Looking for a cheap car

shewhoguards

I have a 51-plated Suzuki Alto. I will start by saying that I've loved it, it's adorable, it's been fuel-efficient as they come. However, unfortunately, it's slowly dying. I replaced three tyres in August after one burst on a motorway (that was a bad day), replaced brakepads and discs a couple of weeks ago after it started making a weird noise. The garage (who I trust, as my uncle trained one of the guys) let me know, when I picked it up, that I could expect the exhaust to go in the next few months as, though they couldn't see anything wrong with it, they thought they could hear an odd noise from it.

The MOT's due in February and, as currently I can see it failing, I'm starting to look around for a replacement. If I wait for the MOT, it'll be nothing on part-exchange, so I don't want to wait for that.

The car was my first car, and got some rough treatment in the first year. There are a few scratches (painted over with the appropriate coloured paint from Halfords!), and it has a dint in each side panel (one my fault, one the fault of some idiot in a car park). I am not expecting a fortune in part exchange anyway.

I need a small car which is not fuel-hungry or massively expensive insurance-wise. A tiny engine is just fine with me. Low car tax is also awesome.

If I buy second-hand, I'm prepared to spend maybe £2-3000 for a car I will probably change again in a couple of years (due to my job, I have reason to expect my wage will rise significantly in a year). I can make a £500 deposit. The first showroom I walked into tried every dodgy trick in the book (the deposit rose magically to £1000, the amount I was prepared to spend rose to "£100 a month for three years" and then jumped again. When I stopped him and asked how much that was in total, it had MAGICALLY become £5200. Had I not had my mother with me, rude words would have been spoken.)

However, I know that Nissan are offering scrappage deal on cars eight years or older. Their lowest car would be £6250, I believe, if I gave them my car under the scrappage deal. (obviously, I'm not prepared to pay £5200 for a five year old car, even with a two year warranty, if I can get a shiny new one for £1000 more). I can afford that, and would be okay paying it for a car I would be keeping for a longer period.

1) Are any other dealers offering really good part-exchange deals for eight year old cars?
2) Any ideas what models I should be looking for?
3) Can anyone recommend a second-hand dealer who won't completely skeeze me out? Preferably with warranties!
4) Is wanting a run-about to last me a couple of years for £2-3000 completely unreasonable?
5) Around how much should I expect to be offered for my beloved junk-bucket?

I'm in the Teesside area if that helps, though I can also look in Newcastle/Gateshead.

goldspanners

you dont need to make excuses for wanting a new car, your current car seems to have only needed normal items that should be expected to be replaced within the life of any car. why you think it could fail its MOT i dont know. an exhaust is all it might need by the sounds of it and this shouldnt cost very much.

CHR15

Sounds like you already own a peach of a car, been totally reliable since you have owned it with only the normal repair items required (tyres, brakes, exhaust).

Couldn't you persevere until your pay rise comes in and have more to spend on a MUCH better car than you could if you threw away £2-3000 now??

shewhoguards

See, the garage seemed to think that a new exhaust would be expensive for a Suzuki? Is this wrong?

(If it can persevere another year without dying, I am totally up for that option.)

vaio

Exhausts, tyres brakes etc are normal service items, they wear out on all cars so if you are happy with the Alto in other respects I'd suggest you hang on to it.

If you go for another car in the £2-3k range you could well end up doing tyres exhausts etc on that in the not too distant future.

vaio

to add: exhaust for an Alto is about £120 for a back box, maybe another £100 if you need the full system

goldspanners

shewhoguards wrote: »

See, the garage seemed to think that a new exhaust would be expensive for a Suzuki? Is this wrong?

(If it can persevere another year without dying, I am totally up for that option.)

back box.

front pipe.

catalytic convertor.

and fitting should be cheap too.

Smiffy74

shewhoguards wrote: »

I have a 51-plated Suzuki Alto. I will start by saying that I've loved it, it's adorable, it's been fuel-efficient as they come. However, unfortunately, it's slowly dying. I replaced three tyres in August after one burst on a motorway (that was a bad day), replaced brakepads and discs a couple of weeks ago after it started making a weird noise. The garage (who I trust, as my uncle trained one of the guys) let me know, when I picked it up, that I could expect the exhaust to go in the next few months as, though they couldn't see anything wrong with it, they thought they could hear an odd noise from it.

The MOT's due in February and, as currently I can see it failing, I'm starting to look around for a replacement. If I wait for the MOT, it'll be nothing on part-exchange, so I don't want to wait for that.

The car was my first car, and got some rough treatment in the first year. There are a few scratches (painted over with the appropriate coloured paint from Halfords!), and it has a dint in each side panel (one my fault, one the fault of some idiot in a car park). I am not expecting a fortune in part exchange anyway.

I need a small car which is not fuel-hungry or massively expensive insurance-wise. A tiny engine is just fine with me. Low car tax is also awesome.

If I buy second-hand, I'm prepared to spend maybe £2-3000 for a car I will probably change again in a couple of years (due to my job, I have reason to expect my wage will rise significantly in a year). I can make a £500 deposit. The first showroom I walked into tried every dodgy trick in the book (the deposit rose magically to £1000, the amount I was prepared to spend rose to "£100 a month for three years" and then jumped again. When I stopped him and asked how much that was in total, it had MAGICALLY become £5200. Had I not had my mother with me, rude words would have been spoken.)

However, I know that Nissan are offering scrappage deal on cars eight years or older. Their lowest car would be £6250, I believe, if I gave them my car under the scrappage deal. (obviously, I'm not prepared to pay £5200 for a five year old car, even with a two year warranty, if I can get a shiny new one for £1000 more). I can afford that, and would be okay paying it for a car I would be keeping for a longer period.

1) Are any other dealers offering really good part-exchange deals for eight year old cars?
2) Any ideas what models I should be looking for?
3) Can anyone recommend a second-hand dealer who won't completely skeeze me out? Preferably with warranties!
4) Is wanting a run-about to last me a couple of years for £2-3000 completely unreasonable?
5) Around how much should I expect to be offered for my beloved junk-bucket?

I'm in the Teesside area if that helps, though I can also look in Newcastle/Gateshead.

Healey's Wheels in Sunderland - you get 3 months warranty on his cars too... All under £1000.

Ask for Paul

shewhoguards

goldspanners wrote: »

back box.

front pipe.

catalytic convertor.

and fitting should be cheap too.

Is it allowed to buy them yourself for a garage to fit? (I know it's probably a silly question, but I sorta assumed that you had to let them supply the parts.)

vaio

You can supply parts but I’d let them supply them, that way there is no argument if something goes wrong.

Exhausts are competitive, when yours eventually dies (and it doesn't sound like it has yet) just have a phone round from yellow pages.

goldspanners

shewhoguards wrote: »

Is it allowed to buy them yourself for a garage to fit? (I know it's probably a silly question, but I sorta assumed that you had to let them supply the parts.)

some garages will allow you to buy the parts and let them fit them but they will stress the fact they are not liable for the part.
i posted those links just to give you an idea of prices roughly so you dont get screwed when you go to a garage. keep these prices in mind when they tell you how much they want for thier exhausts.
i personally would just let the garage source the parts and fit them, unless it was something a bit rare or something custom i needed.but for a run of the mill car then let the garage get them,as vaio says it can help massively if you happen to get a fault with the exhaust.
but always shop around. spend a saturday morning going round some garages and ask them to have a look at your exhaust and see what it needs and how much to supply and fit.