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Wed 14 Sep 2016 23:46

Buying used car - Matsumi

Hi,

I wonder if someone would be able to help me out with my problem. Just recently I have passed my driving test and now I would like to buy myself a small car. I am 33 years old so the insurance is not as high as it could be with younger people but still a pain. I am considering my options. Should I take up finance and buy a new car or shall I buy a used car as I'm a new driver? I don't mind a used car as such but I haven't got much knowledge about cars so advice would be appreciated. How old the car should be, does that affect reliability? What should I look for? Thank u very much in advance.

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Thu 15 Sep 2016 00:04

Buying used car - SLO76

First car should be a used car. You're bound to add a few parking knocks and scuffs which would be costly on a new car no matter how you financed it.

How much do you want to spend? What will the car be used for? Do you do a lot of miles? etc etc
There's plenty of decent and perfectly serviceable older used motors around.

I've always kept an older car as a runabout and workhorse for years. All cost buttons to run and I've (touch wood) yet to suffer a breakdown. Though the current V6 Ford Cougar that cost me £300 might be a bit stiff on insurance for you, it has been perfectly reliable and still looks good.

Not sure the better half approves though. Think she believes it'll spread some motorised disease to her Honda CRV.

Not trendy in any way but today I was offered an immaculate Rover 45 1.4 with a genuine 20,000 miles under its belt and full history for £750... Not something I'd normally go for but certainly would make a cheap runabout. Plenty of other older unfashionable and thus cheap cars around to gain a bit of experience in before signing your life away.

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Thu 15 Sep 2016 01:23

Buying used car - Matsumi

The car would be used mainly to go to work, living my other half from work and for occasional weekend trip. I'm not fussed about fashion or if someone will like it or not, we need something reliable that will last a few years. Which small cars would u recommend to buy or which brand and how old is for a car to old. I mean, which reg/year would be the limit. I really don't want to buy a death trap or money pit?? thank u very much for a response??

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Thu 15 Sep 2016 08:04

Buying used car - SLO76

You're spoiled for choice really. There are loads of options between £3-£5k that should serve for years without much trouble assuming you buy a well maintained example.

The Ford Fiesta is the best small car to drive, they're cheap to buy, decent on fuel, comfy and good looking with just enough space. Best option is the 1.25 or 1.4 petrol models with the Yamaha designed engines which are nippy enough, ok on fuel and trouble free as long as they're serviced EVERY year with the correct grade of oil. I'd avoid the diesels but if you absolutely must the older 1.4 is the only option as the 1.6 is notoriously problematic.

VW's Polo is another good option and the one we went for. Slightly larger boot, a bit more refined and comfortable at motorway speeds and a more durable range of Diesel engines plus stronger resale values in general you can't go far wrong with one of these. The 1.2 3cyl petrol isn't fast with only 60bhp in most models (82 in the 1.2 Fiesta) but they're under stressed and long lived. We have a 1.2 diesel which goes a bit better and does 65mpg.

Mazda 2 is built on a Fiesta floor pan and shares the same suspension set up but comes with Mazda engines. Great wee cars also and slightly cheaper than the others but with little to fear. They drive well and are pretty bulletproof mechanically. The 1.3 petrol is all you need but the 1.5 Sport is nice.

The Suzuki Swift is a wee belter too. Petrol engines are tough, they're fun to drive but space is limited and the diesel uses Fiats 1.3 unit which is best avoided. Tiny boot unless you're buying the new model. Always good deals available on them.

Honda Jazz is reliable and economical but horrid to drive. Don't know how Honda got it so wrong on the road. The Clio is a bit flimsy and harder to resell, the Fiat Punto is a disposable car with next to zero value at 6 years plus but the 500 and Panda are OK in petrol form but don't drive as well as most.

Vauxhall Corsa is cheap and plentiful but very plasticky and dated unless you're buying the new model. Petrol models are reliable but avoid the Fiat 1.3 diesels which can go catastrophically wrong.

If you're not that mechanically minded this is the budget I'd recommend but if you want to go cheaper it's possible to get a decent Polo for £1,000. Stick to the philosophy that simple is best and avoid turbo diesels, autos and anything complex.

.

Edited by SLO76 on 15/09/2016 at 08:17

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Thu 15 Sep 2016 13:21

Buying used car - slippy118

Insurance will be your major concern and will be from £1000 pa upwards. Choose the car based on the insurance cost and just aim to get through the first few years claim free. Dont claim unless you really have to. An older car would be more suitable while you get more experience but you have zero protection buying privately. An older car from a main dealer may be a safer bet . The type of car that you learned in might help with familiarility.

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Thu 15 Sep 2016 13:46

Buying used car - TheBroker

Hi,

I would be inclined to agree about steering clear of a new car just in case you have a minor bump, but having said that if you are competent you may be absolutely fine as a more mature driver less likely to see the red mist of freedom the 17yr olds get.

Go to a local reputable dealer if you can as then there is someone to shout at if it brakes etc. The big car warehouses are just honey traps for inexperienced buyers.

Make sure you get a decent warranty on the car WarrantyWise (who we use) or RAC and the like).

If you are considering new, there are plenty of little inexpensive cars to insure around which will cost you no more than £150/month to lease but at least you are in a new reliable car.

Good luck either way and NEVER buy the first car you test drive, not unless you have driven some others and then come back to it.

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Fri 16 Sep 2016 00:22

Buying used car - Matsumi

Hi there,

Thank u very much for your respnse guys?? I have narrowed down my search to 3 options but I can't decide which one is best, would u be able to help?

The options are as follow:

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20160804649...s

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20160610481...0

www.nealscars.co.uk/used-cars/toyota-aygo-1-0-vvt-...3

All of them are very close with each other insurance wise.

Thank you very much for a response??

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Fri 16 Sep 2016 00:34

Buying used car - Avant

Do we infer from this that your budget is around £2,000? If so, the best thing I can say is that condition matters more than make or model. That said, the Toyota Aygo is probably the best car of that particular bunch, although the one in question is older than the other two.

Do you really want a car as small as that? If you look at the next size up - still compact - SLO76's advice above is very good.

Personally in your position I'd look at a Toyota Yaris (more likely to get a good one, and go for the 1.3) or a Ford Fiesta (lots of them around to suit all budgets).

Edited by Avant on 16/09/2016 at 00:36

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Fri 16 Sep 2016 08:27

Buying used car - SLO76

The most refined, spacious and practical all rounder is the wee British built Micra. They're hardy wee car, nice to drive and a better motor than the Indian built successor. You need to look for crash damage, worn clutches, as they do a lot of stop start driving often with an elderly or inexepenced driver at the wheel and ask to hear it start from cold.

It has a timing chain engine which needs good quality oil every year to avoid stretching the chain. You might hear a rattle which should go away instantly, if not then it's needing a replacement chain which isn't a particularly cheap job. If you've called ahead and asked to hear it from cold, first thing open the bonnet and put your hand on the engine. If it's warm you know they've started it before you've arrived, most likely to hide a rattling timing chain or at least a guff battery. I prefer to turn up unannounced to avoid this kind of thing.

The wee Suzuki is an out and out budget car which was designed to sell in 3rd world nations as cheaply as possible. It's tough, nippy, cheap to run and as basic as it gets. Not as refined or comfortable as the Micra but they're cheap to buy and cheap to run. Again it's a chain driven engine so same applies as above but I've not heard of one of these failing while it's fairly common on the Micra, mostly due to neglected servicing. Most are owned by elderly or inexperienced owners again so clutches get a hard time so need checked but otherwise they're tough wee things.

The Toyota, a joint effort with Peugeot and Citroen, is a good first car too. Very cheap to run and mechanically robust, if a little flimsy trim wise. They're great fun to drive but again smaller and not as refined as the Micra. It uses the same 3cyl chain driven engine from the basic Yaris and again same applies regards checking for noise on start up. It's quite common on these to hear a rattling chain that needs replaced. Clutches are particularly weak on these but as with the other three check operation and biting point plus make sure it's not slipping by putting it into a high gear at low speed, say 4th at 20mph and flooring it, if revs rise sharply then it's slipping.

Remember also that any warranty you get at this pricerange will be next to worthless due to the age of the vehicle but you are covered by the terms of the sale of goods act which states that they must be of merchantable quality.

As for picking a favourite among them I can't without viewing them I'm afraid. This purchase should be based on condition and history. They're all decent enough wee cars if they've been properly maintained. Though if they were sat in front of me in identical condition with spot on histories and no faults I'd go for the Micra. They're dearer to run (still very cheap) but a more capable all rounder especially if you want to travel further.

I recently sourced one for an old friend a 55 plate 1.2 SE in red with 50,000 miles and a full service history. It had everything from electric Windows, working aircon, elec sunroof and keyless entry and cost her £1,200. It's been flawless since. Though I'd go for the more basic S to avoid the keyless entry system which adds complexity and adds no real value. It's a very pleasant wee thing to drive and few boy racers will touch them so removes a few fears when buying plus makes them cheaper.

No need to rush out and buy any of these btw, there are loads of them around.

Edited by SLO76 on 16/09/2016 at 08:29

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Fri 16 Sep 2016 13:14

Buying used car - argybargy

I'd certainly add a voice in favour of the Ford Fiesta. My son has the 1.4 and after 90k miles and some pretty hard driving it remains absolutely leak free, being the 59 plate Titanium model and thus pretty well equipped. You could pick something like that up for about 3 and a half grand, but make sure the cambelt has been changed if its anywhere near 100k mileage.

I went away from Fords for years, having had three Escort Mk 2s on the trot after first passing my test and I'm awfully glad I came back. Fairly bomb proof if you afford them a reasonable level of maintenance and the parts are cheap. Unless you go for something with an S or ST in the name, the insurance costs tend to be reasonable too.

I've little or no experience of the other models mentioned by contributors above, but to any acquaintance in your position I would certainly recommend a Ford.

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Fri 16 Sep 2016 14:10

Buying used car - SLO76

6th gen Fiestas are brilliant wee cars as long as you avoid the troublesome 1.6 PSA diesel but they really start around £3k.

Not that there's much wrong with the previous Mk V as long as you go for the face lifted model post 06 with much better interior quality and it's easy to get a nice one for less than £2k. But you will find a lot of them have been abused as company hacks and by younger drivers neither of which you'll find often with any of the three mentioned above. Tough enough wee cars and do take abuse if serviced well but finding a well maintained car with full history is a must.

The 1.2/1.4 Yamaha engines are the ones to go for, the PSA 1.4 diesel is ok too but avoid the ancient 1.3 ohv units, these date from the late 50's and though hardy they're slow and noisy.

Edited by SLO76 on 16/09/2016 at 14:12

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Fri 16 Sep 2016 22:24

Buying used car - Matsumi

Thank you very much for your further advice?? and yes, I wouldn't want to spend more than £2,000 on my first car because I wouldn't want to take any finance to do it. Plus the insurance will cost me around £900 so I do try to be sensible. I do get the point of buying fiesta etc. but I would rather have a smaller engine to start me off. I have been to see the Nissan that I wanted your opinion about but it haven't been great so I left it at that. I have found to more cars that would interest me and would kindly ask you guys for an opinion about them.

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20160502354...3

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20160811671...c

I am ever so great to for any advise as I am a newbie if the matter about cars but it is a learning curve and I hope that sooner rather than later I would be more sure footed with my newly developed knowledge??

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Sat 17 Sep 2016 00:52

Buying used car - SLO76

Both good wee cars. As before chain driven engines require fresh oil and filter every year so if there's no or little history on the Yaris (it doesn't mention any in the ad) I'd leave it. Aygo is a fine first car, motoring doesn't really get cheaper.

Look for slipping clutches, crash damage, leaking or badly corroded radiators and noisy timing chains. Otherwise there's not much on them to go wrong and they're easy enough to sell on and cheap to run and service.

This one sounds good with 5 doors and a very nearly full service history but remember these wee backstreet dealers source almost all of their stock from auctions. Fine if it was traded in at a main dealer and it's too old for them but too often they've been tatty and needed paintwork which is almost always poorly done and will flake or rust in no time. Look for overspray and uneven panel gaps. Many dealers will retail any decent trade in stock rather than trade them on. Ask to see the HPI report to see if it's been a write off or has outstanding finance. Dealers will have carried one out so if they won't let you see it you know there's an issue. If you want you can pay to do one yourself but why do so if they already have?

A day stood at an auction would open your eyes to the state a lot of the stock these guys buy in. That's why I prefer to buy privately from the owner themselves, bypassing the middleman and saving money but you have zero comeback in a private sale so only suits those who know their stuff.

Some more reputable small traders have deals in place with larger local dealers to buy trade in stock off them which can be a source of genuinely good cars. Ask where it came from.

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