Advice PLEASE on purchase of a 2007 clio

jase1

I'd be hesitant about getting the dealer to do it anyway. It's a component (or indeed set of components) that are well hidden away in the guts of the engine, so it's difficult if not impossible for a layman to verify that the work has been done (I certainly wouldn't necessarily be able to tell even if I had access). Far better to try to haggle another couple of hundred quid off -- do the old "I'm only willing to pay £X" and walk away trick -- and get the work done at a trusted garage.

samantham06

Ok thankyou all very much for your advice, much appreciated. I will speak to the dealer tommorrow and see if he will knock a couple of hundred off... unlikely but you never know! I will let you know how it goes xx

fivetide

Samantha,

If you aren't sure exactly what you are looking at, I'd head over to a Reno dealer and see if you can get in a similar car (even one you can't afford) and give it a go. Main dealer should be pricier but should also have a decent quality car on the forecourtr, or at least one with a lot less miles.

Then, go drive the one you have seen.

Does the clutch bite higher?

Is there a lot more wear on the seat/pedals etc?
Does it seem to have the same power?
Does it stop in a striaght line?
Any smoke out the back when you boot it?
Does it sound as quiet when cold/idleing

etc etc.

Basically, find a really really good one with half the miles on and compare the two and you should have an idea whether this one is tired or not.

It might have done all the miles on the motorway, makes sense so as long as it hasn't been thrashed it could well be fine. Build quality still isn't a real strong point though so I would be very critical and if it doesn't feel right, walk away. There are loads out there and it sounds like if it does go wrong you are clearing out the savings so you will have to go into debt to fix it.

Good luck.

5t.

Flyboy152

Inactive wrote: »

Oh no, not more Car Giant spamming.

Before buying from Car Giant try Googling them for customer reviews.

Barge pole and don't touch springs to mind.

I wonder what would happen if CarGiant were selling a Vauxhall diesel, would the world implode? :rotfl::rotfl:

Flyboy152

bigjl wrote: »

As, already mentioned in my previous post, there will be a CG basher along shortly.

Inactive thinks they are crap due to charging an small, widely advertised fee on purchase, which all dealers do, just that not all tell you about it.


I have heard few bad things about CarGiant, in fact I have only heard negative things on this forum, from you actually, but I am happy to advise somebody to use CarGiant, have bought many cars there, as have friends and colleages.


I have asked you before if you have bought a car there and I still think I am awaiting an answer.


I take it you now advise the OP to buy the car she has asked for advise about.



And obviously the reason CG sells thousands of cars a month is because they rip everybody off, isn't it? They most certainly can't have been trading for over 20 yrs, oh, whats that, they have!!!!!


However whenever you buy a car, you need to check it out as you would any car, CG are no different, I am sure somebody mentioned on here or linked to somebodies comments somewhere on the net that they where unhappy that something like a loadcover was missing and that it wasn't cricket, blah, blah, I think you will find that it was missing before sale and they where too stupid to ask for a replacement, or simply buy another car if they were unhappy with that one.

Though a main dealer will happily make sure the loadcover is in there, but they will charge you a couple of grand more for the privilege.

Very MSE, telling people to pay more.

Tosh.

..........

Flyboy152

samantham06 wrote: »

Ah thanks everyone for the advice!!
So it is going to be due a cambelt change then.. I thought so much!! I had a little research online.
Thanks for the advice on cargiant.. but Ive saved up for this car for quite a while and dont want to get in any debt so I am sticking to my budget of 3k + 1k trade in for my car.
I may ask the seller if he will change the cambelt for me, and ill still pay the full asking price?
Thing is he wont drop the price at all, so its unlikely he will do that... even though he has his own garage?!
I am a young woman, so I can imagine I am an 'easy' target for salesmen, however I do know a little bit about cars.. not alot but im not compeltely dense about it.
Hmm... the car was lovely, just I dont want to be buying problems as it was higher milege than I was looking for.
So as i said before.. possibly a solution may be to ask him to change the cambelt.. So i know its not going to be a big expense for me quite soon.. as buying this car is using most of my savings...

Whatever decision you come to Samantha, aways, without fail, have an independent inspection from the AA/Rac etc. It is worth its weight in gold.

Flyboy152

bigjl wrote: »

On, you go , if Iwant an E Class diesel I will get it from Addison Lee actually, ex Private Hire, 100k on the clock well maintained and clean and tidy all round, all for just over £10000. But you can pay almost £20k for the same car with slightly less miles if you want, Merc dealers need to eat too.

As far a Lexus, no wouldn't buy one actually so help yourself.

On the subject of BMW, yes I would save 5 or 6 grand and get mine from CarGiant.


But you know what they say, you can take a Horse to water but can't make it drink, so you carry on doing you and I will keep doing me.

Now I am really learning a lot from your posts, but, in the words of the platoon sarge from JarHead, "I've got more important things to do, like play with my balls"

It is not worth the risk.