|
Nothing wrong with another Focus if you like them. Avoid the 'ecoboost' engine and 'powershift' automatic and you should be OK.
Standing advice is anything Japanese except Nissan and anything Korean. Petrol and manual is more reliable and cheaper to fix than diesel or automatic. Avoid German cars as they cost more than they're worth (due to the historic perception that they're ultra-reliable).
I have a Seat Toledo. That, and the identical Skoda Rapid, could be ideal for you. It does everything you're asking for.
As said previously, buy privately based on condition, service history and the seller. Don't rule out French and Italian cars, but come back ask here before you buy one as some are fine and others are....not.
|
|
Thanks a lot, all noted. If anyone is willing to review a potential purchase, I would much appreciate the assistance. The Skoda Rapid looks good, my wife is Czech, so it would be culturally fitting!
|
|
|
Avoid German cars as they cost more than they're worth (due to the historic perception that they're ultra-reliable).
I have a Seat Toledo. That, and the identical Skoda Rapid, could be ideal for you..
But aren't those 'German' cars .... ? Or have we been misled all these years ? :-)
|
Avoid German cars as they cost more than they're worth (due to the historic perception that they're ultra-reliable).
I have a Seat Toledo. That, and the identical Skoda Rapid, could be ideal for you..
But aren't those 'German' cars .... ? Or have we been misled all these years ? :-)
If you go back up the family tree, that particular car is half German, half Chinese, but it's made in the Czech Republic.
|
Avoid German cars as they cost more than they're worth (due to the historic perception that they're ultra-reliable).
I have a Seat Toledo. That, and the identical Skoda Rapid, could be ideal for you..
But aren't those 'German' cars .... ? Or have we been misled all these years ? :-)
If you go back up the family tree, that particular car is half German, half Chinese, but it's made in the Czech Republic.
All of it? I can't see the nationality of cars is particularly relevant these days. The most important, and probably the most expensive part of my last Audi (the engine!), was made in Hungary. The OP won't go far wrong with a basic decent old Ford, whatever nationality that is!
|
Avoid German cars as they cost more than they're worth (due to the historic perception that they're ultra-reliable).
I have a Seat Toledo. That, and the identical Skoda Rapid, could be ideal for you..
But aren't those 'German' cars .... ? Or have we been misled all these years ? :-)
If you go back up the family tree, that particular car is half German, half Chinese, but it's made in the Czech Republic.
All of it? I can't see the nationality of cars is particularly relevant these days. The most important, and probably the most expensive part of my last Audi (the engine!), was made in Hungary. The OP won't go far wrong with a basic decent old Ford, whatever nationality that is!
I don't think it is. It was just a lazy way of saying not to bother forking out in a Merc, BMW, VW or Audi on the assumption that they're more reliable. They're generally nicer inside, certainly, but they are no better or worse in real terms, as you imply, than a Ford or.similar.
|
|
|
|
|
|
That's very helpful information regarding purchasing from private sellers, as it is not something I had considered. Are there any particular websites that you would recommend focusing on? Much appreciated.
|
|
Autotrader allows you to search restricted to private sellers only. eBay, I think, does the same but is a bit more of a gamble. I would avoid Facebook marketplace and Gumtree, which are full of crooks.
If there is a particular model you're interested in, it's worth looking at specialist forums, where cars are normally owned by enthusiasts who take care of them. Don't forget to ask friends and family too.
|
|
Excellent, thanks both for the assistance. I'll do some research on autortrader and come back later on if that's ok when I have found something that looks suitable.
|
|
What sort of usage will the car see? Is it mostly short distance driving or will it regularly be longer high speed running?
|
|
It will be a mix of both, but yes, it will be used regularly for longer high speed running. thanks
|
|
I have done some research and I have found the following cars that look like they could fit the bill. If any of these look like good buys, or indeed if there are any specific pit falls that I should look out for, please do let me know:
I am personally leaning to the first or last listing, but would appreciate any advice.
|
|
I would not have any of the three Focuses. The 2nd one doesn't look standard, those are MK2 wheels, I'm 99% certain those were not fitted to the MK3. Does it matter? Probably not but what else might have been fiddled with?
The 3rd Focus has some cosmetic damage and the paint on the passenger side looks a different shade.
The 4th Focus is the 1.0 engine that is not recommended by many on here.
So that leaves the Mondeo.
|
|
I think I'd probably give the Mondeo a miss too. The outstanding finance concerns me. I appreciate that the owner is skint and probably has to sell the car, but what else have they skimped?
|
|
Much appreciated, I'll give the search another go in that case
|
|
|
That's very helpful, you have an expert eye, I'll keep looking in that case
|
Spotted this 1.6 (Yamaha) Ford Focus. Looks fresh and these engines are very robust.
www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/ford-focus-...s
|
|
Any thoughts on this one. It's done, ahem, a few miles.
www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202208299239574?a...3
|
Not the nicest colour, but guaranteed to keep the boy racers away. These are simple, robust and cheap to run. The diesels are mostly of Fiat design so best avoided but a nice full history car with the Isuzu 1.7 turbo diesel under the hood can make sense, you need to be certain of what you’re buying though. Usually the 1.7’s will have a badge on the rear showing their engine size. The petrol is hassle free though and good for 50mpg on a run.
www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/vauxhall-as...s
|
|
|
I wouldn’t touch any of the cars you’ve listed above. The Focus 1.0 Ecoboost is so unreliable it’s known as Ecoboom by the trade, it’s one to avoid. I typically wouldn’t recommend a diesel at this money either, there’s just too much to go wrong and it’s unlikely with the added maintenance and repair costs along with diesel fuel being more expensive that you’d save anything with one. I’d favour the simpler and more robust petrol models.
That said, I did spot this nearby. These are generally good news and this one looks and sounds well cared for. If you do view, check the clutch for severe juddering or signs of slipping, it’s a known weak point and ask to hear it start from cold to look for signs of poor starting and a rattling timing chain. If it’s a good one and you look after it, it could be fit for another 100k. But as all modern DPF equipped diesels, there’s much to go wrong. It’s a private sale so you get to meet the owner face to face and you’ll save £1,000 or so on dealer money but there’s no comeback if anything goes wrong.
www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/honda-civic...s
|
|
I have just logged back in to the website and seen the cars that you have listed. All appear to still be available.
I did have one question. I have two children's car seats to go in the back of the car, and I had wondered whether the Vauxhall Astra - www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/vauxhall-as...s
is likely to be big enough to fit these in comfortably?
In any event, it's very helpful of you to have taken the time to send these through to me, and I am most grateful! I'll make some enquiries regarding the Ford and the Honda, and potentially the Vauxhall Astra as well if you think space is not going to be too much of an issue.
|
I did have one question. I have two children's car seats to go in the back of the car, and I had wondered whether the Vauxhall Astra is likely to be big enough to fit these in comfortably?
No way of answering that for sure without trying them out, child seats can vary quite a bit in size. However I would be very surprised if there was any problems fitting two child seats in the back of any car of the same size category as an Astra.
Bear in mind you can't really go by the pics. Those of the Astra may have the front seats in their rearmost position, and/or the pics of the others have theirs pushed forward.
|
|
Thank you. All noted. It in fact looks like the listing for the Astra has removed, so I'll arrange to test drive the Honda and/or the Focus and see how it goes.
|
|
|
Hust FYI, I was going to view the Honda Civic today. However, I performed a Hpi check in advance and the car was a previous HPI cat N right off. As this was not mentioned by the seller during our initial discussions, I'm inclined to.give it a miss and look for something else
Edited by SamH12 on 06/09/2022 at 08:23
|
|
If anyone could let me know if any of the following look suitable that would be much appreciated, and of course if you happen to come across a listing for a more suitable vehicle, please do send it across:
www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202208158786141?p...e - Focus Estate, this is identical to what I had previously, only one year newer and less mileage. Looks good to me and private seller.
www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202208269144906?s...e - Mondeo- cheap but five previous owners
www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202209059470352?a...e - Focus, again 5 plus owners, but cheap and petrol as opposed to diesel
www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202209019344175?a...3 - Mondeo - this is good because it's an Estate which is ideal for a family,but it's quite high mileage at 132k
www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202208218990233?p...e - Another Mondeo Estate- this is an ecoboost engine, so I assume this disqualifies it due to the unreliability of this engine type?
www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202208289217504?s...e - 2011 Skoda Octavia
www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202208289217504?s...e - Skoda Superb - 2009, so perhaps a little old
Thanks again
|
www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202208218990233?p...e - Another Mondeo Estate- this is an ecoboost engine, so I assume this disqualifies it due to the unreliability of this engine type?
The 2.0 ecoboost engine has no real vices, but I'd be more concerned about the powershift gearbox on that one. I am looking generally for big estates myself, but I have to limit my choice to petrol due to short journey use.
If you are going to be mixing your driving with long distance use, I would go for the 2.0 diesel. It's a good, long lived engine if serviced properly, and there is far more choice. But only with a manual gearbox.
Unfortunately, as the Youtube expert Alan Howlett says, good examples of the mk4 mondeo are starting to dwindle. But they are no doubt out there.
Those examples that you linked would have too many owners for my liking.
|
Hust FYI, I was going to view the Honda Civic today. However, I performed a Hpi check in advance and the car was a previous HPI cat N right off.
No-one likes the idea of a write-off, but if that car looks otherwise reasonable, and is not far away, have a look. What matters is (assuming the car isn't nearly new) how much it cost to write off. If it was £6K, that was serious damage. If only £2K, the damage was probably superficial and unimportant. My own car was written off for £2500 at 8 years old - I drove it home from a minor prang and the local bodyshop did the repairs. I still have it 6 years later.
You may well have looked at cars which have had more serious repair work done without being written off !
Edited by Andrew-T on 06/09/2022 at 10:00
|
|
Thank you for the input, and I will certainly bear what you say in mind.
What most concerned me is that the seller made no mention of the right off at all, while going to quite long lengths to describe the entire history of the car. Plus he mentioned having made a number of changes to the vehicle himself , replacing wheels and so on. As I am not particularly knowledgeable about cars and may not be able to identify problems that would be obvious to someone else, it just struck me as potentially too risky. Plus it's over an hour away, which while not a problem if the car is good and the seller is trustworthy, I am going quite out of my way.
|
What most concerned me is that the seller made no mention of the right off at all, while going to quite long lengths to describe the entire history of the car.
Of course (I don't know how old this car is) your seller may not know the details if the write-off happened before he got it. He may even be unaware it had happened ....
|
|
That's a good point that I had not considered. In fairness to the seller I just checked and it seems that they acquired it two years after the write off occured.
|
|
It was a Cat N, meaning it wasn't too bad (non-structural).
However, I would also be wary of any vehicle where I found there was an undisclosed issue.
Of the above, I'd look at the petrol Focus. If it has a decent history, being in the same ownership for four years would be a good sign (unless they're dumping it because it's knackered).
|
|
Thanks, I have contacted the seller who seems trustworthy. The car is being viewed by someone else this morning, but assuming they do not purchase it, I will view it this evening.
|
|
Thing about a cat N is that while the damage may not be structural, it could easily result in your having problems down the line. For example, I believe water damage would result in a cat N, and there is no way I'd want something like that. It may appear fine, but what may turn up in a year two?.
Becuase there are so many variables, I really wouldn't go anywhere near any insurance write offs, structural or not. And as someone who admits to not knowing much about cars, I'd suggest you do the same. The fact that the seller kept this information from you is just an added reason to avoid. What else is the seller hiding from you re the car?
|
|
Thanks, all noted. These were my main reservations really, and the fact that it was kept quiet perhaps does not bode well.
|
|
Would much appreciate views on the following. As per the advice on this forum, I have generally been looking for cars with a low number of previous owners. I have also been on the look out for petrol cars, but many of these in the price range have high mileage (it is my understanding that petrol engine cars do not tend to last as long as diesels), or to be otherwise unsuitable :
www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202209019342436?p...e - 2012 petrol Renault Megane , 3 owners for 3k
www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202208088595882?p...e - Volvo V40 2012 2.0 D3 SE Lux Euro 5 (s/s) 5dr, Diesel, 94k miles, 2 previous owners for 5.1k
www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202208068540067?p...e - Vauxhall Astra 2.0 CDTi ecoFLEX SRi Manual Euro 5 (s/s) 5dr , diesel, 2 previous owners, 93k miles, for 3.29k
www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202206146788131?p...u - SEAT Leon - 2014, 1.6 TDI CR SE (Tech Pack) Sport Tourer (s/s) 5dr, diesel, 4 previous owners, 111k miles- for 5.5 k
|
|
<< it is my understanding that petrol engine cars do not tend to last as long as diesels >>
That may be a misapprehension - if a car has appropriate maintenance, petrol and diesel engines should be equally durable. The misapprehension may be because diesels are usually bought in order to do higher than average miles. In year terms there is probably little difference as regards corrosion and other wear and tear.
|
|
I think the Volvo's worth a look. The Leon appears ideal, but I suspect it's a trader masquerading. Likewise with the Astra. The Mégane sounds entirely legitimate, but I don't know about the reliability of these. Some people run a mile from Renaults, but I've got a mate with an 06 Scenic and he's never had a problem.
|
it is my understanding that petrol engine cars do not tend to last as long as diesels
If you think a diesel will last longer, why is there a petrol Megane amongst your selection?. As for the general reliability of Renaults, they do seem to vary quite a lot. But from what I read, electrical rather than mechanical is often the root of the problems. So if I had to get one, I'd probably be looking for something of a fairly low spec with less gizmo's to potentially go wrong.
The Volvo V40?, well as long as you don't need a big boot, this would be fine. Same engine as you will find in various Fords. Parts often very expensive, but being a Focus under the skin, you could probably get round this for servicing and mechanical repairs.
The Astra?, Fiat engine* here I believe, and while OK reliability (assuming looked after properly) not brilliant. Would I?, probably not.
The Leon?, this engine was at the heart of the dieselgate scandal and doesn't have a great reputation. So personally, I wouldn't.
Going back to the diesel vs petrol. Some petrol engines are very reliable, some aren't. But this is exactly the same for Diesel engines. The main difference is that any problems on a Diesel engine is likely to cost way more to fix than on a petrol engine. This is why a simple n/a petrol is usually recommended for someone on a smaller budget as you seem to be. Unless you need the extra grunt for towing, it isn't really worth the risk going diesel, even with engines generally regarded as being reliable. Buying a second hand car of this sort of age is always going to be a gamble. So to improve your odds as much as possible, concentrate on cars that are considered reliable anyway, but also cars which are (relatively) mechanically simple (n/a petrol).
*While I'd still suggest avoiding diesel, the 1.7 diesel used in various Vauxhalls (up to around 2015) came from Isuzu and is more reliable than the Fiat ones (1.3, 1.6, 1.9 and 2.0).
|
|
Thank you all once again for the detailed responses, particularly for the specifics on the vehicles that I listed. I skipped the Volvo, as I need a large boot (my initial car was a Focus Estate). I viewed the Ford Focus Hatch back today, but the boot was too small. Accordingly, I will confine my search to Estates from now on.
Regarding the matter of diesels lasting longer than petrols, I was perhaps not clear enough, it is not something that I necessarily believe, only something that I was told be someone else! I have generally been on the look out for petrol cars (as per the recommendations on this forum which I have taken on board), however, for under 5.5/6k there seem to be few petrol estate cars available that do not have other disqualifying factors, so I think realistically I may have to consider diesel cars also.
I am conscious that this thread risks becoming a long running saga (if it is not one already), I would, however, once again appreciate views on the following (you will see that these are all trade):
www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202204114538925?b...7 - Ford Focus 2012 1.6 ZETEC ESTATE, petrol, 2 owners, trade - price 3,9k - I understand that I will be paying more than if this were a private sale, but I do need to find a car within the next couple of weeks, so if this means I have to pay a percentage to a dealer for a car that is otherwise solid, I can do so.
www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202204305219933?b...e - Ford Focus 2012 Diesel Estate- trade- 1 prior owner 120k miles - for 4.9k
www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202208188904579?b...e Mondeo Estate , 2012, diesel, 112k miles, trade, not entirely clear on the number of previous owners, but one was a former Mercedes Mechanic for 5.6k- it was mentioned in this thread that 2.0 Mondeos are solid, only best without a power shift gear box- I don't see it mentioned that this car has power shift in the description or the technical particulars
www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202207087607651?b...e 2011 Mondeo Estate, Petrol, 3 owners (perhaps pushing it but otherwise seems to tick boxes) , 67k miles trade- for 5.995k
www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202208249087616?p...e - 2013 Ford Focus, 95K miles, diesel, trade, number of previous owners not clear, 5.5k
www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202208018364087?p...e 2014 Focus Estate, Diesel, 108k miles, trade, one former owner - 5.5k
www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202203073288177?p...e - 2011 Mondeo Estate, trade, diesel, number of owners not clear, 89k miles, no mention of power shift gear box - 5.25k
www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202202222816410?p...4 - 2012 Focus, diesel, trade, 3 prior owners, 98k miles - for 4.8k
www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202206257162580?p...e - Vauxhall Astra, diesel, trade, 2 owners, 106k miles, 3k - I assume as 2013 and 1.7 diesel then this is the more desireable Isuzu engine?
|
|
Bear in mind that a lot of diesels aren't allowed in Ultra Low Emission Zones. They need to be Euro6, and part of the reason you're seeing a lot of diesels is because people are offloading Euro5s. May not be a problem right now, but you can imagine Cambridge might adopt a ULEZ in future.
Thinking about your requirements again, have you considered a Dacia Logan? Kind of rough and ready, but a big boot and you'll be able to get something newer and lower mileage for your budget
|
|
Thank you and good point. Fortunately, it has to be said that I don't frequently have to drive into central cambridge. As far as I was aware non compliant diesels face a daily charge in ULEZ? If this is fair to say rather than an outright ban, then I might not have to be too concerned about it. Although certainly something to bear in mind.
I will keep a a look out for Dacia Logans as they look solid unfortunately none are available on autotrader in my immediate area right now..
|
|
|
|
|
|
