•  Decide your Budget

•  Do your Research

•  Ask Questions

•  Inspect the vehicle

•  Test Drive it

•  Check the Documents

•  Clinch the deal

Buying a new car may not be as easy as buying a new one. There are many additional factors to be considered while deciding to buy a specific car. If you choose to spend some of your time to learn more about that car, you will earn the peace of mind that you have paid a fair price for your chosen set of wheels.

Decide your Budget

Decide upto how much are you willing to spend. Include cost of car, insurance expenses, maintenance, and cost of running for one year.

Do your Research

Identify your needs. Identify whether you want the car for daily usage for going to office, or for weekend getaways or both. Read up about the specifics of various cars and shortlist the ones that match your lifestyle and image.

Ask Questions

Before going to take a look at the car of your choice, ask enough questions to satisfy yourself. It is a good practice to write down the answers, so that you can verify the answers when you go for physical inspection. Ask questions such as:

•  Why do you want to sell your car?

•  Are you the original owner?

•  How many kilometers has the car clocked?

•  Has the car ever been involved in an accident?

•  Have you ever claimed insurance on this car?

•  Are all service records maintained?

Also get to know the asking price for the car from the seller, but ask for it discreetly. This allows you room for price negotiations.

Inspect the vehicle

Take along your neighborhood mechanic for second opinion. Take a notebook and pen with you, and keep noting down your observations. A few pointers and tips to inspect the vehicle:

•  Go for inspection in daytime.

•  Inspection should be done only at the owner's place or at dealer's outlet, as the case maybe. Never opt for your door-step inspection.

•  Carefully check for dents and rust on the exterior.

•  Open and close the hood, doors and trunk. If the spacing isn't even or the doors, hood or trunk do not close evenly, the car must have been damaged in an accident.

•  Closely look at the paint, and to identify if any paint-job has been done. If yes, the car must have atleast scratched, or may even be involved in an accident.

•  Check for proper treads on the tire. Uneven treads can indicate uneven wheel balancing.

•  Check all the instruments and systems on the Dashboard such as warning lights, indicator lights, speedometer, fuel gauge etc. Check the glove box, it should lock properly.

•  Check the movement of wipers, and light on each of the indicators.

•  Try on the seat belts; these should secure the passenger firmly.

•  Turn on the A/C if any, check for any unusual whirring sounds. The A/C should work properly at each level. Also check that air comes out of all vents.

Test Drive it

•  Turn on the cold engine and check for any black smoke as it accelerates.

•  Open the oil cap when the engine is running. Smoke blowing by the piston indicates that pistons and rings are worn.

•  Sit in the car and make yourself comfortable. Listen for any whistling sound or any other unusual noise.

•  Drive out, observe acceleration and braking.

•  Check that the gear shift should be timely and smooth.

•  On a clear stretch of the road, apply brakes while holding the steering wheel lightly. The car should not pull to one side.

•  Squeaking breaks, shaking brake pedal or vibrating steering wheel indicate issues with the car's suspension and/or braking system.

•  If the suspension is making clicking sounds or bounces when going over bumps, the struts may be leaking.

Check the Documents

•  Owner's Manual

•  Service book

•  Car Keys – two sets of identical keys.

•  Purchase Invoice from showroom / last owner (in original and a duplicate copy)

•  Sale Tax & Octroi certificate

•  RTO Tax and Road Tax

•  NOC (No Objection Certificate) from the finance company if the assset owner had bought the vehicle on finance

•  Registration Certificate book with specified lifetime tax paid. Check with the RTO for further authentication.

•  Pollution Under Control sticker

•  Insurance Documents

Clinch the deal

Keep noting down any shortcomings you have noticed while inspecting and test driving the vehicle. Every detail is worth a reasonable discount. It is suggested that you verify the asking price with a standard used car pricing guide like the eBay Pricebook.

Proceed with price negotiations. Point out the shortcomings. Put a value to each defect and accordingly negotiate the price. If there are any Terms and Conditions to be met by either parties, put them in writing.

Happy driving your own car...