MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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Hi all - so, need to buy a new car, got first child on the way in January, and need to get something with a bit more space than our current Polo so I can fit baby stuff in along with the dog/bike etc.
Never really bought many cars before - always bought cheap old bangers I run into the ground. Except for my current Polo, which I bought from a VW Centre about 4 years ago.
I'm looking at a Golf Estate, so probably looking at laying down about £8-9k and trading in the Polo. So, when dealing with that kind of money is it better to go back to a VW Centre again and pay slightly over the odds, or take a risk with a smaller dealership?
I'm always quite weary of the smaller ones, so many cowboys out there, you just don't know what you're getting - or how to tell a good one from a bad one.
Any advice would be great. Thanks.
Avoid 'hard standing' type dealers operating from Portakabins as they *generally* buy up tatty cars and tart them up for reselling at a big profit.
Any local main dealer should have a selection of cars that would be suitable as they will only sell reasonable cars on the forecourt and any higher mileage or tatty trade-ins just go to the auctions (as it isn't worth their effort in fixing them up). And that is why the 'hard standing' dealers *tend* to have the rubbish - they buy from auctions.
Do look at other makes though - VWs tend to sell at a premium because of the badge.
Or try a car supermarket - where are you based?
Not looked recently but Golf estates were in short supply and therefore priced accordingly
How much in total are you planning on paying - including your trade in?
At the top end, you may be into ex demonstrators etc., in which case VW dealer may be your best bet, or somewhere like motorpoint for the no-frills approach.
My max I have to spend is about £6k, plus hopefully a £2-3k trade-in for my Polo which has had full VW service history from new, low mileage etc.
Have looked at other makes but the Vauxhall's and Fords I've had in the past have been nothing but money pits. I know VW are expensive, but the build quality is very good, and they tend to hold their value much better than others.
Don't want french, Peugeot or Citroen. Would consider Honda. The Skoda Fabia Estates seem very good value, although not very good looking cars. But that doesn't bother me so much.
I'd prolly go for the Passat myself.
OK - actual car aside, it's better to buy it from a car supermarket or a main dealer? Avoid the others?
There's a lot of dealers between the 'man in a porta-cabin' and the 'supermarkets' though.
You'll get more for your money from a supermarket, and is it is likely to be out of warranty anyway, I can't see the point in going with the dealer.
EDIT: Can you test drive cars from the supermarkets? I bought a Passat unseen from Motorpoint with out any problems, but if you want to drive before you buy, you may have to go elsewhere.
Wherever has the best priced lowest mileage, lowest owners and best service history car.
IMO it's irrelevent where it's from per se, as long as it's the best car you can buy for your budget.
IMO it's irrelevent where it's from per se, as long as it's the best car you can buy for your budget.
True, but you could waste a lot of time looking in the wrong places.
OK - actual car aside, it's better to buy it from a car supermarket or a main dealer? Avoid the others?There's a lot of dealers between the 'man in a porta-cabin' and the 'supermarkets' though.
Agreed - but without knowing where the OP is based it would be impossible to recommend one of the in-between dealers as there is no way of knowing how good or bad they are - it was a broad statement by me in the first place to help the OP.
If he lived in Harrogate I could recommend the places to go and the places to avoid as I have some knowledge of each independent dealer's reputation...
I live in Norfolk 🙂
I've bought cars privately for the last 10 years or so, never had a duffer and saved thousands compared to dealer prices, I really cant see the point in using a dealer at all.
Also - another question. Sorry, but cars really aren't my thing. Petrol or Diesel? The car will be used for shortish journeys (10 - 30 miles), running around town, and the odd motorway journey a few times a year.
had this debate myself,. Due to fuel prices the economy of a diesel now isn't quite what it once was.
For example for £56 you get 40 litres of diesel. Which at 49mpg gets you about 420 miles.
For £56 you get 42 litres of petrol which gets you about 400 miles at 40mpg.
So yes, for your £55 you get 20 miles less in a petrol.
However, if you buy a diesel you are 'potentiall' IMO leaving yourself more open to expensive failures. Of course both cars can and do have issues. But petrol car issues seem to be a LOT cheaper than the equivalent diesel failures.
e.g in a petrol the 'biggy' is a head gasket... which is about £400. The injector or DMF issue in a diesel is £1500. Whislt both are bad, both are expensive... one is VERY bad if you ask me...