Buying a second-hand car? Find out how to save the MOST money on your next motor

THE days of picking up a inexpensive runaround for a fewer 100 pounds are over. The utilized car marketplace is strong, truthful you’ll request to store astir to find the champion deals connected a utilized car.

Knowledge is power, truthful we’ve crunched the numbers, done the sums and spoken to manufacture insiders to get 10 money-saving tips and strategies that each utilized car purchaser tin use.

Whether you’re searching for a metropolis car, household property oregon SUV, Sun Motors tin assistance each purchaser get a large woody connected a utilized car. 

You tin hunt thousands of low-mileage cars that person each been thoroughly checked and approved by our trusted dealers.

And with elemental finance applications, it’s easier than ever to find the caller car you request with Sun Motors*.

_{*‘Representative APR 25.9%. Sun Motors are a recognition broker, not a lender.’}

10 money-saving tips erstwhile buying a utilized car

Here are 10 money-saving tips to assistance you prevention erstwhile buying for a utilized car.

1. Make monolithic savings with astir caller cars

New cars suffer an unthinkable 20% of worth arsenic soon arsenic they permission the forecourt, says the AA and by the extremity of the archetypal year, your caller centrifugal could beryllium worthy 40% little than you paid for it. 

That’s atrocious quality for caller car buyers but large for those who privation to prime up a nearly-new car astatine a fraction of the price.

This 2024 Ford Puma 1.0 EcoBoost Hybrid is for merchantability astatine conscionable £20,545 - redeeming thousands connected the list price.

Nearly caller cars travel with the aforesaid warranty, assurance and caller car odor – without the depressingly precocious depreciation.

2. Look for the cheapest cars to tally

The outgo of a caller car is much than the summons terms arsenic moving costs of your caller car are an indispensable information erstwhile calculating the full outgo of ownership. 

As good arsenic substance efficiency, you should see servicing and maintenance, repairs, roadworthy tax, security and concern (if you’re utilizing it).

Here’s a database of the 10 cheapest cars wide to run, provided by Autoexpress.

• MG3
• Citroen CX4
• Citroen C3 Aircross
• Kia Picanto
• Citroen C3
• Hyundai i10
• Toyota Aygo X
• Dacia Sandero
• Citroen Ami

When buying for a caller SUV, sports car oregon high-performance car, you tin cheque retired and comparison stats similar substance system (mpg) and reliability with immoderate online searching.

3. Manual cars are cheaper than automatic

UK drivers similar the other power of a gearshift, with 70% of UK cars having manual gearboxes.

This popularity whitethorn beryllium 1 of the reasons manual cars are cheaper to bargain and maintain, says MoneySuperMarket. 

While we’re seeing increasing income of automatic cars and electrical vehicles (which don’t person a gearbox astatine all), if you privation to prime up a utilized car bargain, it astir apt means going manual.

4. Bigger motor = little price

Increasing substance prices and the outgo of surviving situation mean drivers are progressively focused connected substance efficiency.

When it comes to buying a utilized car, it’s often the lawsuit that the bigger the engine, the bigger the savings.  

Why? Smaller cars outgo little wide to run, which means they entreaty to a larger market. 

High-performance cars – including those with larger engines – tin person a hard life, truthful cheque retired our tips connected things to look for erstwhile buying a utilized car.

5. Diesel, petrol oregon EV?

It’s intolerable to disregard the fluctuating substance costs, and it’s having an interaction connected the utilized car market, too. 

Petrol cars are cheaper to bargain and tally than diesel cars, says Whatcar?. 

As good arsenic the terms you wage astatine the pump, astir petrol cars volition debar Clean Air Zone charges, making them cheaper to run, particularly if you unrecorded successful London oregon 1 of the UK’s different large cities.

Buying a utilized car? Find cars for nether £150 connected Sun Motors here.

6. Investigative security costs

Insurance is non-negotiable connected UK roads, truthful don’t disregard it erstwhile considering your wide ownership cost.

Here are the apical 10 cheapest cars to insure, according to Comparethemarket.

1. Citroen C1
2. Fiat Panda
3. Ford Ka+
4. Hyundai i10 Premium
5. Kia Rio
6. Nissan Micra
7. Skoda Fabia
8. Vauxhall Corsa
9. Volkswagen Polo
10. Volkswagen Up! Move Up!

When searching for a caller motor, it’s casual to cipher security costs utilizing examination sites. You’ll get results successful seconds, and determination won’t beryllium immoderate interaction connected your recognition study (more connected that next).

7. Tidy up your recognition people

In the UK, astir 2 cardinal cars are bought and sold each year – with the bulk funded by finance. 

Before applying for finance, you should check your recognition score. Making tiny changes, fixing problems and paying disconnected debts tin assistance you entree the champion rates – enabling you to get the car you privation astatine a terms you tin afford.

Don’t cognize the quality betwixt HP and PCP? You tin larn much astir what conveyance financing means for you and your wealth successful our essential usher to car financing options.

8. Pick your clip to buy

According to Autotrader, September and March are the champion months to bargain a utilized car astatine a bargain price, with the merchandise of caller registrations, customers are encouraged to commercialized successful their aged cars for brand-new ones.

Seasonality tin besides interaction utilized car income - it’s going to beryllium cheaper to bargain a campervan oregon convertible successful the mediate of January than astatine the tallness of summer, for example.

9. Buy from a trusted trader

Sometimes, deals truly are excessively bully to beryllium true, truthful you’ll request to spot your instincts erstwhile buying a caller car. 

It tin beryllium casual to beryllium convinced by a salesperson, particularly if you’re not experienced successful dealing with dealers. 

We urge buying a utilized car from a trusted trader. All car dealers connected Sun Motors are verified, with each cars passing thorough tests to guarantee they’re safe, reliable and acceptable for the road. 

10. Ask astir extended warranties

Any utilized car should travel with a trader warranty that covers you for faults, issues and errors for a fewer months. It’s each portion of the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

Sometimes, dealers volition connection you a bully woody connected an extended warranty. This tin supply bid of caput and assurance that you’re covered for repairs if your car breaks down.

If you’re buying a nearly-new car, you’ll already beryllium covered by the 3-year manufacturer's warranty. If you’re buying an older car, an extended warranty tin beryllium worthy it – particularly if you get a large woody from your dealer.

Does buying a utilized car prevention money?

A utilized car is going to beryllium overmuch cheaper than a caller one. The stats supra amusement that caller cars tin suffer up to 40% of their worth successful conscionable a year. The caller car odor remains, but the outgo is astir halved. 

What is the astir cost-effective mode to bargain a car?

Some radical person entree to the currency to bargain a caller car outright. Others are blessed to usage the concern offered by a car dealer, including prosecute acquisition (HP) oregon Personal Contract Purchase (PCP). Buyers whitethorn take to usage recognition cards oregon loans to acquisition a caller car.

You tin larn astir immoderate of the communal car financing options successful this adept guide. Before you commencement buying and applying for finance, reappraisal your recognition study and get your finances into the champion signifier possible. This tin assistance you unafraid the champion concern rates erstwhile you marque an application.

Buying a utilized car? Find cars for nether £200 connected Sun Motors here.

Is it worthy spending much connected a utilized car?

When you bargain a utilized car you should see the full outgo of ownership. This is much than the summons terms but includes things similar substance ratio (miles per gallon), security costs and different essentials similar servicing and repair costs. 

You should besides cheque retired immoderate trader add-ons you mightiness get, similar escaped servicing, MOTs oregon extended warranties. Some dealers whitethorn connection amended concern terms, including little involvement rates connected HP and PCP finance. 

In the end, it whitethorn beryllium amended to wage a small much for a car if you get a batch of benefits back.

Buying a utilized car? Check retired Sun Motors and find your adjacent conveyance today. Whether you're looking for automatic, manual oregon electric, usage Sun Motors to determine connected your adjacent model.