WTD: car buying advice to help prevent another massive argument. Thanks!

So. I have a 52 plate 406 with 198000 miles on it – it’s time for a new car.

I would like a Skoda Yeti and have £13000 to spend BUT I’d like that money to also cover winter wheels and tyres, a sat nav (if not included on the yeti) and possibly a tow bar for a tow bar mounted bike carrier.

Mrs Markie and I last night managed to turn a discussion about whether or not I should go to see a particular car (great spec, lovely condition but with 82000 miles) into a raging argument in which were detailed all a great many of my failings. Last night ended in silence. This morning prior to work also passed in frosty quiet.

Accepting there are issues in our relationship beyond the car which Mrs Markie and I need to work on, would anybody care to offer any car buying advice?

I do around 12000 miles a year, of which half is on dual carriageways, a quarter on a roads and the rest in towns / villages / sainsburys.

Thanks!

Edit: the car in question is http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201506264663765?

Would they take MrsMarkie as part of the trade in?

I doubt it – mind you I also think my car will be pushing the limits of acceptability.

I’m kinda torn – not on the trading in Mrs Markie, that’s a definite no – but rather on the mileage / cost curve. How many miles is too many to consider?

Markie – Member
How many miles is too many to consider?

83000

We had the exact same disagreement in our household over a Skoda Fabia with 50,000 miles. I too came to STW to get agreement with my superior knowledge of cars and everyone without exception agreed that it was nothing to worry about. Many said the would even buy a car with less than 100,000 as it may not be bedded in properly.

Based on your current car and mileage the Yeti will still last 10 years. Get on with it.

(we bought one with 14,000 on in the end but mainly because it had a much improved engine)

Is there anything wrong with the current car? You know the history and how it got the miles. You won’t get much selling it, I’d be looking to keep it going a bit longer and keep that £13k in my pocket

82k is nothing if they’ve mostly been racked up on the motorway – but a lot if they’ve all been around town. The younger the car, the less likely the latter is – unless it’s a minicab!

Thanks all. Munrobiker, I’ll seek out that thread. Nickjb, I’m with you, but the car is falling apart around me!

Seems a bit pricey for 5 years old and 80k?

I have a 2.0l 140bhp TDI 4×4 yeti. It’s Fab. Does everything we want it to do no fuss or drama. Handles like a car great ride very comfy. People let you in in traffic and off slip roads etc.

thanks Inbred, that’s great to hear.

Price wise Slackboy, it’s in line with Parkers mileage adjusted prices, for what that’s worth. And yeah, it does seem high, Yetis for the moment – and I accept it won’t be the way when I come to sell! – seem to hold value nicely.

Just lease a new T5 and get to sleep in it too.. when Mrs Markie throws you out.

The sanctimonious bangernomics gimps and high annual mileage people will tell you 80K is nothing…but ultimately you don’t really ever know the full history of any used car, and things are more likely to go wrong or be closer to wearing out with higher mileage, no matter what they say. I agree with your wife….Look for something with much lower mileage.

Many said the would even buy a car with less than 100,000 as it may not be bedded in properly.

Utter, utter nonsense. I hope that is a joke :-). Don’t believe everything you read on here.

£5k will get you a car of the same but with half the miles, just won’t be a Yeti.

Do you actually need 4×4 or whatever it is about the Yeti you like?

And 80k / 5 years is when stuff can start to go wrong/replace – just done the discs and pads on mine for example.

Thanks all. Munrobiker, I’ll seek out that thread.

Top of the forum right now.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/so-whats-the-opinion-on-petrol-cars-with-45k-mileage

or whatever it is about the Yeti you like?

It’s a small van with a Polo interior; who wouldn’t pay a premium for that?

I had pretty much that spec yeti (a ’12 model), 110 D, panoramic sunroof, etc and it was a great car. Mine was doing 20,000+ a year and never missed a beat. Had a couple of paintwork issued sorted under warranty. Sold it for £10k privately with 70km on it after 3 years. They do hold their value well, but that one does seem quite expensive.

I didn’t really need the 4×4 and they do cost quite a lot more. Only thing I missed was a 6th gear (that the 140D had). Now do less miles and have a DSG petrol Yeti on lease.

Great cars, comfy, safe, good visibility, pretty refined (bit of wind/tyre noise at higher speeds) and reliable. Sounds a very middle aged list….. boot isn’t that big.

I had a furtle through the drawers of my profile and found it-

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/wife-wary-of-buying-a-car-with-50000-miles-on-it-is-she-right

Considering I’ve just sold a 2011 plate Kia Soul with 21,000 on for £5000 then I can’t see why this Skoda is even a consideration. Whilst the Kia wasn’t amazing, the MiL has a Skoda Yeti and it’s no better… no worse… just OK.

Here for example is a 2013 Kia with <8,000 miles for the same money.. along with 5 years warranty

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2013-Kia-Soul-2-1-6-CRDi-5Dr-Diesel-Red-Manual-/161751469327?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item25a9238d0f

Or a 2012

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kia-Soul-1-6CRDi-126bhp-Diesel-auto-2012-2-/221751899916?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item33a171770c

with 12,000 on it for £7600

Have to say it does seem pricey. We have an Octavia estate and a Fabia, and I keep looking at the Yeti to try and figure out what the fuss is, but not convinced it offers anything over the Octavia.

Fwiw, Roomsters are great, but slightly narrower than a Yeti. And you can’t see how ugly it is from the inside

just by way of comparison.

Similar Age, lower mileage Octavia VRS estate in the best* colour

*my opinion only. you may hate it.

That doesn’t seem to be a good buy at all for normal people with normal running expectations. As you are going from a 406 to a newer car I presume you haven’t got any major requirements other than decent size, with a satnav and a towbar. Why the hell would you pay so much for an old car with what may ‘only’ be 80,000mls but that’s 80,000mls through engine, gearbox, suspension, brakes etc etc. Another 20,000mls and it is gonna drop in value like a stone. It hasn’t even got street cred so you aint getting any brownie points from the wife for that.

Surely for £10-£13k you can get yourself something brand new that will do the job.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/kia/ceed/used-kia-ceed-1-4-vr7-sportswagon-5dr-dundee-fpa-201507024836125?logcode=p

Under £12k for this with balance of 7yr warranty. 10mls on the clock. I would check out mazda, ford, skoda etc etc forecourts before considering that skoda.

Just read weeksy comment. Seems hes on the same wavelength

1st joint car was a 140,000 Mondeo estate. Cost £2,000, spent nothing on it bar service and MOT, took us 45,000 in 4 years before a number of things happened at once. Might have been able to fix them economically, but we fancied something newer and got £950 for it non-running.

Looked at a whole bunch of different things to replace it with, including the Yeti, but nothing’s quite as big or (if it is, eg Octavia) as good with the space as a mondeo, plus they’re pretty good across the rest of the things you want in a car.

Had 10K to spend. Found one at 9K with 40,000 on the clock. If it takes us to 185,000 like the last one, we’d be happy with that.