Checking tires on a used car in two minutes
A coin, a look at the sidewall and a hand on the tread tell you most of it (sample guide).
Used cars, with every scratch written down
Kestrel Lane Motors (sample) sells around 40 inspected used cars at a time. Before a car goes on the lot we walk round it with a pen: every mark is ringed on its sheet, every tire is measured, and the sheet stays on the windshield.
Stock no.
K-1142
Car
2017 compact SUV, AWD
Odometer
68,420 miles
Walked round by
M. Ortiz, 3 Oct (sample)
7/32
7/32
6/32
6/32
S1
Light scratch, rear bumper
4 cm, through the clear coat only. Left as is.
C1
Stone chip, hood
3 mm. Touched in with matching paint.
D1
Small dent, rear left door
2 cm, no paint damage. Left as is.
W1
Curb scuff, front right wheel
Rim edge only, tire not touched. Left as is.
Price
$15,900
S scratch, D dent, C chip, W wheel scuff; the number counts marks of that kind. Tread depth in 32nds of an inch at each wheel: a new tire has about 10/32, and we replace tires below 4/32.
In stock now
Each car with its marks and tire depths before its price. Ask for a car’s full sheet and history report by its stock number.
2017 compact SUV, AWD
2.5 L four-cylinder, automatic, one owner, 28 mpg highway. Stock K-1142.
Miles68,420
On the sheetS1C1D1W1Tires 6–7/32
Price$15,900
2019 five-door hatchback
1.6 L, six-speed manual, one owner, rear camera. Stock K-1151.
Miles41,800
On the sheetC1Tires 8/32
Price$13,200
2016 three-row SUV, seven seats
3.5 L V6, AWD, tow hitch, second-row bench. Stock K-1127.
Miles104,300
On the sheetS1D1W1Tires 7/32
Price$14,750
2018 compact wagon, hybrid
1.8 L hybrid, automatic, 50 mpg combined (sample). Stock K-1149.
Miles57,900
On the sheetClean sheetTires 9/32
Price$17,400
2015 midsize sedan
2.4 L, automatic, two owners, cloth seats. Stock K-1138.
Miles92,150
On the sheetS1S2C1Tires 5/32
Price$9,450
2020 compact SUV, FWD
1.5 L turbo, automatic, one owner, heated seats. Stock K-1155.
Miles33,250
On the sheetS1Tires 8/32
Price$19,800
2013 small sedan
1.8 L, five-speed manual, three owners, new battery. Stock K-1109.
Miles118,000
On the sheetS1S2C1C2W1Tires 4–5/32
Price$5,950
Example prices. Stock changes daily (sample).
Four walks round every car
About two hours per car, by the same two people, before it gets a price. Cars that fail come off the lot and go to auction.
1
Walk round it
Every panel, the glass, the lights and the wheels, in daylight. Each scratch, dent and chip is ringed on the sheet with its size.
2
Tires and brakes
Tread depth measured at every wheel and written on the sheet; pads and rotors checked through the wheels.
3
Under the hood and underneath
Fluids, belts, battery test, leaks, rust and the exhaust, with the car up on a lift.
4
Road test
Twenty minutes of town and highway: brakes, steering, gearbox, noises, and every warning light off.
Shop by budget
Prices are the price on the windshield. Add the documentation fee, title and tax for the out-the-door figure.
First cars, second cars, commuters
5 cars
From $5,950, most with one or two owners
4 cars
Compact SUVs, seven-seaters, wagons and minivans
9 cars
Three-row SUVs and minivans
4 cars
Drive it on your own roads
Book a time and the car is charged, fuelled and parked at the front when you arrive.
- About 30 minutes: town, the highway and the hill on Mill Road
- Bring your driver's license and proof of insurance
- Drive alone or with one of us; your choice
- Bring your own mechanic if you like: they can look at it on our lift
Trade in your car
We walk round your car with the same sheet, with you standing next to us, and give you a written offer before you choose.
Trade-in walkaround
We fill in the same sheet for your car, with you
20 minutes
Written offer
On paper, before you choose a car (sample)
Valid 7 days
Car still on finance
We pay off your lender and take the difference off the price
We do the paperwork
Car not running
We collect within 10 miles (sample)
We still look
Example terms (sample).
What comes with every car
- A clean title, checked for liens and salvage brands before the car goes on the lot
- The vehicle history report, printed, in the glovebox
- Its walkaround sheet, signed by the person who did it
- The service records we have, and a note of the years we do not
- Two keys, or a note on the sheet saying there is one
Ask which cars still have time left on the maker’s warranty; we list it on the sheet when they do.
Car buying notes
What to do on a test drive
Drive the roads you drive every day, with the radio off (sample guide).
Reading a vehicle history report
Owners, title brands, odometer readings and the gaps between them (sample guide).
Find the lot
Kestrel Lane Motors (sample)
210 Kestrel Lane, Springfield
Monday to Friday
9:00–19:00
Saturday
9:00–17:00
Sunday
Closed
Last test drive
30 minutes before closing
Opening times (sample). Customer parking by the office.
