Thank you for this badbusdriver. I'm still on the lookout.

Hi Badbusdriver, I ended up getting the Toyota Auris you posted. :) Hopefully it'll serve me well.

www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202306118393496?s...a

Thank you and everyone whom has helped in finding me a decent car. :)

Yuria

The Ford Fusion might be a better choice (give it is on the same platform as the Fiesta and Mazda2 of the same era in the 2000s) as it is more 'boxy' at the rear boot area.

I did see examples of both while looking, but had some concerns over the MOT histories of both. And we did have a Fusion, so believe me I am a big fan of this under-rated gem!

Edited by badbusdriver on 22/06/2023 at 19:18

Thank you all for giving me your advice and help searching for a car.

By all means pop back in with questions, and if you don't feel comfortable checking out cars for issues (whether at a [small scale] dealer or private seller) by yourself, try and find a friend or relative who is reasonably car savvy (for the mechanicals and electrics to a reasonable degree and who can easily spot a 'bad' car) who can accompany you to viewings.

Make sure that you get a good test drive in (30-45 mins would be good) across a variety of different road types / speeds to test out all its capabilities, comfort and to shake out any problems.

I would also make sure that you have the seat and steering wheel position (up/down and in/out, lumbar support position, seat angle) set as best you can for your comfort before setting off, as not doing so can lead to negative feelings on the driving comfort side when they may not exist if both were properly adjusted.

Check out all the car's functions you'll likely use and the maintenance and MOT history (the latter can be quickly found via the government website), and a good owner will have a nice lot of invoices / receipts for services and repairs.

In addition, don't just go for the first one that looks good - whilst I can appreciate that the market as it currently stands means that some cars will sell quite quickly due to demand, often having a good think and comparing cars / sleeping on a decision can often lead to better results.

You should always be wary of going for a car where it has been pre-warmed up (the bonnet should be not warm), as that could be a sign of engine trouble that the owner is masking by taking it out for a run before showing it to you.

As a final check before deciding to buy, pay a reputable company to check to see whether the car has has any finance due paid off (it may be [partly] owned by the finance company and not the user), been in a serious accident, been a write-off and/or is a 'cut and shut', i.e. two cars joined together pretending to be one after a nasty accident - they are death traps and avoid them like the plague.

Have a look through the 'Advice' section of this website for more tips on buying second hand cars, especially privately.

Best of luck in your search.

Just a note about the red 09 Yaris that BBD picked out. It is only in the original, first model Yaris where the rear seat slid back and forth. This model doesn’t, we had a 59 reg in the same colour as it happens, and indeed one of the early models as well.

My Dad's one (a 1.0 3 door) had a sliding rear seat. Don't recall the age, but it was a 2nd gen.

Precisly the opposite, mk1 to 2005 imported to the UK first from Japan and then from France had fixed back seats. The 2005 onward Mk2 imported from France had the sliding back seats up to Mk3 when for some reason it was stopped.

Edited by JonestHon on 24/06/2023 at 10:07

Would appreciate feedback on these cars.

www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202304256639377?s...a

and

www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202305257781489?s...a

Thank you!

One other thing, the Suzuki has air con and the Toyota has climate (kind of a posh air con), so make sure both are blowing proper cold when you turn the temperature down. They are older cars after all, so you could maybe use this to haggle the price down if they are not blowing cold.

Thank you so much for your input.

Edited by Yuria on 26/06/2023 at 19:10

Can I ask how you found out the Suzuki has been with the dealer longer?

Thank you.

Can I ask how you found out the Suzuki has been with the dealer longer?

Thank you.

I don't actually know, but both have got fairly recent MOTs. I don't think someone would.MOT a car and then trade it in, so I assume the dealer puts an MOT on cars when they come in so they can advertise them as 'long MOT' (and identify any obvious issues). The Suzuki's MOT is from April and the Toyota's is from June.

I wouldn't make that assumption at all. Surely it is just as likely that the previous owner might think they'd get a better trade in price if the car has a long MOT?

But both cases would assume the change was planned when I'd say it is just as likely that it wasn't. The previous owner may have just been driving past the garage and saw a car they fancied.

Hi Badbusdriver, I ended up getting the Toyota Auris you posted. :) Hopefully it'll serve me well.

www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202306118393496?s...a

Thank you and everyone whom has helped in finding me a decent car. :)

Yuria

Happy to help and glad to hear you have got something!

Good luck in moving forwards :-)