When it comes to a luxury set of wheels like a Mercedes-Benz, buying a used car is a great option for those who wouldn’t usually be able to afford one. Of course, buying a used Mercedes-Benz carries all the same risks and pitfalls that buying any other kind of car used tends to come with, so here are some tips to make sure that you can get the best deal if you do go down this path.

1. Use a Reputable Dealer

If you’re in the market for a Mercedes-Benz in particular, it usually won’t be worth your time trying to hunt down and compare all the private sellers in your area. Instead, do some research into larger dealerships in your locality, and see if you can find any customer reviews to gauge their overall reliability.

Dealerships specialising in Mercedes or large car supermarkets will be particularly helpful to you. For example, if you’re searching for used cars in Northampton you might want to check out the Imperial Cars showroom.

2. Research Models Ahead of Time

Some models will have aged better than others, and if you’re going to buy used you’ll want to know which models are more reliable over time. This doesn’t just vary between the different classes of car but by manufacturing year as well.

Another factor to consider is, of course, price, but it’s always worth asking why the most affordable models are the cheapest. If it’s a case like the third generation C-Class, where the sheer number on the market has lowered the price despite the model’s high overall quality, then you have a bargain on your hands. Conversely, if you spy a typically expensive car—a very recent S-Class, for example—going for a lot less than you’d expect, it’s worth asking what might be wrong with it.

3. Do the Full Suite of Checks

As with any used car, there’s a chance of some wear and tear, and you’ll want to know what you’re getting before any money changes hands so make sure you get a full professional inspection done on the vehicle.

A complete system scan with a car diagnostic scanner is also something you’ll want to do if the dealer will let you—it will pick up on any fault codes, so you’ll know about any problems the car itself has flagged. It’s also worth going over all the paperwork and just making sure everything’s consistent with itself, and with things like the chassis number on the car itself.

As long as you follow these tips you should have no problem finding a Mercedes to suit you at a great price on the used market.