The best used car dealers in Manchester – and how to find them

Looking for used car dealers in Manchester? Consider yourself lucky. Manchester has a huge amount of car dealerships, many of which have an excellent selection of second hand models. Finding a suitable car is, therefore, never really going to be an issue.

Then again, it’s always nice to know you got the best deal you possibly could.  What’s more, car finance is another important aspect to consider. And it’s often here that the wheat gets separated from the chaff.

In this special, we’ll help you find the right used car and the best used car dealers in Manchester. How does that work? Let’s get started and find out.

Table of Contents

• Are the best used car dealers really in Manchester? Or should you look elsewhere?
• How do I get the best prices with used car dealers in Manchester?
• Pre-planning
• Research car finance
• Research car dealerships
• How to choose
• The right financing options
• The right financing options

Great choice, too much choice?

Can there ever be too much of a good thing? When it comes to used car dealers in Manchester, we’re inclined to answer that question with ‘yes’. Especially, if by Manchester, you’re referring to the greater Manchester area and including some of the surroundings.

If you type in “used car dealers Manchester” into your google search bar, you get 39.200.000 results. We naturally didn’t analyse them all. But at least the first 100 of those are made up of actual, tangible dealerships or online websites offering used cars from the Manchester area. That’s a huge amount to sift through!

The whole thing wouldn’t be a big issue if it weren’t for the fact that it really does pay off to compare as many dealers as possible. As a recent study revealed, the price difference between a great used car finance deal and a bad one can amount to up to £3,000. You can almost buy a second vehicle for that amount …

So how to sift through all those dealerships? Thankfully, we have some ideas about that.

Second hand should really mean second hand

First off, though, we feel it’s important to stress the importance of buying used. When it comes to car finance, the amount of alternatives has become confusing to say the least. You can now get PCPs, HCPs and leasing contracts, which used to be reserved for new cars only, for second hand vehicles. Some dealers will additionally offer you ex-fleet cars, ex-rental models, almost-new-used-cars and manufacturer-warranty models.

We strongly recommend you leave these options be. Especially, since they don’t tend to offer you the best deals anyway. Instead, focus on simple dealership loans when it comes to used cars. They’re easy to understand and can be great value for money. And don’t get lured into deals for ‘almost new cars’. Although these can indeed be attractive, they can never beat the price tag of a true second hand car.

If you want the best deal, stick to used cars and straight-forward loan arrangements.

Are the best used car dealers really in Manchester?

Now, many of you may know that you can look for used car deals all around the UK. Shopping for a car has become a thing, similar to how you would shop around for any other expensive item on the web.

Why not buy a car in Liverpool or Sheffield, if you can get it cheaper there? Why not even drive all the way to London, if by any chance you spot a great deal there?

Price differences can indeed be quite steep, so it may be worth the effort and time, even if the dealership you’re buying from is very far away.

In theory, you could indeed expand your scope to far beyond the limits of the city.

Still, there is a lot to be said for restricting your search to used car dealers close to Manchester:

• If anything goes wrong, you don’t have to drive far to get it fixed.
• A local dealer is less likely to sell you a lemon, as they know you can easily take your car back to them.
• You can get your regular MOTs and check-ups at the same garage where you bought the car. This can be helpful if you intend to build a long-term relationship with your dealer.
• Manchester offers excellent prices. So there’s no need to travel quite that far.
• Looking for cars all across the UK makes the search even more time-consuming and complex.

Instead of looking for deals in exotic places, you’re better off asking yourself one simple question:

How do I get the best prices with used car dealers in Manchester?

This is the thing, really, isn’t it? We do have some recommendations for you, however. Here’s our easy step-by-step plan to get the deal that’s best for you:

Pre-planning

Before you even set foot in a used car dealership in Manchester, commit to the following:

• Know exactly how much you can spend on a car overall.
• Include both purchase costs as well as the recurring costs (petrol, insurance, VET, a buffer for unexpected repairs).
• Know exactly how much you can afford to spend on the car each month.
• Define what you expect and need from the car. Neither buy a model that doesn’t meet all these criteria nor one that offers (a lot) more than that.

Research car finance

• Understand the differences between the various car finance options.
• Decide if you would be willing to go for a less traditional form of financing. If so, make sure you know all about the risks involved.
• Talk to your local bank about the possibility of a car loan. This can be helpful as a backup should other options not work out.
  Don’t rush in and be willing to wait until the perfect deal comes around.

Research car dealerships

• Start looking for used car dealers in Manchester. Define what you expect from them and then draw up a list.
• If you have special financing requirements, these should be your priority. Should you have a bad credit rating, for example, mainly look for dealers that can help you with that.
• If there are particular brands you trust, include dealerships in the list. In case you categorically reject certain brands, ask yourself, why. If you still don’t like them, take them off the list.
• Read user comments, but treat them with caution. The web is hardly the place to get reliable opinions.
  Ask friends about possible recommendations.

How to choose

After you’ve gone through all the steps mentioned above, you should now have a list of maybe 5-6 dealers. That’s still a lot, especially if you’re not yet 100% sure which model you want to get.

So how do you select the best used car dealer in Manchester from your list?

The following two criteria should help you.

The right models

Car dealers will try to offer you a wide selection of different cars. But they all have their strengths and weaknesses.

Focus on those dealers whose selection comes closest to your needs. Chances are that they specialise in customers like you and may have the best terms and conditions, too. Really great dealers should also have a few genuine surprises, i.e. cars which you hadn’t thought of yet, but which are perfect for you upon closer inspection.

The right financing options

As we mentioned, car finance is vital for selecting the right dealership. In Manchester, there will be hundreds of dealers who could potentially sell you a car. But there will not be all that many willing or capable of offering you a great loan.

Conditions for right financing package should include the following:

• You can get a loan even though you may have bad credit.
• You should be able to comfortably afford the monthly payments. (Don’t forget to include recurring costs as well.)
• You should be able to have some say in the terms of the loan. All too many dealers simply offer template deals, which are the same for everyone.

CCC: Your used car dealer in Manchester

At Concept Car Credit, we pride ourselves on a long tradition as one of the leading used car dealers in Manchester.

With us, you can expect:

• A wide range of pre-owned cars, with a special focus on reliability, high build quality and family-friendly features. You’ll always find your ideal trim level with us.
• Current models and car body types. We don’t carry twenty-year old cars which you’d be ashamed to be seen in.
• New cars almost every day, so it really pays to keep coming back.
• Support for those with bad credit. If you can’t get a credit with a bank, we’ll do everything in our power to still get you behind the wheel again.
• Tailor-made payment plans, which lead to affordable monthly rates.

Did we get you interested? Then do drop by our Manchester showroom or visit our online selection of our cars. You can also give us a call or send us an email for any questions you may have.