This is nice SLO, bar the MK1, it's my favourite Astra. www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202112170605486?a...3 Not checked the MOT history.

And. www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202111300098820?a...3

Edited by Trilogy. on 18/12/2021 at 22:01

If he gets the Toerag I would be very interested to hear how he gets on with it. The words bargepole, touch and don't, spring to mind.

Edited by kiss (keep it simple) on 19/12/2021 at 11:31

Edited by SLO76 on 19/12/2021 at 13:14

Bought a car for D-i-L over the weekend (via Gumtree) and it reinforced my view that if you can find a genuine car from a genuine seller you can't hang about, even if perhaps it wasn't on your short list. Indeed, at the price range I was looking at, your short list is a bit irrelevant - condition is everything.

This was a 2013 Fiat Panda 1.2 Pop, 108k miles, £1500. Completely clear MOT history except the last one (a month ago) when a wheel bearing was identified - immediately replaced and re-tested.

The seller had owned the car from new and it had been the main/only family car (they had owned two previous Pandas and stuck with them as found them so satisfactory). Children had learned to drive in it. Now surplus to requirements.

The sellers were very genuine and 100% honest. The car the same. Some minor bumper scrapes etc. Perhaps more importantly for confidence in buying, it was clear that they were prominent and successful in their professions and well able to 'maintain regardless of cost' as the saying goes. The history folder (well presented, tabbed, chronological order) shows full main dealer service history, invoices for new tyres a few months ago, new battery, timing belt changes, etc.. It seems that anything required or suggested was done without question. It recently did a 500 mile round trip without issue.

I paid the asking price without negotiation. It seemed extremely reasonable to me, especially when compared to the HJ valuation which was substantially more.. It was nice to walk away from a deal where both parties were happy.

It should be perfect for DiL, whose main use is local driving but with regular trips on the (poor) coastal road to North Wales. I certainly have confidence in the car for those trips with my young granddaughters on board - which was the point of the exercise.

So, to summarise:

Genuine cars and sellers don't come up that often and you may have to act fast

Condition and honest history are everything.

There was a bonus - when I went with DiL to collect car I was given some home-made mince pies. And yes, they were very good.

Thanks. I've never driven one of these before, so didn't have anything to compare it to. But this feels like a much lower mileage car, It responds well, everything works fine, and it just seems to be a practical, well-maintained, 'suitable' car.

Having seen so much 'dross' for sale I was pleased with this. Time will tell, of course, but I feel that if we can keep this well-maintained it should do the job for a while.