If you're worried about being taken for a ride, bestvaluecars.co.uk has simple, practical advice to make sure you buy the right car for you.

It is thought that around one in four used car buyers have experienced major mechanical problems within months of purchasing their car- here is the bestvaluecars.co.uk guide to keep you on the right track.

When looking for your next car, there are certain things you should do before AND during your search. Bestvaluecars.co.uk recommends you;

• Know how much you want to spend on your next car BEFORE you start looking. If it will be through finance, decide what your maximum monthly budget is also.
• Prepare a list of questions you wish to ask and write down the answers that you are given. Prepare a list of the features you need on a car and another with ‘extras’ that would be a bonus but not essential.
• Check the length of warranty the dealer provides and ask what it covers. Does it cover both parts AND labour?
• Ensure that a car data check has been carried out. This checks that the car is free from outstanding finance, it has not been reported stolen, the mileage is correct and it has not been written off. Not all car garages do this so ask.
• Check that the chassis number matches up to the V5 registration document.

In our next post we will look at what to do when you are ready to take your first test drive.