Where to buy a car...

FATBALLZ

I need to buy a new car for work, I'll be doing about 20k miles a year mainly on the motorway. My budget is £3000, my main concern is buying something that won't fall to bits, but ideally something big enough for a family plus a bit of luggage would be nice.

I was thinking of a focus, but I'd be looking at a 7/8 year old one with 80k miles or so, and I can only get this from a private sale or independent dealer. I've read a lot of stuff from people saying main dealerships rip you off, but conversely I've read a lot of stuff about people saying independents are dodgy and the only safe way is to buy from a dealership.

My car buying experience is only of the following

- Buying a 15 year old fiesta privately that turned out to need thousands of pounds of work to pass an MOT plus the spare tyre wasn't even the right size.
- Buying a nice but reasonably expensive car from a dealership, which was ok really, but I don't want to spend so much this time.

I don't want to buy privately as I don't know enough about cars to know what to look for.

I can't decide whether to go to an independent and get a focus, or stick to a main dealership and get the cheapest car I can (I've seen a few corsas for £3k).

As long as the car lasts at least 12 months I'm not too worried, the money I'm buying it with was earmarked for a house deposit and it's the maximum I can spend without delaying my house buying plans, I don't want to take out finance in case it stops me getting a mortgage, but in 12 months time I'll have (hopefully) got a mortgage and be free to spend more on a better car.

Does anybody have any advice?

benham3160

Find the cleanest 306 HDi you can, and keep the change.

A Fiesta that needed "thousands" to pass an MOT probably wasn't a good bet, and lots of cars have a different sized spare wheel

Focus is a sound bet, with your money I'd stick to buying a clean and straight private car, with somebody who knows what they're doing, and an HPI check.

Regards,
Andy

ilovebanksMCMLXXXI

Contract Hire a car. There are 12 month deals out there for under £150pcm. 3x11 parameter = 14 payments. 14 x £150 = £2100.00 spread over the year.

You get a new car and the worry of it falling to bits is gone because it'll be under warranty.

All the best

Strider590

Go bigger, get a newer higher spec car for less money.

andygb

Go on the Auto Trader site. They have loads of Mazda 6s on there for around £2200 - £2500, with around 85000 miles and FSH. They are a superb car, and will last for years - petrol 1.8 and 2.0 only though, do not touch the diesels.

andygb

hypercarleasing wrote: »

Dealerships offer perhaps the most risk free purchase as they will often cherry pick the cars coming in and sell the rest off to 'trade' or pass them off to auction.

I would doubt if you would get a car over five years or 50,000 miles at a dealership though.

20,000 miles is a fair bit to be doing and if you are looking at buying an 80.000 mile car you would also need to factor in the price of a cambelt change (and even in the trade they don't come cheap although are more cost effective than trusting to good fortune!). Add MOT's, brakes, exhausts etc and you may be better off buying new especially as you get at least a years roadside assistance and RFL.

Buy cheap: Buy twice!

Mazda 6s use an internal cam chain not a cam belt.
The OP wants a used car, not a brand new car where he will lose £1000's in depreciation.