Viewing 12 posts - 1 through 12 (of 12 total)
  • OT: Car Buying Advice
  • kevster
    Free Member

    I know there’s probably other forums on the internet to ask this question but always received good advice on here.

    I recently changed jobs which unfortunately meant I had to give up my company car. In the short term I bought a small 3 door fiesta off a friend, which whilst being ideal for the 3 mile trip to work is hard work for the business trips and getting the two kids in and out of!

    Before anyone says ‘walk/cycle’ to work, this will happen more in the summer and on days when I don’t have to go to meetings etc.

    I have a budget of approx £4k, but preferably nearer the £3k mark. I’m thinking along the lines of a petrol (not diesel) Focus, Astra, Civic, Corolla, Citroen C4 etc?

    My main question relates to mileage and age of the car. It’s obviously preferential to get a new lower mileage car but I’m finding it difficult to get something in that budget. Therefore, is it better to get an older car with less miles e.g. 03 plate/60k or a newer car with more miles e.g. 57 plate/85k?

    Any other car buying tips would be welcomed.

    hora
    Free Member

    Civics too small for two kids?

    Go up a size? Zafira or Avensis/Corolla Verso

    Argonaut
    Free Member

    With the kids and getting bikes in probably better to get something newer/bigger?
    Coincidentally I’m just about to sell my Scenic! Just bought a van to covert to a camper for the summer.
    Email in profile if interested, cheers

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    hora
    Free Member

    On mileage- always buy on condition. The optimum would be a full annual history where the previous owner has had all work done to manufacturers schedule at a main dealer. Indie servicing wont look at the schedule and say ‘its 60k you need your brake fluid renewing now’- they’ll only do oil/filter (and the odd thing like a wheel bearing), i.e. reactive rather than preventative.

    Regularly (correct) main dealer servicing history also means a turbo etc will get correct oil etc. If in doubt- buy a Honda, At 3-4k you are looking at a Stream or a Accord Estate for 2+2?

    Some will disagree with the above but I’ve never seen indie receipts for a full manufacturer recommended schedule.

    matt_outandabout
    Full Member

    Buy from an owner that you like, and has looked after the car, and has a file with every receipt in date order in it…
    This owner is more important than mileage and which model or manufacturer IMO. There are few poor modern cars, especially if you want reliable, safe, comfy transport.
    As an example, we were looking for Fiesta / Polo / Punto etc for about £2k. On a forecourt was an immaculate, 13yr old Mazda 323, with the file of paperwork, all in one ladies name , on the front seat. Said lady had just traded it in and was driving off the forecourt in shiny new car. It cost £600, we ran it for a year ant it cost an MOT and a tyre – and I sold it for £650…..

    cbmotorsport
    Free Member

    Indie servicing wont look at the schedule and say ‘its 60k you need your brake fluid renewing now’- they’ll only do oil/filter (and the odd thing like a wheel bearing), i.e. reactive rather than preventative.

    Utter pish. Depends on the outfit. Decent mechanic will stick to the manufacturers schedule.

    br
    Free Member

    Some will disagree with the above but I’ve never seen indie receipts for a full manufacturer recommended schedule.

    I’ll disagree, what you really want is a wad of receipts. Irrelevant of whether it’s dealer or service.

    Stamps in a book are worth nothing without evidence.

    And often manufacturers/dealer services are organised so that lease companies have a cheap ‘deal’ for a certain mileage. ie Big service at 60k means they sell them on before then.

    hora
    Free Member

    I buy privately from private owners.

    Lease or company listed owners can be anyone.

    Enterprise used to hide their name with a shell company on the V5. Other rentals etc have merely leased directly from the manufacturer so it shows as a ‘ex-management car’ sir on the forecourt.

    A main dealer history from a private owner from new – you can’t ‘cut a deal’ for cut-price servicing with a main dealer as a private owner and I always give the main dealer stamp in question a quick call to politely ask about the car for dual-reasons before buying.

    If you buy from a private seller they don’t tend to bin the receipts. They keep them as evidence. For instance one Subaru I bought came with an annual additional print out that was always circa £500.

    ^ All I’ve found in my experience of buying and selling quite a few cars.

    kevster
    Free Member

    Thanks for the advice. Bigger cars are also being considered. I’ve always driven manuals, are automatics any good or more expensive etc?

    john_drummer
    Free Member

    well they use a bit more fuel than the equivalent manual.
    and you may find yourself stomping on the brake pedal with both feet now & again.

    bigyinn
    Free Member

    FSH is a good starting point.
    General condition externally and internally will give a good idea of how well the car has been treated.
    Look around the door seals for traces of paint joins / overspray and have a good poke about underneath to look for rust etc.
    Dont be afraid of high mileage cars, as long as they’ve been serviced properly. Regular motorway use isn’t a bad thing at all and tends to be less stressful on the car than stop start short journeys.

    dave_rudabar
    Free Member

    Aye, short journeys (i.e. older car but low mileage) = more likelyt to have been used for town driving, so the clutch may be more worn & suspension bashed about – compared to something that’s just tonked up/down motorways for a living.

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