When point A to point B isn’t enough

You’ve had a hatchback all your life. It’s ticked all the boxes. It brings the shopping home from the grocery store and gets you to and from work. But what happens when you decide you want to throw it all in for a while, get in the car and drive? The trusty hatchback probably won’t cut it and it’s time to look further afield. You need a car with a bit of grunt but the monetary trade in for your bubble back is not going to cut it. Your options? Second hand and used cars.

No matter what your story – whether you’re setting off across Australia or needing a van to fit your fourth child – considering a second hand vehicle is not only cost effective but a good use of existing resources.

Here are some of the lesser mentioned things to consider when ‘used car’ shopping:

• Go on a bright sunny day: There are so many small things to look out for when scanning a used car – rust, corrosion, paintwork blemishes, nicks and scratches – but you’re likely to miss a lot of them if you don’t have a good amount of light on your side. Your best bet is to head out of a clear day when you know you can give the body your best inspection effort.

• Don’t judge a book by its cover: This applies to a lot of used car checking activities but the most important action is to check potential past collisions or accidents that might have left the car slightly out of alignment. To get around this, you need to examine under the bonnet for damage and creasing. If you take the car for a test drive and it starts pulling to the left of right, it’s a no goer.

• More than just the upholstery: When looking inside the car it might be tempting to focus on the upholstery but what really counts are, again, the signs that could be hidden. Almost like undertaking an investigation, the main thing that needs to be checked is the mileage. Make sure it corresponds with the look and feel of the car. If the car has a very young mileage but looks like it’s lived a good life, something’s definitely wrong. Ideally, you want a car that’s had a good life, been used regularly, is stocked up on healthy services and not run into the ground.

But these are only a couple of the long list of things to do when buying a used car. If you’re on the look for something to have an adventure in, dedicate some time to searching through second had cars. Perth might be a good place to start if you want to test its roadworthiness – especially if you’re heading back east! There are always used cars for sale, Perth included, so get out there and keep cautious!

If you’re looking to escape the daily grind and start on an epic road trip, search online for used cars for sale. Perth is the perfect place to start your Australian road journey!

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