First time buyer, want to buy a car. do's and don'ts

humadoon

Hi

i am looking forward to buy a car, but i have no knowledge where to start, don't even know much about the models, i dont want anything fancy just want something with cheap insurance and no repair troubles. my main aim is to use it for commuting.

Please advice me.

Regards

jase1

Small petrol engine, Japanese or German preferably, not too expensive.

Micra, Yaris, Hyundai Getz, Seat Ibiza, Skoda Fabia, Fiesta are all safe bets, and can be picked up cheaply. Many 1.1 engines can now push out upwards of 75bhp which is quite enough for a little car.

Buy as new as you can afford, don't be too worried about mileage (within reason -- small cars don't last much beyond 120-130,000 miles generally) but always look for service history. Four good tyres, all of the same brand (or at least the front two and rear two the same) is a good sign, black oil or near the minimum marker is a bad one, look for scuffs on the wheel trims (bad sign -- kerbed), check for paint overspray in the engine bay, ensure the car goes and stops in a straight line without coaxing.

I'm sure someone will be able to come up with a lot more.

Gizmos_dad

Well first of all you need to decide how much you can afford to spend on the car itself. Bearing in mind you will need to have enough left over for insurance and road tax.

Also if the car you are looking for is over 3 years old it will need an mot. There are number of factors to consider before buying. Your best bet would be to take someone with you when viewing a car who knows a bit about cars.

Do you want a car with
mot
tax
how many cc is the engine- if less than 1400 cc cheaper tax??
Diesel or petrol engine
how much mileage
service history- dealer stamps in book
if it's coming up to 6 yrs of age or around 50,000 miles has it had the cam belt done
If no mot, how much work will it need to pass an mot test.

These are just some of the questions you will need to ask. Not all will be relevant as it depends on the car make, model and age.

As I said if you don't know a lot about cars, best to get advice from someone who knows a little about them.

I hope this helps.

humadoon

thank you gizmos dad and jase1 ..that was very helpful info...

my budget is under 1000 quid.

Exemplar

You can buy my 3 door seat ibiza chill 1.4 2001 51 for 1000!

Cheeky wink!

jase1

Ah well, at 1000 pounds a lot of what I said goes out the window. It's all about being at the right place at the right time at that sort of price -- don't be at all fussy about make and model and buy on condition only. If the right car is a Golf, jump on it. If it's a Kia, jump on it. You're just looking for the car that has been well looked after really.

That said, the general pointers still hold true. Just don't get too caught up on the badge.

bigjl

My wife abuse... sorry drove a Hyundai Accent on a P reg for years, not attractive, but a good buy and drive into the ground car, just make sure the previous owner didn't have the same idea!

As jase said, if it turns up at a decent price, first check the insurance costs then go for it, but if you know little then perhapos an inspection would be sensible, say by the RAC or AA, it may cost £100, but could save you thousands.

jd82

If you're young and a new driver you might find it is works out cheaper to buy a newer car, the logic being that the insurance is often a lot cheaper. I swapped a 1999 Corsa for a brand new Panda and the Panda is costing me the same as the Corsa did all in but I have a brand new car out of it.

Ilona

Be carefull if buying private, take someone with you who knows cars. Keep your eyes open for people that put a 'for sale' sign on their car in the driveway. Worth looking at a few dealers who have taken in smaller older cars in part ex. With the price of petrol you should be thinking about running costs, smaller engine, cheaper insurance and tax. My personal choice would be Ford or Vauxhall.
Ilona

irstaroo22

jase1 wrote: »

Ah well, at 1000 pounds a lot of what I said goes out the window. It's all about being at the right place at the right time at that sort of price -- don't be at all fussy about make and model and buy on condition only. If the right car is a Golf, jump on it. If it's a Kia, jump on it. You're just looking for the car that has been well looked after really.

That said, the general pointers still hold true. Just don't get too caught up on the badge.

Golfs are pretty expensive as i have been looking for one, and the insurance would work out mega expensive =(

irstaroo22

I would stay away from a ford Ka they are pretty cheap but tend to rust A LOT, the old ish ones anyways!