Where are all the deals going?

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
View Threaded
Thu 26 Jan 2023 16:57
Where are all the deals going? - lleiro

Fellow motorists,

I am in the market for 2nd hand vehicle for the missus to get the drivers licence, petrol automatic and on the smaller side (up to segment C is fine though) I have a budget of 2k. A budget that up until now never failed to get me good cars for 20 years wherever I lived. And I can repair and maintain my car up to a very good standard. Never once I bought a car from any dealership.

I am now getting really frustrated with all the shady traders posting as private ("My wife's car", "my auntie's car" and you check their profile and they are traders) Even worst... people do not even bother to reply!

My usual places to look for are Gumtree, Marketplace and Autotrader. Am I missing some good places? Is this a bad time of the year? should I wait?

It seems that finding a good deal is like looking for a girlfriend, plenty there when you are not looking but nothing when you are on the market! :)

I almost purchase a nice 09 Honda Jazz from a nice chap from France who had "all the paperwork in his name" and after spending £10 on HPI check and £50 on rail fares and 2hrs each way turned out to be a Romanian guy with a a car registered to some African guy who was not even present, a V5C missing part and the lies piled up very quickly.

I am open to many makes and models, leaning toward japanese due to reliability and trying to stay under ££220/yr of tax.

I welcome any comments and suggestions.

Cheers!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 26 Jan 2023 17:48
Where are all the deals going? - badbusdriver

You actually had a lucky escape with the Jazz. A 2009 auto would have been the I-shift automated manual and you don't really want one of them. Same for the Toyota Yaris Multimode, also an automated manual.

Also, would a (presumably) LHD car really be the best idea for a new driver?

Edited by badbusdriver on 26/01/2023 at 17:49

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 26 Jan 2023 17:52
Where are all the deals going? - lleiro

Thanks! It wasnt LHD

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 26 Jan 2023 18:24
Where are all the deals going? - badbusdriver

With such a small budget you aren't really in a position to be too choosy re make and model (within reason). Ideally ou want a n/a petrol and a t/c (torque converter) auto. You don't want any automated manuals like the aforementioned I-shift and Multimode along with Durashift (Ford) and Easytronic (Vauxhall), and you definitely don't want a dual clutch automated manual (DSG, DCT, Powershift, etc).

Buy on condition rather than badge, as a well looked after Renault could easily be a better buy than a neglected Toyota. Look online at the MOT history of any potential buy to get an indication of how well it has been looked after and also clues towards impending doom (such as frequent mention of corrosion in the advisories).

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 26 Jan 2023 18:32
Where are all the deals going? - primus 1

You could try a dealer that might get a px in that would normally go to auction, maybe someone trading their one owner car for a new one

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 26 Jan 2023 18:44
Where are all the deals going? - Rerepo

I haven't been in UK for quite a while (we are spending the cold months at our villa in Thailand) but from looking at Autotrader it seems that used cars have continued their upward trajectory over the last six months and are still stupidly high. Anything with an MoT is up for over £1000 and £2k cars look mostly pretty shabby to me... I've heard that used prices in the US are dropping - hopefully UK will follow...

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 26 Jan 2023 19:53
Where are all the deals going? - Terry W

Autotrader search:

  • under £2500
  • automatic
  • no older than 2007
  • up to 100bhp

- leaves 60 cars nationally. Take out Ford, Vauhall, and Smart because the gearbox has a poor rep and you are left with ~25 possibilities nationally. Remove those with over 100k on the clock and you have a choice from about a dozen.

All this is no consolation - but if you want to buy do so on condition alone - there really isn't enough choice to get precious about which make or model.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 26 Jan 2023 19:55
Where are all the deals going? - sammy1

With your budget and an affinity for cars I would be looking for a good cat D on Autotrader. They are generally priced lower and in this market a years MOT and a lot of luck is the best you can hope for

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 26 Jan 2023 18:49
Where are all the deals going? - Adampr

Used cars are extremely expensive right now. A £2,000 car is what would normally be £995. A £5,000 is a normal £2,995.

If you can wait, you should, but it will probably be a year before they come down significantly.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 1 Feb 2023 17:21
Where are all the deals going? - HGV ~ P Valentine
What is a Cat D car?

Cat D (also known as ‘Category D’, or, more recently, ‘Category N’) cars are among those where the damage has been assessed to be uneconomical to repair by the insurance company. This generally means the cost of repair is greater than 50% of the vehicle’s total value.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I would put this up so it is clear what a cat D is, I do not agree that it is worth getting one as suggested, I do agree that you should wait if you can until the right car comes along.

It is true 2nd hand cars are worth their weight in gold, and yes there are some rubbish cars out there. The main reason for 2nd hand cars being so expensive is that they are not computer controlled, and they have silly things ? Like windows you open and close with a handle, boots and bonnets that open with a key.

Like most mechanical things it can be fixed without the use of a computer, and as such needs only standard ( whatever that is ) mechanics tools.

I bought a 2nd hand car about 3 mths ago, and just like you wasted a lot of time and fuel chasing cars, it can be frustrating and will test the patience of the angel gabriel, but keep going, the right car for the right price is out there.

~~~~~~~~~~~

In case you are not aware use this before travelling to see it, it is a gov website and does not charge, do not use non gov websites.

RENAULT SCENIC - Check MOT history – GOV.UK (check-mot.service.gov.uk)

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 1 Feb 2023 17:24
Where are all the deals going? - HGV ~ P Valentine

Ps this car is not for sale, it is the one I bought, but it gives you the full mot history. which in my case goes all the way back to 2011. If you click on the back button in top left hand you can put in any registration.

Ps I am sure you know already that cars only need a mot after the first 3 years, so if it is that new there will be no mot history.

Edited by HGV ~ P Valentine on 01/02/2023 at 17:27

Reply | Report as offensive | Link