BUYING CARS

HOW CAN YOU SPOT A CAR THAT'S BEEN CARED FOR? SIMPLY LOOK AT ITS TYRES

- RICHARD INGRAM

IT'S amazing how much you can learn about a car's previous life just by looking at the rubber it's riding on.

People often ask me how to tell whether the used car they're looking at is a perfectly ripe peach or a lacklustre lemon. Yet the answer is often so nuanced that there aren't enough words in an issue of our magazine to protect you from falling foul of unscrupulous sellers.

But there are a few tips I can offer up that have stood me, my friends and Auto Express readers in good stead over the years — even if I'm forced to admit I've not always followed them to the letter myself.