thinking about buying a car?

Before you buy

Decide how much you can afford to pay. Include the cost of insurance, road tax, petrol, repairs and servicing. Don't rush into a decision. Shop around. Look through price guides to see how much you should expect to pay for the car you want.

If you don't have much knowledge of cars, use our checklist. It gives the main things to look out for when assessing a car's condition, and tells you the signs that point to a car which has been stolen or clocked (had its mileage altered). As a back up, take someone with you who knows about cars.

Or you could pay for an independent inspection by a professional mechanic. Motoring organisations such as the AA or RAC offer this service.

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Buying from a dealer

This is the safest way of buying as you get the maximum protection of the law. Look for an established firm with a good reputation. Ask family or friends if they can recommend anyone.

A trade association sign may mean that the firm follows a code of practice. The Retail Motor Industry Federation can tell you which local dealers subscribe to a code of practice and if you have problems with a dealer you can contact the Federation for advice.

Look for a garage with a quality checking scheme, such as Ford Direct, Rover Approved or Vauxhall's Network Q.

When buying from a dealer the three shopping rules still apply. And the car must be:

• Of satisfactory quality - it must meet the standards that a reasonable person would regard as acceptable, bearing in mind the way it was described, how much it cost and any other relevant circumstances. This covers, for example, the appearance and finish of the car, its safety and its durability. The car must be free from defects, except those that were pointed out to you by the seller (there will be normal wear and tear when a car is second hand), and those which should have been uncovered by an inspection (but only if you inspected the car, or if someone did it for you);
• As described - a car said to have had "one careful lady owner" shouldn't turn out to have three previous owners, all males under 22;
• Reasonably fit for any normal purpose - it should get you from A to B - and for any other purpose that you specify to the seller - for example, towing a caravan.

These rights are not affected by any mechanical breakdown insurance (often sold by dealers if the manufacturer's warranty has run out), guarantee or warranty giving additional protection. It's a good idea to get a description of the vehicle's condition from the dealer. Ask whether there is a pre-sale inspection checklist.

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Buying privately

This should be cheaper than buying from a dealer. It is also riskier. You have fewer legal rights if you buy privately. The car must be as described but the other rules don't apply. If a private seller lies about the condition of a car, you can sue for your losses - if you can find the seller.

Some dealers pretend to be private sellers to avoid their legal obligations and to get rid of faulty or over-priced cars. They advertise in local newspapers and shop windows.

Signs to look for include:

• ads which give a mobile phone number or specify a time to call. It may be a public phone box, not the seller's home;
• the same phone number appears in several ads;
• when you phone about the car, the seller asks "which one?";
• the seller wants to bring the car to you or meet you somewhere, rather than you going to the seller's home.

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Buying at an auction

You can pick up a bargain at an auction but you need to know what you are doing. Go as a spectator first and see what happens.

If you don't know much about cars, take someone with you who does. Decide the maximum you can afford and stick to it. The entry form attached to the windscreen will give you an idea of the car's history.

Auctions are probably the riskiest way of buying a used car. Your usual legal rights may not apply if the seller issues a disclaimer, such as the term "sold as seen", which excludes all or some of those rights. Read the auctioneer's conditions of business carefully to check whether this is the case.

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