"Always get it delivered to your door." 7 women on the golden car-buying tips they swear by.

I’ve never bought a car before. It’s always been on my list of things to do, like finishing my Master’s degree or cleaning out my handbag.      

I always figured I’d get round to it, eventually, and then I got a dog (no, not a baby), a dog, and suddenly I felt I needed a car. (He is a chihuahua, named Frank Sinatra, thank you for asking.) 

My dog deserves to see all the parks in Sydney, not just the ones we live near. So the car hunt begins.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mary Rose (@maryrosem)

I’ll be honest, I know nothing about cars. I don’t even know a little about cars. If a friend says, “I’m the one in the Toyota," I’ll ask, “What colour Toyota?” Because I can’t identify cars by models or brands, but I can spot a green car! 

So I needed help. 

I already knew I wanted to buy a used car, because my mum has always told me that’s the best way to get value for your money when shopping cars. And since she owns a home and I don’t, I always trust her financial advice. 

Plus, I really believe in supporting the circular economy from my clothes to my cars: repurpose and reuse!  

The thought of even trying to buy a car has always felt a bit like an 'exclusive club' that I didn't know enough about to even attempt joining. So I wanted to use a platform to find a used car online that made me feel empowered rather than overwhelmed. 

A few people (cough, men), suggested the answer to my dilemma was to bring a man along with me to buy a car, but honestly, I wanted to learn how to do it for myself. 

Somewhere between Googling, ‘how to buy a car like a girl boss’ (I laugh), I've come across CARS24, and turns out I'm all about it. 

It's a platform that makes buying a used car feel easy.  

It’s 100 per cent online, which I love, particularly in these pandemic times. Also because I’m known to make impulse buys in person to hurry the process along, so shopping for it online really gives me time to browse, compare, Google things if I’m confused and ask for my mates’ opinions by just linking them first. 

CARS24 also don’t sell any cars that don’t pass the 300 point inspection, and they deliver it straight to your door with the guidance of their CARS24 Carcierge (like the UberEats for cars!). All of this has made me feel so much better and supported to know what steps are needed, taking so much legwork out of the process.

Basically, the platform is designed to do all the work for you without you leaving your home, which enables you to make an informed decision without any pressure in person you might feel from an in-person salesperson.  

Considering I'm feeling a bit nervous about my first used car purchase, I also found it comforting to know they have a 7 day return option, so you get your money back if the car just doesn’t feel like the right fit once you get it home (plus a 6 month warranty, because we can all break things). 

The CEO is also a woman, Olga Rudenko, which explains why it is so user-friendly. Women just get it, don’t they? 

But before enjoying that 5-minute finance on CARS24, it was of the upmost important to gather my girlfriends' helpful advice from their used car-buying experiences.

Here's exactly what they said.

Bianca, 42

“Ask for all the photos of every nook and cranny of the car that you want to see, just to leave no stone unturned. But my number one tip if you're buying from a private sales is to get a REVS check on any used car, in order to make sure there’s no money owing on it. 

"Also, it's great to know the history of the car in as much detail as you can, like checking if it’s been in an accident previously."

Image: Supplied.

Tyra, 23 

“Don’t be afraid to buy a car online. Check reviews from previous customers for peace of mind, and it's so good to be able to compare car options all in the one place, rather than wasting your weekends physically searching for cars across town.” 

Sarah, 27 

“Get that full car history, including a report on its last visit to the mechanic, highly recommend! Very helpful for anyone that doesn’t ‘know’ cars.” 

Jess, 29 

“Look for a car that has low kilometres rather than the age of the car. I've found anecdotally it to be an average of 15,000 to 20,000km per year for the age. 

"Check that all the lights and audio are working, and ask for any signs of rust, oil leaks, scratches and dents, so you're aware of what you're buying into." 

Image: Supplied.

Clary, 23

“Just always make sure you do price comparisons, so you know what a car is worth before committing to the best deal you can.”

Abby, 29

"If you're financing your purchase with a loan, get this organised before searching cars so you know the exact budget you're needing to stick within. A platform like CARS24 that has a 5-minute pre-approval process is handy to have it all in the one spot, so it's just a few clicks before knowing your actual figure before your car research begins."

Gabrielle, 34 

"If like me, you know nothing about cars, I 100% recommend getting a loved one's opinion. I'm a strong independent woman, but there's no shame in asking someone for help when you're out of your depth, or want to bounce the price versus benefit off someone you trust."

The biggest takeaway I took from all this advice was simple. 

You want to buy a used car from a place you can trust, and in a way that makes you feel informed and in control. Just like anything, it can be completely overwhelming when the subject isn't my expertise at all. 

So, start with a platform you can trust. I won’t pretend the process is making me a car expert, but I will tell you this: I’m perfectly capable of buying a car solo, and figuring out each step as I go. 

Sure, I might (read: definitely) need some help from a CARS24 to guide me, but I can get it done! Once lockdowns ease, my pooch and I will be all over Sydney. 

The future of used car buying has arrived with CARS24. Buy your next used car from the comfort of your couch. The smarter way to buy used.

Feature Image: Supplied/Instagram @maryrosem