Tips on choosing a car??

Parisian

I have decided it's time I finally got a car! I want to buy something second hand..... but want something reasonably priced, that has reasonable (in comparison to others) fuel costs, does not have a reputation for expensive parts, and is not excessively expensive to service and maintain.....

so basically, a good quality trooper car........ any ideas anybody?! I know this is a wide question..... but I don't want to pick a car on how it looks, but more on it being financially reasonable........

Any advice would really much appreciated

msmicawber

It's a minefield, isn't it. I have a fondness for Volvos and VWs which have a reputation for being expensive to repair. It's true that their parts are expensive, but I've always found them so reliable that the repair costs aren't that high, so aren't therefore expensive to maintain.

Other things to factor in are: safety rating (this also impacts on cost of insurance); tax class; and, depending on how much you intend to spend and whether you wish to sell it in the future, whether it will retain its value.

Sorry, I've probably made it more complicated for you. Why not have a look at Autotrader for cars that you like that are in your price range, then use the screenscrapers to give you an idea of how much they will cost to insure. Once you've got a shortlist, then you can google them to see what reviews people have given particular makes & models and, of course, post back here.

goldspanners

Parisian wrote: »

I have decided it's time I finally got a car! I want to buy something second hand..... but want something reasonably priced, that has reasonable (in comparison to others) fuel costs, does not have a reputation for expensive parts, and is not excessively expensive to service and maintain.....

so basically, a good quality trooper car........ any ideas anybody?! I know this is a wide question..... but I don't want to pick a car on how it looks, but more on it being financially reasonable........

Any advice would really much appreciated

depends what size of car you need,small, medium,large. 4 seats,5 seats 7 seats, who are your passengers,adults kids?

balsingh

a Focus TDCi would probably fit the bill if the boot is big enough.

Ginger_Nuts_2

Dont buy a car unless you like it, no matter the financial side, if you dont like it, you'll not want to use it. You need to combine the looks, practability, costs and desirability all together to choose the right car

AdrianHi

Definately need more details her.
How many passengers?
Children / Adults?
Driving pattern? Mostly motorway, mostly town driving, 50:50 mix?
Estate? Hatch? Saloon? MPV?

hewhoisnotintheknow

first car needs to be small, fun to drive and at a disposable cost (if your new to driving (i dont know if you are) your likely to crash!)

I had a base model citroen saxo for 3 years 1.0, this was superb, was nippy handled well and i never had 1 problem with it. of course you will get the french haters who bang on about stuff, but its a cheap car, not a rolls royce

Ive never been let down by anything french but have had problems with vw's and audis

Of course this is my opinion and im sure it will upset certain people (trolls)

BillScarab

Why does your first car have to be small and fun? My first car was big and fun. Personally I think the most important thing is to make sure you buy a car you can afford to insure as that is one of the biggest costs for a new driver.

hewhoisnotintheknow

BillScarab wrote: »

Why does your first car have to be small and fun? My first car was big and fun. Personally I think the most important thing is to make sure you buy a car you can afford to insure as that is one of the biggest costs for a new driver.

in my opinion its easier for a new driver to park and drive a smaller car

goldspanners

hewhoisnotintheknow wrote: »

Of course this is my opinion and im sure it will upset certain people (trolls)

i doubt it will upset people, just people will disagree with you, disagreeing doesnt make you a troll.

Parisian

Thankyou guysss for your tips

More info: the car is mainly for myself, no kiddies. I would prefer if there are backseat doors aswell. It's mainly for driving around locally, although maybe the odd motorway trip. I did drive for 3 years but stopped when I was 21. I'm now 25 and it's time to start up again!
Early in the year I was close to buying a VW Golf. The insurance was a crazy amount as my 3 years no claim bonus was too old to use.... so am also looking for something that will not be too crazy insurance wise.

I am caught between buying something small and cheap, or something more expensive and potentially long lasting.
If I take the small & cheap option.... I have heard about a car going for sale locally - Peugeot 106, 1.5 Diesel. X Reg 83,000 miles in good condition. MOT till march. Some minor scratches on body work. Asking price £1500.

Any tips on whether this is a reasonable deal?
What other questions should I be asking about the car?
& Any cons with having diesel?

I am sooooooo sorry for asking all these silly questions, but I honestly have no clue about how to go about anything related to cars!