need new car: what to look for/offers?

frothey

^^ correct, to buy the diesel version of mine would have cost £3000+ more (as a used car) to save myself £80 per year in tax and about £500 per year in fuel.... I do about 5k a year so will never get the fuel saving back and keep cars 2yrs tops.

TBH when people go on about tax cost, even cars which are £400 to tax, well it's only £8 per week - a lot of people spend more than that every day on coffee, sandwiches and snacks. I'd rather drive something I enjoy than trundle around in something "efficient" that I don't really like.....

davidjwest

pigeonpie wrote: »

any ideas on where to look, online or actual dealers?
Someone I know bought just this kind of car (he got a great price on a high mileage BMW) but he's a mechanic and knew for sure it had done motorway miles, not urban miles. It still had 2 years on its warranty. But this was in France, where they don't pay car tax.

Don't limit yourself, look everywhere and compare for the best deal - online, dealers, magazines, wherever!

Generally company cars should have less wear and tear for their mileage as they've probably done motorway miles and not had a car full of people. Look at the condition of the interior, wear on the gearstick/pedals etc.

Look at any receipts for work that's been done to them, will also give clues as to what kind of life the car has had.

pigeonpie

head is spinning but thanks! I wish we knew more about mechanics. Is it worth getting an AA (or similar) check if it's a used car?
I haven't bought a car in the UK since the 80s. We were living abroad

davidjwest

If you're spending a few thousand on a car then the hundred or so quid for an AA check isn't exactly a big expense for some peace of mind. You could probably ask the dealer to pay for the AA check on the proviso if it's OK you'll buy the car, might be interesting to see what responses you get!

pigeonpie

I really like french cars. I've owned Renaults and a Peugeot. They all handled well and were comfy, with spacious boots. OH says they don't retain their value in the UK so are they a bad buy?
Is there any make that is a lot more expensive/less expensive for parts? (labour costs in London area can be up to £100 an hour!).
Plus have no idea on insurance groups - for a reasonably sized car (not a supermini), say one of your used BMW 1 series or a 1.4 or 1.6 hatchback or station wagon, how much would it cost approximately for London per year?
(not garaged, but off street parking if that makes a difference and I have max. no claim bonus).
We are trying to work out the approximate running costs.

Hintza

pigeonpie wrote: »

We are trying to work out the approximate running costs.

When buying a new car the first thing to buy is a copy of What Car it will give ou a rough guide on running costs and insurance groups etc.

vikingaero

pigeonpie wrote: »

In January we will need to buy a car, either new or one that has a decent no of years of its warranty left. We don't really know where to start looking.
We know nothing about engines etc so it does need warranty. We would prefer a down payment and then a reasonable amount monthly as can't afford even a basic new car outright.

I suppose it makes sense to get a small car for insurance (London), tax and petrol reasons. I saw a deal for a Peugeot 3 dr ('all in' insurance, car tax, euro breakdown cover and warranty for 3 years) but assume that the monthly amount actually covers what we'd pay anyhow on this car (?).

The car must be one that retains as much 2nd hand value as possible.

OH likes bigger cars (safer, comfier, more fun to drive) but I'm arguing that the price of fuel, tax and insurance outweighs this. We don't often drive long distances, although have done so in the past in a tiny car and it wasn't fun.
Can we assume that with new car sales falling, that the dealers will definitely pass on the VAT increase if we wait until January?

Any suggestions please? (car must look nice....neither of us likes Fords or Corsas)

Try a Kia, Hyundai or Toyota for their reliability and 5-7 year warranties. Whatever you choose to buy, go onto sites like Drive The Deal and take the printout to your local dealer for negotiation on pricing.

10JH

Try looking to see what car models will match your needs using this car chooser - http://www.carbuzz.co.uk/carchooser.aspx

I'd recommend making sure you buy a model that is as new as possible, i.e. the model is not about to get replaced/facelifted. That's what often hits in terms of depereciation.

If you're buying soon then you should get a really good deal, as December is one of the quietest times for car dealers. So it shouldn't be too hard to get a big discount.

As above, Kia and Hyundai have very good warranties, so potentially you have 7 years free of worrying about things breaking!

victor2

You can save a lot of money by getting an ex-demonstrator or young (like 1 year old) car from a main dealer. The car will still have some warranty left and although you'll pay a slightly higher dealer price for it, you'll get the comfort of a well prepared car and it's unlikely the dealer will mess you about as they represent the manufacturer - and somebody has taken the initial depreciation and VAT hit on the purchase cost.
Look around and get a feel for what your requirements are in terms of size, number of doors, performance and general equipment specifications. Then see what takes your fancy and look at dealer prices. I have used Parkers chooser to help. You review a model that takes your fancy and it tells you loads about it plus what else to consider.
It can take a bit of effort, but should be worth it in the long run.

getmore4less

I have become a fan of

www.honestjohn.co.uk
www.whatcar.co.uk
www.autoexpress.co.uk
www.autotrader.co.uk

Just read as many reviews as you can to get a feel for whats out there and issues thye have had.

Remember most places can service a car in a day so you could plan a trip to a place outside london for servicing.

What is you mileage profile ( now many and types of trip).

If nearly all local city short then consider a small runaround and hire cars for the longer trips.

Whats wrong with the current car?