You probably expect to receive from us a specific list of bad models that need to be avoided. It will not happen. If only because each consumer has his own ideas about the reliability and requirements for a car. In addition, each “hands-on” car is a purely individual product, “prepared” for you by the previous owner.
Accordingly, a technically weak model can be in good condition and serve its second owner without problems, while a technically advanced car with a good name, but with a resource squeezed like lemon, will systematically suck money out of the new owner’s wallet. Let’s try to orient consumers to the cars that they really need to be wary of.
Models
There is a certain category of models that, in principle, cannot be long-lived. First of all, these are compact A- and often B-class cars. In principle, designers do not put a lot of resources into these cars in order to keep their price at a level proportional to their dimensions. For example, they often have a lot of plastic parts in the chassis and “disposable” engines of small volume without the possibility of major repairs.
Secondly, you should be wary of cars from young Chinese brands, especially those produced in the 2000s. Many of them have insufficient service life due to ill-conceived design, zero level of anti-corrosion protection and problems with the supply of spare parts.
Parks
You need to be very picky about cars from corporate fleets. On the one hand, in rich companies they are leased and work for no more than 3 years, and careful drivers often do not have time to get defects that are dangerous for the second owner. On the other hand, a shared car, which is used by several people, wears out at twice the rate. It is not always possible to find out which category the “office” car you like belongs to. Moreover, in this case you cannot rely on mileage, because it is known that the odometer readings almost certainly decrease on the way from the first owner to the final buyer.
The risks associated with purchasing a car after a taxi fleet do not require special explanation. The essence of the taxi business is constant, continuous movement, tending to be around the clock. And which is associated with a constant change of passengers and a ragged, urban traffic pattern. That is, a taxi car wears out intensively and all at once – engine, transmission, interior, body, chassis.
Owners
It would be good to find out what kind of person used the machine before you. It’s not very good if, for example, it was a small entrepreneur, especially if the car was a station wagon, van or pickup truck. This means that transport was systematically involved in the business, traveling daily and with a full load.
When we are talking about a car with a powerful engine, a prestigious brand, a fashionable model with an image body type (coupe, convertible, hot hatchback), it is better that it was not previously in the hands of an energetic young man – these are the drivers that often “kill” the car in “ traffic light races.”
An expensive, technically complex model in the hands of a poor person is not the best option, especially if the car is no longer young. In this situation, you can expect that the car has not seen good oil, high-quality fuel or branded spare parts.
Region
Experienced motorists avoid buying cars from coastal regions – they are believed to be seriously damaged by corrosion. In fact, this is not necessary, but attention to the condition of the body should really be increased. Approximately the same stereotype exists regarding cars from large cities, where anti-ice agents are generously used. Although high-quality models in the expensive segment are indifferent to salt on the road – at least for the first three to five years.
The key segment for the Ukrainian secondary market is cars imported from Europe. They are often fresh for years and have an impeccable appearance, but this does not mean that they are as good technically. This is the specificity of operating passenger cars in developed countries – large daily mileages, often mostly on autobahns and with one driver in the cabin. You should not pay serious attention to the odometer readings of such cars, but the units should be diagnosed with the understanding that the actual mileage exceeds 250 – 300 thousand km – even if the car is about 3 – 4 years old.
In short
Start choosing a car (whether used or new) not from its technical characteristics, but from its consumer qualities: capacity, dimensions, ground clearance, efficiency… If the car does not meet your requirements and operating conditions, there will be no point in talking about its reliability. Moreover, even the most advanced model in perfect condition can be “killed” by operating conditions that do not coincide with its class and official purpose. And the second place when searching for a candidate for a place in your garage should be technical characteristics and actual condition.
2024-01-08 06:25:05
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