Buying Used:
Avoid technology in its infancy
A sweeping statement, but if you're heading out of warranty with early adopter technology there's a cost risk. Case in point, diesel particulate filters. These are becoming more common, but early examples need looking after. There's a reason why Renault diesels with their FAP filter need servicing twice as regularly as those without. Replacement filters can cost upward of £1000.
Survey says what?
You can waste a lot of money buying an unreliable car, especially if it's out of warranty, so check the car against satisfaction and reliability surveys. Of course, a car with a bad reputation can be good and vice versa, but generally unreliable cars languish at the bottom of surveys like Warranty Direct's www.reliabilityindex.co.uk. By and large, the old prejudices about the Japanese being reliable and the French not still hold true. That Peugeot 307 is cheap, but there's a reason.
Get it inspected
A case of spending money to save money. Hiring an RAC inspector or taking your target used car to a garage in the www.usedcarchecks.com scheme isn't cheap, but any faults they find can be used to haggle down the price, saving yourself the inspection fee. And if the faults are too severe, you've avoided buying a money pit. The cheapest RAC inspections cost £135 for non-members.
Check forums for expensive issues
Save yourself a fortune in expensive repair bills by identifying common problems on owners' club or enthusiast forums before you test drive, especially if the car is out of warranty. Major problems are usually flagged up on the opening page, for example Mini power-steering pumps, and the troublesome rear main oil seal for the 996 version of the Porsche 911. Another good site is www.peachorlemon.com, where owners rate their cars and describe problems.
Factor in VED costs
The tax bill will vary from zero to £440 from next year. The amount you'll pay depends on how much CO2 your car emits, so you should choose wisely. It applies to all cars registered after March 1 2001 and heavily punishes those emitting over 225g/km (ie cars averaging roughly 30mpg) with annual bills of £415 and above. Only a handful of cars meet the free criteria, but superminis in the £30 sub-120 category (C from 2009) are becoming easier to find.
