Changing my car

Gettingtherequickly

Hi there

I am looking to change my car in September and would appreciate your tips.

Ideally, I want to pay cash for a 2010, Astra or Focus. Now what would my chances of getting a demo model at a good price be and what would you consider to be a good price? I have not chosen Sept because of the reg plate change, but because service & MOT are due then, and tax is due end of March, ordinarily I would do 12 months, but if I put 6 on it, I can avoid the cost of the service & MOT. Currently have 51 reg Focus with 60k on the clock, not sure how much of a trade in I would get for it, but am realistic about t!

Thanks

bigjl

Of the two new models, a 2010 Astra would be the currentr shape, but the new Focus has just come out, saw one yesterday at Lakeside, so a 2010 Focus would not be the current shape.

I actually prefer the look of the old Astra over the new shape one, though the new one is a better car, but not cheap.

If you work for the Emergency services you can get, or used to get, a 12% off an Astra. This was on top of any other discount offered.

Your Focus is worth more selling privately, but I would suspect a dealer would offer around £500.

Most main dealers will have a demo to sell you, but recently I have noticed they aren't much cheaper than new prices, they are also used as company cars for the staff at the garage, so they cover much more miles than they used to, I have seen a Prius at the local Toyota dealer that had 8000 miles in 6 months!

My BiL has bought ex demo cars for 20 years, he has never had an issue, but when he bought his last one, 08 plate A4 TDi he noticed that the saving was harder to achieve and he had to barter harder than normal.

daveyjp

For Focus and Astra always check out new prices from online brokers.

A colleague has just bought an outgoing Focus 1.6TDCi sport for just over 12k from drivethedeal. List is 18k.

Ilona

My last three cars have been ex Motability cars, you can pick them up with very low mileage, service history, for a very reasonable price. You wont get a 2010 though, they are changed every three years. I recently bought a 57plate Meriva for £5,500, with 15,000 on the clock. I could have had one with only 4,000 miles for an extra £500, I didn't bother. My previous two were Ford estates, Escort and Focus, both really good cars. Try Perry's.co.uk Worth a look.
Ilona

jason87

I much prefer the 2004- astra to the new one.
They are finalising the 2013 astra already and the new one has only just come out!