Where to buy cars? It depends on you

There are so many ways of acquiring a car these days unlike in the past. Only a few companies sell brand new cars such as Akamba, a franchise of Isuzu, Spear Motors for Mercedes Benz and another sister company for VW Wavah Holdings and Good Day Motors for Hyundai, Afro Motors was for Peugeot and Walusimbi’s Garage for Toyota before Kjaer and Kjaer later arrived for Nissan.
These days, there are more car bonds than one can count. The growth of the used cars market has made it easy for many people to acquire their dream cars and some wrecks, I should add.
It is not all rosy just in case you thought so. There are options of buying a car be it used, new or reconditioned. Here is how you can get one .

Auctions
If you want to buy an auctioned car, look out in the local press. They are usually announced after some people have failed to clear some debts and the cars are attached or are sold as is when an NGO or government or any private company is done with them and want to replace them.
The police is also authorised to sell off cars after owners have failed to collect them after a specified period. These are usually impounded vehicles at the Naguru IOV, among other places. In some countries such as South Africa, some companies specialise in carrying out mass sale annual actions. Here, hundreds are sold off at competitive bidding. Uganda Revenue Authority also does sell off vehicles if owners cannot clear taxes among other issues.

Friends
You can buy from a friend. Sometimes friends may want to dispose of their cars and upgrade, relocate for kyeyo (odd business), go for studies abroad or are just not doing well and the car is among such things they can easily offset.

Off the streets
These days, some cars are sold off the streets. You may not have to go to bonds scattered along Jinja Road. In the middle of the city are several places dealing in used cars. One such place is on Luwum Street behind Bank of Baroda. That middle stretch has some dealers as do William and Wilson Streets. Pine, just behind CPS is another place.

Classifieds
Newspaper and magazine classifieds are good places to look for quick cars sales.

Internet
Through e-bay or by visiting any dealer such as autotrader Uganda, Google trader Uganda, Pigia me, eyetrader magazine among so many others, you can get a car. Buying online is by far the biggest market.

New dealers and bonds
If you have the money, you can buy brand new from the growing number of dealers or a used one from the many dealers available. You can also get pre-owned or reconditioned cars from new car dealers. These are the type driven for a short period, say two years and returned to the company from where it was bought brand new.

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Things to know before you buy

Buying a car is a big investment but it can be rewarding too if proper homework is done. Before buying a car, gather all the relevant information such as technical specifications, mileage etc. from various sources and from dealers. With loads of reliable information available you should first go for virtual car shopping. This will help you in making an informed decision.

Set your priorities: Different cars come with different plus points. Some have great pick up, some give high mileage, some have additional safety features, some are economical to maintain and so on. Before buying any car you should be very clear about your priorities regarding the car. Also keep other factors in your mind such as the size of your family and the seating capacity of the car.

Decide your budget: The foremost factor in deciding which car you buy is your budget. Buying a car also involves hidden costs like insurance, registration, fuel and maintenance.

Petrol car vs Diesel car: Both petrol and diesel cars have their own advantages and disadvantages. As compared to petrol engines, diesel engines are more economical; and have better pull in the gears thereby reducing the need for gear changing. But diesel engines have slower pick up, high maintenance cost, and result in extra vibrations and noise under acceleration.

On the other hand petrol engines are quieter, have greater pick up and cheaper to service than diesel engines. Recent advances in technology have enabled diesel and petrol engines to overcome most of their drawbacks.

Turbo-diesel, modern direct injection, and common rail systems have greatly enhanced the performance of diesel engine. Petrol engine technology too has made impressive advancements.
Trade-in or private sale of old car: you can trade-in your old car for a new car or you can sell your old car on your own and use that money to buy a new car. Some car bonds offer this option. Try and look at the various bonds available and see which one accepts a trade-in system.

Negotiate the price: Shop around before entering final negotiations. Carry out a survey of different dealers to see if you can get a better price.

Take a test drive: Before finalising the deal always take a test drive to get the feel of the car. Make sure that you are comfortable and satisfied with the car. Check that there is enough leg space, luggage space, steering is not too heavy, etc.
As buyer of the car you need to ensure that all the legal forms should be filled in completely and submitted to the right authorities.

Mistakes to avoid
The test drive is one of the most important parts of the car-buying process. A lot of vehicles look good in brochure photos but the test drive is your best chance to see how a vehicle measures up to expectations. It is critical that you take ample time, at least 30 minutes to conduct a complete test drive and perform a thorough walk-around of any vehicle you are considering.

When buying a used car, condition is everything. Before you buy a used vehicle, have it scrutinised by a garage that routinely does diagnostic work. A good mechanic should be able to tell if the car has been in a major accident or has a hidden but costly problem.

Ask for a written report detailing the car’s condition, noting any problems found and what it would cost to repair them. You can then use the report in your negotiations with the seller to adjust the price accordingly.