Used Car Dealers in Scarborough

Choosing between used car dealers in Scarborough

If you have typed "used car dealers" into a search box, you probably have not chosen yet. That is the sensible way round. A car is one of the biggest things most people buy without a survey or a cooling-off period, and the difference between a good dealer and a poor one has little to do with the size of the forecourt.

So this is not a sales pitch first. Use the checks below on anybody you visit, ourselves included. If we come out of it well, we are at Pavilion Garage, Somerset Terrace, YO11 2PA.

What a good dealer does that a poor one does not

• Prepares the car before advertising it. Ask what was done between it arriving and going on sale. Anyone who has spent money on a car can tell you exactly what, and why.
• Hands over the history without being chased. If the logbook and paperwork are always "coming in the post", treat that as your answer.
• Is straight about the faults. Every car at this end of the market has something: a stone chip, a tired tyre, an advisory carried forward.
• Gives you time. No countdown, no other buyer mysteriously on the phone, no deposit to hold a car you have not driven.
• Answers the phone afterwards. That is the real test, and why a trader who lives and works in Scarborough cannot afford to duck a call.

The paperwork that should come with the car

• The V5C logbook. Check the registration and VIN against the car.
• A current MOT certificate.
• Service records. A stamped book is good; a bundle of garage invoices is better, because invoices say what was actually done.
• Both keys where they exist, the locking wheel nut key and the handbook.
• A proper invoice showing trading name and address, registration, mileage at handover and price paid.
• A finance check. A car with outstanding finance on it does not legally belong to the seller.

Every car we sell goes out with 12 months MOT, a full service before handover and a written 3-month engine and gearbox warranty, all set out on the invoice.

Mileage matters less than history

One filter worth abandoning is mileage on its own. A 110,000-mile car with a folder of invoices and a clean record is frequently a better buy than a 70,000-mile car with a blank service book and three owners in two years. What predicts a trouble-free year is evidence of care. It is also why every car here is road-tested for at least 50 miles and given a mechanical health check before it is advertised.

The case for a small independent in Scarborough

L.A Motors is a family business that started in 2001, with over 25 years in the trade behind it. Ring, and you get Lex. Visit, and you get Lex. The person who bought the car, drove it and prepared it is the one standing in front of you.

The stock is honest about what it is. Makes and models change from week to week — Corsas, Astras, Zafiras, Fiestas, 107s, C1s, Picantos and i10s have all passed through, among plenty of others — but the type does not: first cars, second household cars and sensible cheap runabouts. Stock and prices change daily, so have a look at the current stock or at cars under £3,000.

How buying from us works

Ring or message 07900 910 588 and say what you are after. We are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, with weekends by appointment. Please call before travelling, as Lex is often out collecting cars. Directions are on the find us page.

Payment is bank transfer or card. We do not offer finance, HP or PCP, though your own funding is no problem. Part exchange is welcome, subject to appraisal, and Lex will buy your car outright even if you are not buying one.