the seats, steering wheel, and gearstick are in good nick.
- When a car has a full service history (FSH) you can usually be sure that the car has been well looked after and will usually be a good buy.