I need to get a new car

[singingsister]

I need to get a new car as my P reg escort is finally on it's last legs. The exhaust and gearbox are knackered and as it's automatic, it's not worth spending all the money to repair it.

Problem is, I'm concious that my credit rating isn't too good - so don't want to have to go through finance applications at car places to be told "no".

How does HP work? Do you still get credit checked? I potentially have £1000 to put down as a deposit and want to spend about £100 a month. I'm obvioulsy not looking for a new car - maybe 51 reg on.

What do people reckon I should do?

[Keith]

£1000 will buy you plenty of cars if you are on a budget. You can then concentrate on clearing your other debts.

[singingsister]

problem is, I'm fed up of throwing money away on "old" cars. That's all I've done and I've totted up I could have bought probably two newish cars with the amount I've spent on doing up old cars in the past ten years....and to be honest, I'm fed up of doing it.

I just want a reliable, safe car that doesn't cost me the earth just to get the thing through the MOT every year!

[Keith]

Don't write off cheap cars, 1k can buy a lot of car, you could take £500 to an auction and buy a car with 12 months MOT, the same car would appear on a forecourt a few days later for £750, with the salesman doing nothing.

The other £500 can be put into a savings account and then used to buy another car if the car failed its MOT badly 12 months later.

We bought a Ka last May, we've done 14000 miles since, its had £150 spent on it and it went straight through its MOT.

[tali]

keith and albertross are spot on- £1000 will buy you plenty of decent cars

[tony8]

Ok, here's the deal. With 1k to throw at the situation plus a car to trade, your choices are wide open.

I've just checked my local rag and, for example, found an '07 pre-registered Fiat Panda for £99 deposit, £26.36 aweek over 60 months 0% apr, OTR. Not a very big car granted but 3 years warranty plus eight years anti-perferation can't be all bad, if it goes wrong, take it back!!!.

Given your current situation, these figures would be reduced ie:- trade in plus large lump sum.

It's a buyers market so go and have some fun.

Best of luck

[DKLS]

Don't write off cheap cars, 1k can buy a lot of car, you could take £500 to an auction and buy a car with 12 months MOT, the same car would appear on a forecourt a few days later for £750, with the salesman doing nothing. .

It can, but it can also get you a whole heap of hassle and additional expense if you pick a lemon.

[anewman]

I was given a Skoda Favorit GLXIe estate 94. It's a great car. Went through the MOT with £100 work needed, £60 for MOT test and re-test. The car has always started and never had any problems. I would highly recommend them. Go for the newest possible one with low mileage and you'll get it for next to nothing.

I will never understand why people buy cars they cannot afford on credit when there's such a fantastic used car market out there. Although there's only a good used market because so many people are snobbish about cars. But this is to the moneysavers advantage IMO.

Buy a cheap car and have some good holidays, or get an expensive car you can't afford and spend your time bubble wrapping it and getting really upset when you discover a school run mum has smashed into it in a land rover. You decide.

[mjr600]

I will never understand why people buy cars they cannot afford on credit when there's such a fantastic used car market out there. Although there's only a good used market because so many people are snobbish about cars. But this is to the moneysavers advantage IMO.

Thats just life, we're all different with different aims, aspirations and needs. My wifes last three cars a Merc and two Renaults have all been new, I want to spoil here and give her what she wants but I'm not daft so they've all been EU imports. The Renaults were cheaper new as an import then a year old from a Renault dealer.

As regards the OP's situation, there are indeed many good 1k cars about, the Micra is an obvious choice but the Panda or similar on 0% with new car benefits is also great if you keep your cars for a few years.

[plane_boy2000]

I have been around the old car route a few times, and sometimes you win sometimes you lose. I am luckly enough that I can now afford new cars, so thats what I have. No MOT to worry about, no costs at all until the first service. It may be the case that I would be better off with used, but I dont think the case is as cut and dry now as it used to be. Other factor for me is that newer cars are safer, and when it comes to the transportation of my family cost is not really a driving factor.

[anewman]

Other factor for me is that newer cars are safer, and when it comes to the transportation of my family cost is not really a driving factor.
Some older cars are built like tanks. New cars are simply designed to self-destruct and strategically crumble in such a way that they direct everything away from the passengers. There is evidence that a car being "safer" makes some people more wreckless drivers, so either way you can't win.

[Keith]

I've just checked my local rag and, for example, found an '07 pre-registered Fiat Panda for £99 deposit, £26.36 aweek over 60 months 0% apr, OTR. Not a very big car granted but 3 years warranty plus eight years anti-perferation can't be all bad, if it goes wrong, take it back!!!.

5 years of 0% credit is paying £6425.40. A four year old model is currently worth £2890, so lets say your five year old car is worth £2500.

This car will not have bump strips so will be prone to parking dings, has no air con, no sun roof, no remote central locking. In 5 years, you've also paid to service the car to manufacturers recommendations, lets allow for a service a year over 5 years

So without any of the problems associated with Fiat's and owning the car for 5 years it's cost over £5000.

What's Bad
Only 3 stars in for occupant safety in NCAP crash test, 1 star for pedestrian impact safety and 2 stars for child protection. 250,000 a year might not be enough to meet pan-European demand. Looks astonishingly like a slightly scaled-down Hyundai Matrix. Standard rear seatbacks don't double-fold, so to make a lot of space in the back rear seats need to be unbolted (a folding rear seat is a £200 extra). Multijet diesel might be very noisy. Quality problems such as old Punto fault of brake master cylinder washer reversing itself, causing pedal to stick to floor and have to be hooked up again. Reports of poor fuel economy and heavy engine oil consumption of Multijet contradicted by other reports of excellent economy. One report of engine mounting collapse, on a 2004 1.1 Active.