AFAIK this generation (K12, '03-'10) would use a 4 speed torque converter auto. The one before (K11, '92-'02) and both after (K13 and K14, 2010 on) use a CVT.

These are decent enough cars though and there is a good chance it will have lead a very easy life!. Check MOT history to get an idea how well it has been looked after and do the usual visual inspections. It is getting on a bit, so a good idea to get underneath if poss to check for rust (especially if mentioned as an MOT advisory), and take that age into account with your expectations.

But for future reference, CVT's in general are not as bad as reports would have you believe. They do take some getting used to as the rpm and acceleration/speed seem at odds with each other. Nissan CVT's do have something of a reputation. But having done some research, it would appear that with proper maintenance (transmission fluid changed as and when) and driven with a degree of mechanical sympathy they work well enough and are exceptionally smooth. We had a Honda Jazz with a 'stepped' (to make it seem like it has gears) CVT and, IMO, was a truly brilliant transmission.

Edited by badbusdriver on 04/08/2023 at 21:00

Thank you!

Lady wanted a deposit to secure the micra as she'd had so many people wanting to view it. So I told her no money would leave my hand until id at least physically seen and test driven the car and decided if I was going to buy it or not . She then sent my other half her bank details and asked for my phone number hahaha. So it was a no from me. Shame really as it was a mint little car, FSH, fab MOT history, 80k ish on the clock too... Just a shame she had to be so shady... But at least I'll know for next time that CVTs aren't all the bad.

And so the car search continues...been looking at Jazz's again..

Giving a deposit simply secures the car till you have seen it, which is a perfectly normal thing to do. It is basically saying to the seller that you are keen on the car and are not a time waster. Otherwise you could set off to look at a car 30 miles away, arrive and find that the car is no longer available because someone else put down a deposit, or even that someone else turned up and bought it.

I think you may struggle to get anything in the current market if you won't give a deposit. And that Micra sounds like it was a cracker.

Thank you!

Lady wanted a deposit to secure the micra.....

She then sent my other half her bank details....

Just a shame she had to be so shady.

Giving a deposit simply secures the car till you have seen it, which is a perfectly normal thing to do. It is basically saying to the seller that you are keen on the car and are not a time waster. Otherwise you could set off to look at a car 30 miles away, arrive and find that the car is no longer available because someone else put down a deposit, or even that someone else turned up and bought it.

I think you may struggle to get anything in the current market if you won't give a deposit. And that Micra sounds like it was a cracker.

I wouldn’t be paying a private seller a deposit before I had seen the car either. They were after a bank transfer, so no easy way to ensure you could get your deposit back (if the car turned out to be a heap of junk, if there actually is a car!).

I wouldn’t be handing over any money, until I had viewed the car at the address stated on the V5.

I would quite happily set off to view the car, without paying a deposit, and take the risk that it might be sold before I got there.

Irrespective though. If a seller comes across as dodgy or shady, on the initial contact, then walk (or run!).

My thoughts exactly!

Never would I part with any money until deciding on whether to buy or not after physically seeing the vehicle. Yes, could have missed out on a great car BUT how many other people have paid a deposit to secure it? For all I know, it could have been a scam. I've seen it happen to people in the past - they've put a deposit down to secure because it was in "high demand", waited on a message to arrange a viewing but then found out they'd been blocked by the seller and never got their money back. The sellers then grinning like a Cheshire cat because they'd also done the same to others and been sat with several £££'s from all the deposits they'd taken off other people prior to blocking them too. It's easy to fall foul to this kind of thing especially on certain social media selling sites...far too easy to make fake accounts unfortunately...

And I don't think anyone is in a position to be losing out on money atm