Buying a car can prove to be a bit of a lottery. The seller will obviously try to convince you that the vehicle would make an outstanding purchase, although their primary motivation is usually to offload the car and make as much money as they can out of it. A prospective car buyer who isn’t mechanically knowledgeable nor a shrewd consumer can easily be ripped off if they haven’t done their homework, so for those of you considering such a significant purchase, it’s well worth doing as much research as you can before handing over your hard-earned money.

One quick and simple way to get the lowdown on buying a car is to download a selection of apps which are designed to provide all the enlightenment you’ll need. Apps such as Edmunds, Kelley Blue Book and the Car & Driver Buyer’s Guide all contain ample background information about all types of vehicles on the market, while the ever-reliable eBay Motors and Craigslist will help you to find the car you’re after at a location near to you.

While these apps will take care of the information relevant to the actual vehicles on offer, you can also make the car-buying process far less strenuous by finding out what are the key questions to ask. Knowing what mileage is on a car, for instance, will help you to get an informed idea of how ideally it is valued by the seller, while it also helps to wait until the end of a model year so as to get the best deal possible. Don’t be afraid to put the seller to the test, either, especially if it’s a salesperson employed by a dealership. They will be well versed in tossing out all the buzzwords and sales speak to win over the more naïve customer, but only by responding with some vital questions will you establish whether or not they’re trying to pull the wool over your eyes and cover up their own lack of knowledge.

For more on the essential selection of car buying apps, check out this infographic from First Aid Wheels (www.fawheels.co.uk).