What to look, listen and sniff for — and the one check most buyers skip.
Start cold, start honest
Always view with a cold engine. A warm car hides smoking, rattles and bad starting. Open the oil cap: creamy residue can mean coolant mixing. Check the coolant colour and the service book stamps.
Look down the sides, not just at them
Crouch at each corner and sight along the panels — ripples mean filler. Uneven gaps, overspray on seals and mismatched paint under daylight all tell the same story.
Drive three roads
Slow streets for steering and brakes, a fast road for vibration and pull, and a bumpy lane for knocks. Test every button, the air-con on cold, and reverse with the wheel at full lock.
The check most buyers skip
A pre-purchase inspection on a ramp. For the price of a tank of fuel we scan every module, measure brakes and tyres, and photograph leaks and rust — then you negotiate with facts, not hope.
