The best manner in which to give advice is from your own personal experience. Only by living through something yourself can you really give someone else advice on how to handle a similar situation. This is why I have decided to write a short guide on how to buy a used car, as I have recently bought one myself.

Personally, I was looking for a relatively small-engine hatchback (1.2 - 1.4 litre) for commuting to and from work mainly. In England there are perhaps 2 or 3 car manufacturers that dominate this car field, with literally hundreds of other bringing up the rear. The 3 that I was mainly on the look for were a Used VW Polo, a Used Ford Fiesta or a Used Vauxhall Corsa.

I visited all my local used car dealers, test driving each of my chosen models where I found them. When searching around for a used car I recommend asking the dealer a lot of questions. The ones I asked were about the vehicle's service histories, how long they had been at the dealership and if there were any long term mechanical niggles I needed to know about.

After my test drives I resolved that the Used Volkswagen Polo was the strongest contender of the three and put down a deposit on the vehicle. I made sure that the car would receive a service and an MOT before I took delivery of it, as this is standard practice with the majority of used car dealerships these days.

If you follow these simple tips you will end up with a great used car too!