Dummy’s Guide Episode 5: Should I buy a used car?

I’m going to start-off by saying that I’ll never buy a spanking new car again – no, not even for that new car smell.

I’m going to make a case for and against buying a new car, because there are two kinds of people – ones that want good cars for a bargain; and ones that want their butts to be the first to be matched to the newly assigned chassis number.

Who should buy a used car?

The first kind, of course. They either can’t afford a new car, or can’t resist a bargain dipped in chocolate for a must-have that would otherwise cost an arm and a leg.

Buying a used car opens a whole lot of options for a buyer.

A new car depreciates pretty heavily the minute you roll it out of the showroom. When buying used, you do not have to deal with that depreciation – some poor soul, of the second kind, has already taken care of that for you.

Buying used also gives you the opportunity to buy your dream car for a great and affordable price. Be it Fords, Hondas, Porsches, Ferraris, BMWs or Mercedes, you can always find the car you want for so much cheaper. Sure, it’ll be run in, maybe abused a little, but if you’re careful enough when buying, you could be sliding around in the car you always wanted.

It’s like going to a Parisian flea market. Yes, chances are you’ll find mounds of trash, but scour and scrounge carefully, patiently, and you’ll come away with an absolute gem from the 15th Century that’s probably worth a lot more than the seller’s giving it credit for.

Check out these posts from Dubizzle. 

A VW Golf R, a fun car, for the price of a new Honda Civic – whaaaaaaaaaaat?! 

A Mercedes C200 that’s cheaper than buying a brand new Camry? – you go live out that luxurious lifestyle that Dubai promised you (don’t forget to pick up those Gucci shoes right after for the full Dubai lux-life experience).

Who shouldn’t buy one?

There’s a simple way to find out. Ask yourself this:

Are you the kind that wants to be the first one to leave an imprint of your fine posterior on a new car seat? Want to be the first one to touch and break things? First one to spill your pumpkin-spiced latte all over the new carpet? The kind that find it embarrassing to tell your friends that you bought your car used?

If you’ve ticked all or most, heck even some, of the above, newsflash – a used car isn’t for you. 

While the above reasons may sound exaggerated, they are real concerns and some of them have been thrown at me.

Oh well, if you have the money and can’t be bothered to go through the elaborate, and utterly fulfilling, process of buying used, then go ahead and get it brand new, straight out of the showroom.

We understand that your soul will never forgive you for being in a space where another person disposed off their bodily gasses (good luck with elevators).

But how should I go about buying a used car?

Going back to the first kind, let’s call them the wise, let us share some tips on how to go about procuring a used motorized carriage.

Gone are the days when you sift through the classifieds in a desperate hunt. We live in a digital age and everything is available to you at the tap of your capacitive touch screen.

Dubizzle and Car Switch are two of the most popular platforms in the UAE that list used cars – by individual sellers and dealers. They make it easy to narrow down on the car you want in less than a day.

While dealers do offer you a hassle-free experience, you can find a better deal approaching the owner directly.

But here are some rules when approaching an individual who’s looking to sell his/her car:

• DO NOT LOW-BALL unless the price is waaaaayyy over the market value.
• NO FREE RIDES – quite a few people think it’s alright to approach a seller and request a test drive with no intention of buying it – strictly to get a kick out of driving a car you probably can’t afford or don’t want in the first place. There is a special place in automotive hell for you. Be considerate of their time.

American or GCC

In your search, you’ll also find that some of the cars are not from the GCC – a lot of them are from the United States of ‘Murica. 

These ‘muricans are generally cheaper than their GCC counterpart and here’s why – they are damaged or salvaged cars. They are brought into the UAE, fixed and re-sold. 

The damage could be anything from a minor fender-bender to serious flood damages.

While most will tell you to steer clear of these, it’s not always a bad idea to get one provided you have done your due diligence. It’s always advisable to run the VIN number on Carfax to get a full history of the damages. Minor damages to body panels is acceptable whereas we’d advise you to run away from severely impaired engines, chassis etc. 

The all important – Pre-Purchase Inspection!

But these reports aren’t enough – for American or GCC spec-ed cars. You NEED to perform an independent pre-purchase inspection. This is crucial when buying any used car. This will reveal all the unmentioned problems, and you’ll get a quotation on how much it would cost to fix it.

Based on this inspection report, you should be able to make a call if it makes financial sense for you to buy the car, This can also help negotiate a better deal if there is a lot to be fixed – for you are wise and you can come to that conclusion.

Ready to join the army of the wise in buying second hand? Check out our page and let us help you get a reliable pre-purchase inspection!

We hope this helps you get started on your search for your perfect used car. Drive happy. Drive safe.