Aspley Mazda – What To Look For When Buying A Used Car
August 10, 2023
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Aspley Mazda – What To Look For When Buying A Used Car
Buying a used car can save you a lot of money compared to buying new. Buying from a dealership rather than a private seller usually means getting a warranty and often a higher standard of vehicle.
Aspley Mazda wants to break the stigma attached to use car sales and dispel the myth of the sleazy salesman looking to make a quick buck. Many of our used car salespeople are also our new car salespeople and bring the same qualities to the role, including high levels of knowledge and customer service experience.
Whether you’re wondering what to look for when buying a used car or how to buy a new car, we have decades of experience helping Brisbane residents find the right vehicle.
We focus not just on the car, but also on the journey and offer a range of benefits with every new car sales including:
- 15% off Servicing For Life
- 1 Year Roadside Assistance
- 1 Year Comprehensive Warranty
- 120 Point Safety Inspection on every vehicle
If you’ve been looking for a second-hand vehicle with an exceptional standard of quality and lasting reliability, here’s a brief guide to what to look for when buying a used car.
Where to Buy a Used Car
The top places to buy a used car are from a dealer, at an auction or through a private seller.
A private sale can be a cheaper option, but it’s usually the riskiest too. With no warranty, roadside or 120 point safety inspection provided with your purchase, you’re on your own if anything goes wrong.
Buying from an auction can also be affordable, although not necessarily so. On the downside, tough competition may lead to you having to fork out for a higher price than you’d expected.
Buying from a dealer offers affordability, a warranty, assistance choosing the right car and a wider range of options.
What to Look For
Regardless of where you buy your new car, there are some things you should always check before you make your decision. Here is a brief guide to what to look out for when buying a used car:
The engine: Make sure it runs smoothly and quietly both while you’re driving and while idling the car.
The engine oil: Unless it’s a diesel vehicle, the engine oil shouldn’t be black. Check to see that it’s clean and honey-coloured. Keep an eye out for a creamy white substance in the oil cap too – it’s often a sign of engine problems like blown gaskets.
The paint and body: Inspect the body of the car for problems and signs of wear like dents, mismatched panels and hail damage.
The tyres: Make sure the tyres are in good condition with the tread above the minimum wear indicators. Excessively worn tyres can be a sign the car’s wheel alignment is off-balance.
The lights: Make sure the lights on the car including headlights, parking lights and indicators are all in good working order. Don’t neglect the warning lights on the instrument panel.
Vehicle identification number: Check that the car’s VIN matches the one on the rego papers.
Coolants and other fluids: The radiator coolant should be clean, green or red in colour and free of rust. Check under the car as well for any signs of fluids leaking.
The exhaust: Black, white or blue smoke coming from the exhaust pipe is a sign of an issue with the exhaust system. You should also be wary of excess noise or a “knocking” sound coming from under the car.
The interior: There’s a lot to check on the inside of the car to make sure it’s in good condition. Look for any damage or wear and tear to the interior of the body, upholstery or carpet that seems a little excessive for the car’s age.
The equipment: Check that all the interior functions and features work: the air conditioner, fan, windows, stereo system, reversing camera and any of the other elements you need in the course of driving.
With our 120 point safety inspection that every car needs to pass, you can buy your next Used Car with a peace of mind.
Buying a Used Car from Aspley Mazda
Aspley Mazda’s North Brisbane car yard is one of the longest-serving car yards in Aspley, providing new and used cars to Brisbane locals for more than 50 years. A family owned, community-orientated business, we have a variety of used cars from all makes and models: not just Mazda cars but other popular brands like Ford, Holden and Hyundai too.
We have more than 100 used cars in stock and most of them came to us as trade-ins. Many of them are still in their five-year unlimited kilometre warranty periods due to our Mazda Assured product and its Guaranteed Future Value.
When we receive a used car to sell, we perform a 120-point safety check inspection before we even complete the roadworthy. We’ll never sell a car that falls short of standards or even one that’s just “okay”. We want to provide you with a vehicle that has many more years of life left in it, and one that will continue to perform.
For more information on what to look for when buying a used car or any of the used cars in our range, contact Aspley Mazda. You can drop into 1441-1461 Gympie Rd, Aspley or call us on (07) 3263 5333 and book a test drive. We’ll help you find the used car that suits your needs, your family and your lifestyle.
