If jostling your way through crowded public transport is something you hate to do, a car can solve your problem for good. The need for a car is felt by one and all these days.
But buying a new car is not easy, because reliable cheap cars in India are a rarity. So, you are left with no option but to go for used cars, with a huge question in your mind: are second hand cars really worth buying? The answer to this, though not quite simple, lies in the way you approach the challenge in front of you.
Challenge – yes you read that right! Buying a used car can be worth it because it is the only way to buy a car which would have been out of your budget otherwise. Even if you are saving anything between INR 50000 and INR 100000, its money saved isn’t it? At the same time cars which are quite exorbitantly priced in India, (say 30 lakh plus) can be had for amazing discounts.
But then there is the catch. Whether you buy a used car from a dealer or an individual you are never sure whether you are getting a useful vehicle or a dud on four wheels. This is compounded by the fact that very few people will actually sell cars in perfect working order, unless they are in dire need of money.
Second hand cars can be worth every rupee you spend on them if you know how to buy them. Particularly in India, where cars have a status and emotional significance, second hand cars may quite easily be fraught with problems. But then it is not impossible to make sure that you are not buying driving home a troublemaker.
Here are few tips which may help you:
- Buy cars which have run fewer kilometers and which are really well maintained too.
- Try to get second hand cars direct from the owners. This way you can quiz the owner about the maintenance and repair history of the vehicle. Ask for receipts of any major repairs done in past. Also ask for receipts as a proof to whether oils and filters were changed on a regular basis.
- Try avoiding smooth-talking dealers, who will try to tell you that every used car in their possession is better than a brand new one! The best second-hand car dealers will use facts and not stories to sell their cars.
Thus second hand cars can be really worth buying if you follow what you have just read.