Pricing a second car - private sale

usignuolo

I have been offered the chance to buy a Renault clio 1.4 around 6 years old, 6,500 miles, one careful lady owner, wants to pass it on to another lady owner. I need to replace my own more elderly clio and am tempted.

I will get it checked out of course but it has been used weekly to do a shop and go to the hairdressers. Owners husband is now unable to drive their main car any more so she has taken that over and wants the clio to go to a good home. She has owned it from new and it has been regularly serviced.

The thing is what is a fair price? I have looked at some trade sites and been amazed at the prices being asked for clios (how high they are that is). Anyone got any suggestions?

Eyeballs99

Whatcar Valuations recomends this, clearly depending if this is the correct model and year of course

Renault Clio Hatchback 1.4 16v Expression 3dr 2005 (55) 6,500 miles Dealer £5,340 Private £4,985 Part exchange £4,750 Trade £4,540 Cost new £9,950

Hintza

Mileage is awfully low which has it's own problems. How is the exhaust? Has the cam belt been done? Was it serviced every year?

It might be OK but don't be dazzled by the low mileage and get it throughly checked out.

LandyAndy

An average of 20 miles a week for 6 years. It isn't enough use. As Hintza says it may have a whole load of problems, just not the same ones a high miler would have.

iolanthe07

Around a thousand miles a year? I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole. The engine has rarely had a chance to get really hot and there will be lots of unburned carbon deposit and other crud in the sump - lots of other potential problems too with such a low mileage car. Why do people think low mileage=good? Modern engines and tranmissions need to be used.

Hammyman

usignuolo wrote: »

I have been offered the chance to buy a Renault clio 1.4 around 6 years old, 6,500 miles, one careful lady owner, wants to pass it on to another lady owner. I need to replace my own more elderly clio and am tempted.

I will get it checked out of course but it has been used weekly to do a shop and go to the hairdressers.

Wouldn't touch it with a bargepole. Its done a lot of stop start short journeys in town and will have considerable wear to the brakes, suspension and clutch that a higher mileage car of a similar age wouldn't have. Also there's lots of potential hidden problems due to it basically spending its entire life being run on cold start.

Stigy

Am I the only one who would touch it with a bargepole? If it's been serviced yearly and had the cambelt changed once, I wouldn't worry about it! I wouldn't pay over £4,000 though!

ilovebanksMCMLXXXI

£4,000 should easily buy that car. If it doesn't it's too expensive

colino

Sounds nice, but don't get carried away. £3000 is plenty for a private sale for what is, a very, very common little car.

jd82

Low milleages causes its own problems. Its probably never been run in properly and many elderly drivers wreck clutches.

Then the cam belt will need doing too.

I would consider it but only if it was priced properly and the don't want silly money for it. £3k sounds a about right if a little too much.

Let somebody else be conned into the low milleage is good thing.