Should I scrap my 11 year old Nissan for a new Hyundai i10?

jackieblack

Firstly, I realise there are already several threads about the scrappage scheme, so forgive me for starting another, but I find posting here helps me 'talk things through'' and I didn't want to hijack someone elses thread:o

I currently have an 11 year old Nissan Almera. It only has 47500 on the clock, but last MOT I had to have a bit welded, which together with the service & MOT cost me over £400. Road tax was £190 this year, due to be £205 next year. Breakdown cover also cost me over £100 this year, due to the age of the car.

I'm considering scrapping it for a new Hyundai i10 from our local dealer. It is a smaller car, but prior to the Almera I had 2 corsas, which I loved. We were given the Almera, so it didn't cost us anything to buy, but mpg isn't brilliant and it doesn't have any rear seat head restraints which, now DD has grown (she's nearly 14) means she doesn't have any real support when she is in the back and I worry about what would happen if someone ran up the back of us.

I've done a few sums, trying to estimate what the Almera will cost us to run over the next 4-5 years, compared to the depreciation + cost to run the i10 over the same period. Assuming the value of the i10 is halved, there's not alot in it.

I've had a quote for comprehensive insurance on the i10, of roughly the same as what I'm paying now for the Almera, which really surprised me! I though as the i10 was worth so much more, that the insurance cost would be higher.

I'm also considering the fact that DD will be learning to drive in 3-4 years time. The i10 would probably be a better car for her to practice in, and if/when she does pass her test and wants to borrow the car we'll feel better that she'd be in a 4-5 year old small car than a 15-16 year old bigger, more powerful car which would also probably be less reliable.
This is not a deciding factor, but probably is a consideration.

The i10 comes with 5 years mechanical warranty, 10 years bodywork warranty, obviously wouldn't need an MOT for 3 years, and road tax is £35. I think that the dealer also told me they are giving 5 years free servicing, although Im going to double-check that when I take hubby to look at it later this afternoon.

Apparently there is a 3-4 month waiting list, which isn't a problem, Almera is MOT'd until May.

Anything else I should consider, which I haven't yet thought of?

bellrooster

Hi Jackieblack!!

I just wanted to say that I went for the i10 with scrappage, and I'm totally in love with my new car! although, yes it's a small car, inside I actually find it spacious, plenty of room in the back and more importantly it's got 5 seats, not 4 like most small city cars do.

I've had mine for a couple of months now and it's running like a dream and i get a LOT more miles to the gallon.

I very much doubt that you'll get 5 years free servicing as this car has been so popular on the scheme the dealers really don't need to throw in any extras as the cars sell themselves, but in the spirit of MSE I'd try to haggle for any freebies.

The n-cap ( I think that is what it's called) is 4 for the i10, so from that point of view you can be confident that it's a safe car for your daughter to learn in.

Hintza

The question is how long will the Almera last you will probably get another few years out of it. The welding is the thing that would worry me most. It starts small and becomes exponential at subsequent MOT's in my view.

Will you get a deal like this again? Probably not.

Can you cover the price from savings? In real terms with interest rates as high as they are in real terms (for borrowing) it works out quite expensive. Whilst savings are in effect shrinking.

What about the i20 if you are slightly worried about size?

If I had an old car I would seriosly think about. You also appear to be doing all your sums so that is good.

jackieblack

Hi Bellrooster
Thanks for that, like I said I think that the dealer also told me they are giving 5 years free servicing, I remember commenting on it as being a great selling point - 5 years worry 7hassle free, but I'm going to check it this afternoon.

Can I ask which model you went for? (I'm yo-yo-ing between the classic and comfort.)

hewhoisnotintheknow

people always bang on about how good nissans are, so i don't see that your current car should give up any time soon. The only thing i can see is a real concern is the rear headrest, a lot of cars have the hole for them just not the head rest, is this the case?

The almera would make a good first car for your daughter. I would keep

Also buying a car and basing it on things like saving a few quid on tax often seems pointless to me!

Jennifer_Jane

Your story sounds much like mine. Although I had always planned a new(ish) car this year. My 13 year old Nissan Micra was costing a bomb in MOT's - huge amounts because of the welding (same as your Almera, it seems), and other things going wrong. Over the last couple of years, it was costing certainly hundreds every MOT - there was always something huge going wrong. It needed welding a couple of times.

When it came to choosing the new car, I asked Jonathan at CarFile (online brokers) for quotes giving him my maximum amount. I don't think he deals with the Hyundai's though. In the end I bought a Toyota Yaris brand new with 30% off (with the scrappage). In the end, the brand new Yaris was £6500 and my Micra had cost £5500 11 years previously. I am delighted. Although the Yaris doesn't have the visibility, storage, and boot space of the Micra, but is slightly bigger.

So in all, I would say go for it whilst you have the chance. You get the warranty, no MOTs for 3 years, the 5-years servicing and a car you can drive for another 11 years or so (if you are keeping it so long, then why bother to factor in depreciation?)!

I went for a car with £35 annual road tax, which only the smaller Hyundai's are, so check that if that's a key thing for you. (The Classic, I think?).

Good luck and enjoy the brand new car.

Jen
x

Jennifer_Jane

Hintza - re your signature, I do remember the shooting down of Flight 825.
Jen
x

jackieblack

Hintza wrote: »

The question is how long will the Almera last you will probably get another few years out of it. The welding is the thing that would worry me most. It starts small and becomes exponential at subsequent MOT's in my view.

Will you get a deal like this again? Probably not.

Can you cover the price from savings? In real terms with interest rates as high as they are in real terms (for borrowing) it works out quite expensive. Whilst savings are in effect shrinking.

What about the i20 if you are slightly worried about size?

If I had an old car I would seriosly think about. You also appear to be doing all your sums so that is good.

Hi Hintza
yes, I agree, I'm wondering if the welding is 'the beginning of the end' iykwim.

I could just about cover the cost of the new car from savings - it would mean spending all our 'rainy day/emergency' fund, but I've been told I've been left some money in a will (from which we can re-instate the 'rainy day/emergency' fund) although this will take 6-9 months to come through.

If I wait until I actually have this money, the scrappage scheme will probably be finished and I would probably end up spending a similar amount on a 2-3 year old car. Trade in value on current car is a few hundred at most.

Have looked at the i20, but one of the appeals of the i10 is the cheap road tax.

Volcano

jackieblack wrote: »

Anything else I should consider, which I haven't yet thought of?

Yep.

You're weighing the Almera against the i10 over the next 4-5 years. The Almera has a propensity to rust and as Hintza has said, once it starts you're fighting a losing battle so it's extremely unlikely that the Almera will last 4-5 years!

However, another 2 years is entirely feasible. Your Nissan is worth very little now so depreciation over 2 years is basically zero and MOTs/maintenance over this time will be cheaper than 2 year's worth of i10 depreciation (which I think will be more rapid than people think given the popularity of this model).

Run it for another 2 years, save your cash and then get the larger i20. This saves you money, gets you a better car AND also has the new car ready for your daughter's lessons.

bellrooster

jackieblack wrote: »

Hi Bellrooster
Thanks for that, like I said I think that the dealer also told me they are giving 5 years free servicing, I remember commenting on it as being a great selling point - 5 years worry 7hassle free, but I'm going to check it this afternoon.

Can I ask which model you went for? (I'm yo-yo-ing between the classic and comfort.)

Well if you get the 5 years servicing then I would definatly go for it as that's a great deal!

I went for the Comfort, price wise it wasn't that much difference from the classic and I think for that money you get a lot more, eg fog lights and alloys. and I know its a little daft, but the classic doesn't have intermitant wipers and that would drive me bonkers

Oh and space wise, I noticed another poster suggested the i20, but I think you've just got to ask yourself how much room you need, we're a family of 3, 2 grown ups and a small person and so far we've not struggled for space. The boot gets a full weekly shop in for example, and the comfort has a storage area under the boot, which is really handy for 'mucky' stuff, we use it for storing dirty wellies etc. The i20 and the i10 have the same engine so bare in mind as the i20 is bigger, the performance might not be up to the standard of the i10

espresso

jackieblack wrote: »

I'm wondering if the welding is 'the beginning of the end' iykwim.

No need to wonder, any decent mechanic could tell you the state of the structural parts of the car. It's not unusual for an 11 year old car to need a bit of welding but it does not mean that it is now only fit for scrap!

Have looked at the i20, but one of the appeals of the i10 is the cheap road tax.

You shouldn't choose a car just to save £60 annual road tax. The i20 in a new model and probably a better bet all round.

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