What type of used car is right for you?

If you are looking to buy a used car, the use that it will be put to should be at the forefront of your thoughts. For example, if you have a large family, you may want to consider an MPV, whereas if you plan to be driving around a lot on your own or as part of a couple, then you might want to think about getting yourself a small hatchback or coupe. Here is a rundown of most of the types of car that are available on the second hand market, and the pros and cons of each option.

City cars in good condition tend to be expensive, as they are often subjected to some fairly rough treatment and can get tatty quite quickly as a result.

One of the most popular types of car is the small hatchback, as these are convenient and fuel efficient. You can usually pick them up quite cheaply, and they are usually pretty inexpensive to repair due to the plentiful supply of spare parts.

Family hatchbacks and saloons can often be picked up relatively cheaply, especially former taxis and fleet cars, as they are often bought and sold in bulk by companies. However, these have often seen some pretty rough treatment, as company cars do not tend to get the same level of care and attention as privately owned vehicles.

Compact MPVs can be cheaper than traditional hatchbacks, and can be a good solution for larger families. Their bigger equivalents are more roomy inside, but are more expensive to run and difficult to park.

Mainstream family car manufacturers often make very good sports cars and coupes in order to spruce up their brand image. These can lose their value very quickly, which means that some real bargains can be had, although be aware that these cars tend to be a lot less fuel efficient than their more prosaic counterparts.

Executive and luxury cars tend to have lots of electronic equipment on board, and are generally of a higher than average build quality. Some of the less desirable brands of executive car, such as those made by manufacturers more commonly associated with family cars and hatchbacks, depreciate quickly and can be picked up for a song on the used market. However, they also tend to be quite fuel hungry, so bear this in mind before you buy.

Larger 4x4s can be quite cheap on the second hand market, and are often of a very high build quality, but smaller 4x4s tend to be expensive to buy and to run and are of little more use in an off road situation than a standard two wheel drive car.
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There are many different approaches to buying a second hand car, such as buying from an independent dealership or attending an auction.