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Notes -
I highly appreciate the thorough explanation.
If getting a fancy German car second hand doesn't entail that much suffering, then it's something I'll seriously consider. Shame I wasn't around to poach the Jag, heh.
That doesn't sound terrible at all. Not that I'm going to modify it much, if I want my car to look extra cool, I'll just play more Forza haha. At most I might get a paintjob.
Is there a particular source you'd recommend for actually buying a car secondhand? Is it better to close a deal in person or rely on something online?
Should I take it to a mechanic first for an opinion before the purchase?
Also, how large is the premium on automatics? I know how to (badly) drive stick, but I'd rather not.
If you're doing a deal online, it will be with a used car dealer like Cazoo. Which there probably isn't anything wrong with, you'll get peace of mind, but you also pay a big premium. If you're buying from a private seller, you'll need to do it in person, and the best platform is Autotrader.
A lot of private sellers probably won't be willing to take the car to a mechanic for you, and used car dealers certainly wouldn't.
I'm not sure on automatic premium, probably sub 1k for an identical year/mileage car? So about a 10% premium at your budget.
I see. Thank you again. For now, I've just been looking at whatever looks sick on autotrader, and skipping about 80% of them when my brother yells at me. Praying that's enough, or I'll have to pick your brains later lol.
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