Deciding to buy a used car? We explain how to choose so as not to regret

Is it worth buying a used car rather than a new one?

Yes, and here's why.

Reasonable savings

Used doesn't mean worn out and worn out. Such a machine may be in use for a very short time and will still be cheaper than a new one. A car bought in a showroom immediately loses 10-15% in price after leaving it. At the same time, the difference in the condition of a car without a run and with a mileage of 20-30 thousand km is minimal: all units work like a clock, there is practically no wear, except that the interior should be refreshed and sent for detailing.

Typically, manufacturers and dealers provide a 3–5 year or 100,000 km warranty, whichever comes first. This means that you can find a used car with the rest of the warranty and regular service visits at a very good price. You can also bargain - there is usually no such option in a car dealership.

Ability to resell without loss in price

Transport from the conveyor is generally becoming cheaper. And a used car can be sold in a few years for almost the same money, or even more. Especially if it is a reliable all-rounder that will not let you down even on the worst roads. Such models are in great demand in the secondary market. These are, for example, Toyota, Skoda, Honda and a number of other similar brands.

Big choice

There are much more used cars on sale than new cars in showrooms. Models "with the past" do not need to wait for months - paid off with the former owner, reissued and drove off. You can choose the desired configuration in the color of your dreams. For the sake of such a case, it is worth going to the neighboring region.

With a limited budget, a wide variety of choices are especially important. Let's say your savings are only enough for a new domestic or Chinese car. It is likely that for the same money you can buy a creation of the German, French or American car industry.

There are a lot of cars. How do you know which one to choose?

The main thing is to determine what exactly you need a car for, how many people it should accommodate, and what roads it will drive on. A not very powerful sedan can handle getting you to and from work. If every weekend you plan to travel to the country house with a crowd of friends and relatives, it is better to look at station wagons and hatchbacks with a reliable engine, and possibly minivans.

Sometimes the volume of the trunk is more important than the number of "horses", and for those who have a large family, the ability to put three car seats in the back is especially important.

It also happens vice versa: practicality fades into the background, if you need an exclusively status car, a real monster. And it doesn't matter that two bags from the supermarket barely fit into the trunk, and the bumper will not allow you to conquer any curb.

The easiest way to understand what to choose is to make a list of wishes for the car and rank them according to their importance. This will greatly narrow the list of models, but it will give a clear understanding of what you really need.

I have a car in mind, but it seems that the seller has raised the price too high. How to be?

To begin with, you should study as many ads for the sale of this model as possible and calculate its average cost. Do not consider the cheapest options: most often this means that the car is not in the best condition, for example, with firing pillows, spars bent in an accident, "non-native" glass, a thick layer of putty and other surprises.

Only cars of the same model and year of production, but in different configurations, can radically differ in price: "luxury" and "premium" are often noticeably more expensive than the "standard". Another option is impressive mileage. So, three-year-old cars with 200 thousand km on the odometer are sold after working in a taxi, and it is clear that their condition is much worse than that of peers with five times less mileage.

If you are not very good at cars, you can hire an expert to help you: he will go with you to inspect the model you need and tell you how much it actually costs. But the work of such a specialist is not cheap, especially if you multiply the price of services by the number of potential visits.

Whether the price of a used car is fair, you can find out for free and without leaving your home. Avito Auto has a new service "Car cost estimation". In car ads, you can now see special badges with deal ratings: "Good Price" and "Great Price".

The service's verdict is based on the analysis of more than a million ads by Avito Auto itself and external sources for the sale of such cars. 12 parameters are taken into account, including make and model, type of engine and gearbox, year of manufacture. This makes the estimate as accurate as possible. If you see the mark "Great price" - you can buy and not be afraid that you will overpay: this is indeed one of the best deals on the market.

Find great deals

Okay, the car model is clear. How do you know that it is in good condition?

"Not a bit, not painted, garage storage, my wife went" - a standard text from many advertisements for the sale of a car. And you decide to look - and you don't even want to get behind the wheel, everything is so bad.

Pay attention to the following parameters.

Thickness of paint coating

It is impossible to determine by eye, but you can rent a thickness gauge and how to check the paintwork at different points. Previously, on the Web, you should find standard values ​​for a particular car model. The thickness gauge will make it clear exactly what parts were putty and painted, and draw conclusions. Agree, tint on the bumper or on the wing is not as bad as a repainted roof or the entire body at once.

Gaps between elements

They should be small and symmetrical. It is quite difficult to align the gaps even after minor accidents: for example, if you hit the wing, the bumper, hood or trunk, and possibly the door are often displaced.

Condition of the steering wheel, gear lever, pedal pads

Both bad and ideal conditions should alert you. The wear needs to match the mileage. With a mileage of more than 30-40 thousand, there will certainly be noticeable abrasions, but not erasure to holes.

Stickers on glass

The marking should be the same on all side windows, it may differ on the front and rear, but this is relatively rare. Pay attention to the production date and brand. If you look at several cars of the same model, you will understand where the glasses are native and where they are replaced.

And be sure to find out the real history of the car (mileage, participation in an accident, the number of owners, data on repairs). You can manually check each parameter on the websites of the respective services, or you can order report, for example, at the Autotek service. In the first case, you will have to spend some time, in the second - a small amount of money, but in this way you can protect yourself from a knowingly unprofitable or even unsafe purchase. If you are looking for a car on Avito Auto, then you can order a report from Autoteka for any model offered there for sale.

Resolved, buy! What to do next?

And now you need to secure your rights to the car. You can reissue the car to yourself at any traffic police department throughout the country. What address you or the seller are registered at does not matter: choose the branch that is more convenient for you.

To register a car, you need a purchase and sale agreement, vehicle passport, certificate of registration, insurance policy. Documents can submit online through "Gosuslugi": in this case, you will also get a 30% discount.

When you enter the data into the system, the public services portal will create an application for car registration. Experts will check the documents and send you an invitation with the address and time of arrival. If the appointment does not suit you, you can send a reply letter and the registration will be postponed. In addition, they will send a receipt for payment of the state duty. With a check about this, as well as with the originals of documents, you will need to appear at the traffic police at the appointed time. As soon as the originals are collated with the copies, you will be given new documents. From now on, the vehicle is entirely yours.