What type of used car is right for you?

If you are looking to buy a used car, the use that it will be put to should be at the forefront of your thoughts. For example, if you have a large family, you may want to consider an MPV, whereas if you plan to be driving around a lot on your own or as part of a couple, then you might want to think about getting yourself a small hatchback or coupe. Here is a rundown of most of the types of car that are available on the second hand market, and the pros and cons of each option.

If parking and fuel economy are your highest priority, then you may want to look into getting a city car. It is, however, rare to find vehicles of this type in good condition, and the ones that are tend to be expensive.

Small hatchbacks are cheap to run and insure, and if you can find one in good condition, they can represent excellent value on the second hand market. Avoid the more powerful, fuel injected hot hatch types, however, as these have often seen some rough treatment at the hands of boy racers.

Family cars represent some of the best bargains on the second hand market, as they frequently get bought by the thousand by companies for their fleet and then offloaded after a few years at a heavy discount.

Compact MPVs can be cheaper than traditional hatchbacks, and can be a good solution for larger families. Their bigger equivalents are more roomy inside, but are more expensive to run and difficult to park.

Sports cars and coupes from mainstream car manufacturers depreciate quicker than any other type of car, with the possible exception of mainstream luxury cars, and can often be picked up quite cheaply on the used market. Be sure to give any car of this type a thorough mechanical check before buying, as they have often been driven pretty hard by their previous owners, and parts can be expensive.

As with sports cars, luxury cars from mainstream brands can be excellent value on the second hand market, and can often boast great features and build quality. However, they can be expensive to refuel and maintain, so be sure to figure in these extra costs before you take the plunge.

Larger 4x4s can be quite cheap on the second hand market, and are often of a very high build quality, but smaller 4x4s tend to be expensive to buy and to run and are of little more use in an off road situation than a standard two wheel drive car.

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