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| HOME | UK | USED CAR CLASSIFIEDS |

UK Used Car Classifieds

Looking for used cars? Check out these classified sites.

motors.co.uk - Used car search
http://www.motors.co.uk/

There are over 150,000 vehicles on this elegant (if a bit quirky) site. Use the simple interface at the top of the page or click on the More Search options link right away to see more criteria. All the important criteria are available including the ability to search within a distance from your postcode.


The site has some interesting information under the Guides tab as well as the Reviews tab.

Pros:
Good advanced search tool and you can re-sort results by distance from your postcode. Results are displayed in an adequate format. You can click on the Request Information link on the results listing screen and a pop-up window will be displayed for you to request more information.

Cons:
Would be nice to be able to see more than 15 search results on a page at a time and also would be nice to be able to see them in a list format without photos (that allows you to scan more quickly). Only three criteria to re-sort displayed results - sort by price,age or by distance from your postcode. I'd like to see the ability to sort by mileage and model. No electronic contact method for most sellers. Little detailed information on the individual car pages.

How to:

• Search for a used vehicle
  We've linked you directly to the advanced search function. Simply put in your postcode, use the sliders to set your price and distance to search in and then click on the other tabs to further define your search. Results will be dynamically displayed in the area below the search box (below the green tab that says 'Close').
  
  
• Request more information from seller/dealer
  Find your list of vehicles using the link above and then click on the vehicle's photo to see further details. To get more information click on the Request Information link on the listings page (not the individual vehicle detail page which only seems to have a phone number).
  
  

Used Cars Search - All Approved Cars
http://www.allapprovedcars.com/UsedCarSearch.aspx

Tons of cars in this database and fairly good search options provided. Results manipulation could be better and details on individual vehicles are very minimal.

Pros:
There are over 130,000 vehicles in the database (at least that's what the main page says) and the search tool is quite good and does sort of provide a postcode distance search. Once you have a list of results they can be re-sorted by distance from you, model, price and age. There are a couple of helpful extras like being able to see other vehicles for sale at the dealership where you've found a suitable car and the ability to save cars you've looked at to a virtual garage. There's also an alerting service that will allow you to put in your vehicle requirements and alert you when a vehicle similar to this is added to the database.

A recent and welcome change is the addition of a 'Dealer Enquiry' button (it's in the right-hand column once you have an individual car's details displayed). This will give you a pop-up window where you specify your first and last name, email address and message to the dealer - still a bit more information than I'd like to give but it's not too bad.

Cons:
Although there is the ability to enter your postcode and thereby see cars nearest to you there is no indication given in the results as to where the vehicles are located in relation to the postcode you entered. Details on individual vehicles are rather skimpy.

How to:

• Search for a used vehicle
  Indicate your search criteria in the Used Car Search box in the upper left hand area of the page and click on the 'go' button.
  
  
• Request more information from seller/dealer
  Once you've got a list of vehicles displayed (see above) click on the name of the vehicle (in orange text) to see the details page. Call the seller at the phone number listed on the details page or use the 'Dealer Enquiry' button.
  
  

Carsource - Used car search - 1000's of cheap used cars for sale at www.carsource.co.uk
http://www.carsource.co.uk/

This site with plenty of vehicles (120,000) has a few things that are not major deficiencies but detract from my opinion of the site. Results are displayed in a rather cumbersome format with important information lacking and with few re-sorting options. Also when you look at the details for individual vehicles you are transferred to a dealership site.

Pros:
As mentioned above there are plenty of vehicles in the database and the search criteria are okay but there are some irritating aspects in the site design and some of its functionality. On the plus side however you can now sort by distance from your postcode and you can select to see 10, 20 or 30 vehicles per page.

Clicking a listing's picture or vehicle name will take you to a dealership site and I can't comment definitively on what you'll find there in terms of the ability to get more information.

Cons:
I do not like the blatant 'keyword stuffing' look of the main page with its tens (hundreds?) of blue headings. The results display format is cumbersome and although it has improved it would still be nice to have other re-sorting options than just distance and price.

The thing I really don't like is how you are transferred to a dealer's site when you click on the picture because this can make it confusing to figure out how to get more information.

How to:

• Search for a used vehicle
  Input your general search criteria (make, model, price range) in the box in the upper left-hand corner of the site and click on the Search button. Note that although there is a field for your E-mail address you do not NEED to supply it.
  
  
• Request more information from seller/dealer
  Once you've got a list of vehicles displayed (see above) click on the name of the vehicle to see the details page. Most of the time you will be redirected to a dealer's website in which case you'll need to search for a way to get further information about the vehicle you're interested in. Alternatively, if it is a listing from a private seller, there may be an email provided.
  
  

Buy and sell all types of vehicles on eBay Motors
http://motors.shop.ebay.co.uk/

A good number of cars on eBay Motors around 166,000 although it is hard to tell if this is just cars or includes parts as well) but, like so many sites, this one is handicapped by poor search capability. Results can not really be manipulated in too many useful ways and because details on vehicles are up to the seller there is great variation on the amount of information provided. You decide how much personal information to divulge to the seller.

Pros:
Plenty of vehicles in the database and as well as a basic search tool you can now search by distance from postcode. Results can also now be re-sorted by distance from your postcode. Wide variety of how much information is supplied on individual vehicles. Amount of information divulged to the seller is up to you.

Cons:
It would be nice to be able to sort on other characteristics than price (for instance mileage or age). Details on individual vehicles vary widely.

How to:

• Search for a used vehicle
  Use the criteria in the left hand column to refine your search. You can specify distance from your postcode to search within (go to the very bottom of the left-hand column and click on the triangle to the left of Distance).
  
  
• Request more information from seller/dealer
  Once you've got a list of vehicles displayed (see above) click on the vehicle name link to see more information and pictures. Click on the 'Contact seller' link (right-hand upper corner of page) for more information.
  
  

AutoLocate Used Car Locator
http://www.ibm.autolocate.co.uk/usedcar/?VehicleType=CAR

To get started select if you want to search by total price (vehicle price) or monthly payment price (monthly budget).

There are lots of search criteria to choose from but the number of vehicles in the database has dropped dramatically from the last review (from 22,000 to just under 7,500). Manipulation of the results leaves something to be desired and information on individual vehicles is skimpy. Too much personal info is required to get more details.

Pros:
The search criteria are quite extensive and the site has the all-important search by distance from your postcode option. A nice feature is that you can compare the used vehicle you have chosen with another used vehicle in the database.

Cons:
Results can be sorted by price or distance only - it would be helpful to have the ability to sort by mileage as well. Too few of the vehicles have pictures and details on individual vehicles are very minimal. If you want more information you'll have to supply too much personal information on a non-secure form.

How to:

• Search for a used vehicle
  To get started select if you want to search by total price or monthly payment price. Then select your search criteria and just follow the on-screen instructions.
  
  
• Request more information from seller/dealer
  Once you've got a list of vehicles displayed (see above) click on the name of the vehicle to see the details page. Once on the details page look for a 'Enquire about this Vehicle' link (to the right of the picture - just under the heading More Information) to get more info.
  
  

Vehicle Text - Buy or Sell new and used cars
http://www.vehicletext.com/carresults.asp

This site has a very novel and 21st century approach - you use your mobile phone to take the vehicle's photo and SMS details to the site. There seem to be about 8,700 vehicles in the database. The advanced search is quite good but the display format is cumbersome and the amount of information required from sellers is lacking.

Pros:
The process to list your car for sale is simple and that is why this site has so many cars but on the other hand, as mentioned below, this works against it too. The advanced search has many criteria including the all important distance from postcode option. The site has lots of vehicles for a fairly recently started venture.

Cons:
The display format is cumbersome and can't be re-sorted. Perhaps because the process of putting your car online is so simple and uses your mobile phone there are some fields - useful to the buyer - that are not completed. For example many (majority?) of the listings don't have postcodes entered.

How to:

• Search for a used vehicle
  Enter your search criteria and click on the black SEARCH button on the right.
  
  
• Request more information from seller/dealer
  Once you've got a list of vehicles displayed (see above) click on the image to see details. There may be an email address and/or mobile number for you to contact the seller.
  
  

Used car search UK - used cars for sale - vehicles - fish4 cars
http://www.fish4.co.uk/iad/cars/advanced/

A good number of vehicles in this database and a fairly good search tool. Unfortunately the results display format is cumbersome and there is no manipulation of the results available. Too much personal info is required to get more details.

Pros:
Lots of vehicles in the database and an adequate search tool with the all important 'search by distance from postcode' feature available. However, that's about the extent of good things I have to say.

Cons:
Although you have the 'search by distance from your location' feature there is no way to sort the results obtained by distance from your postcode nor is the distance from your postcode of individual listings displayed. Duh! The results display format is cumbersome and can not be re-sorted in any way. Details on individual vehicles are skimpy and you must submit too much personal information on a non-secure form to get more information.

How to:

• Search for a used vehicle
  Choose your search criteria and click on the search button at the bottom of the page.
  
  
• Request more information from seller/dealer
  Once you've got a list of vehicles displayed (see above) click on the 'More details' link to see the vehicle details page. Depending on whether the car is being privately sold or is on a dealer's lot there will be different options for getting more info. If the car is being privately sold there may only be a phone number on the details page - if the car is on a dealer's lot there will be a 'Contact the advertiser' form for you to complete on the details page.
  
  

Used Car Showroom - UK Car Dealers, Used Cars, New Cars, Used Cars Dealers
http://www.usedcarshowroom.co.uk

This site has about 40,000 vehicles in the database. The search tool leaves quite a bit to be desired as does the results display format. Details on individual vehicles is very minimal but getting more information is easy.

Pros:
There are lots of vehicles in the database, the search tool is simple and quick and getting more information on a vehicle is easy.

Cons:
The search tool is simple - which can be seen as positive - but I feel it lacks several important details. There is no ability to specify your postcode and thus search for vehicles in your area. You can't specify age or mileage. There is no ability to re-sort results once they are displayed. Details on individual vehicles are VERY skimpy. The get more information form on the details page is not secure. It also seems strange that there is no listing of the dealer's phone number.

There also seem to be some technical difficulties with the site. I was unable to get the 'back to results' button on the details page link to work. The only way I could get back to the results listing was to use my browser's back button.

How to:

• Search for a used vehicle
  Put your search criteria in the red search box in the upper left-hand corner of the main page and click on the Search button.
  
  
• Request more information from seller/dealer
  Once you've got a list of vehicles displayed (see above) click on the name of the vehicle. To get more information put your personal information in the 'contact the dealer' form (beneath the main car photo on the left-hand side of the page) and click on the Submit button.
  
  

Classic Driver - CARS FOR SALE
http://www.classicdriver.de/uk/find/4100.asp?action=advanced%5Fsearch

At just over 6,100 cars in the database this is a modestly sized site but if you are looking for a classic vehicle it may be of use. The search tool is okay and data can be manipulated although not extensively. Details on individual vehicles could be greater and you don't have to supply too much personal information to get more information on a vehicle you are interested in.

Pros:
The search allows you to specify a number of useful criteria and location at the country level (i.e. Germany, France). The results are presented in a nicely formatted list and can be re-sorted by model, year, price and dealer. You only need to supply your last name, phone number, country and email to obtain more information on a vehicle. It is a nice feature that you can set the pricing to display in the currency most useful to you.

Cons:
It is perhaps a bit much to ask but it would be helpful if you could do a distance from your postcode search but that might be a very complex task across countries. It also seems obvious that sorting by country would be a very desirable optoin. It would be nice to be shown a little more information about a vehicle's location rather than just the country it is in. Details on individual vehicles are not that elaborate but I expect most people looking for vehicles of this cost and type expect to do a lot of communication with the seller to establish this information.

How to:

• Search for a used vehicle
  Choose your search criteria and click on the 'show' button (very bottom right of the page). You'll see how many vehicles there are from that manufacturer and how many of each model. Select which models you'd like to see and click 'show' again.
  
  
• Request more information from seller/dealer
  Once you've got a list of vehicles displayed (see above) click on the manufacturer/model link. To get more information input your name and email in to the contact the seller form or look for a phone number and/or email link on the details page.
  
  

Buy a used Car - Auto Trader UK
http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/www/cars_search.asp

Despite having lots of vehicles in its database (371,000+ according to the main page) this site doesn't score that well. It has a fairly good search tool but the results can only be manipulated in two ways. The site also seems sluggish and the display format is a bit cumbersome. The details page is by contrast quite good with a lot of helpful extras and an 'email the seller' link that will launch your email client and therefore allows you to control how much information about yourself you divulge.

Pros:
There are lots of vehicles in the database and the all important 'search by distance from postcode' feature is present. The details page is good with a glossary of terms, insurance quote link etc and, as mentioned above, an email link to the seller (if a private seller).

Cons:
The display format is a bit cumbersome and can only be re-sorted by price and distance from your postcode - more options for re-sorting would be helpful. Although the detail page is excellent in terms of extras it is a bit skimpy in terms of the level of information available about the vehicle itself. Also, on trade listings you will have to either telephone the dealership or go to their website and look for a method to get more information.

How to:

• Search for a used vehicle
  Click on the More options tab to see some additional search criteria, Input your search criteria and click on the red Search button.
  
  
• Request more information from seller/dealer
  Once you've got a list of vehicles displayed (see above) click on the name of the vehicle to see the details page. Once on the details page click on the email seller link (if there is one - some private sellers may only list a telephone number). Vehicles for sale by dealers may not have a link and you'll have to go their website to figure out how to get more information on the vehicle.
  
  

Preloved - Cars free ads UK and Ireland
http://www.preloved.co.uk/

Another site with lots of vehicles that is crippled by a pathetic search tool (well actually no search tool would be a more accurate description). The results display format is inefficient and results can not be manipulated in any way. Responding to ads is no longer hassle-free (see below for more details).

Pros:
About the only positive thing to say about this site is that it has lots of vehicles in the database.

Cons:
After you've selected a manufacturer to look at you'll be able to to specify a keyword and if you click on the 'more search options' link you'll also be able to specify a region to search within and a price range. There is no ability to search by distance from postcode, no way to choose a model (other than typing it in the keyword field) and no way to sort results (either before or after display). The amount of detail about the vehicle varies widely as it is input by the seller without any rules imposed by the site - so there can be long rambling descriptions or short, concise ones. Finally, you'll have to register to respond to any ads - this means you have to supply a minimal amount of information on a non-secure form. It is not that I am so concerned about security here, more that it is a nuisance to have to do this right in the middle of looking at ads.

How to:

• Search for a used vehicle
  On the main page select the manufacturer you are looking for. On the next page click on the More search options link - this will allow you to specify a keyword, region and price range. Click on update search when you're done.
  
  
• Request more information from seller/dealer
  Once you've got a list of vehicles displayed (see above) click on the view details link. Then click on the 'Click Here to Respond to this advert' link - you'll need to register if you haven't already done so to be able to send your request for more information to the seller.
  
  

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