Buying a used car (vectra maybe?)

liam8282

Gandalfthesecond wrote: »

If you know so much about buying cars why the need to ask here?

Oh no, another one.

If you have nothing to add, why post?

You clearly didn't read my post that you quoted either.

I know enough about cars, but don't have experience of auctions. I thought that was simple enough to understand, obviously not for some though.

Asking for advice and being better prepared would surely reduce the risks which have been exhausted to death on here.

liam8282

hartcjhart wrote: »

getting bored now

Well hijacking another persons thread to turn it into the

"hartcjhart - inactive, post a snidey comment then thank each other for it"

thread would do that.

You clearly have nothing more to add and you added very little to begin with. The good advice was steer clear of private enteries, thanks for that.

Sorry if you were offended that I pointed out that you posted misleading and ill informed information. You said you couldn't do checks on cars, WRONG. You said you weren't covered for hpi checks etc, WRONG. Coming from someone who was harping on about how much they know, they seem to be basics that you got totally WRONG.

If you are so bored there is nobody making you keep coming back to the thread I created.

bigjl

hartcjhart wrote: »

sadly incorrect with that point,auctions are far riskier as most cars over a certain age/value are sold as seen no rejection

at least with ebay.a/trader etc you have a chance to get a test drive,vehicle inspection, hpi,etc

This does show a certain lack of insight into the used car trade, it changes all the time as dealers try to find ways of making a profit.

Most main dealers have a preferred trader they call to underwrite cars that they have no intention of keeping in stick after trade in time, they will tend to give them a call when you are in the early stages of a deal, the offer will be bottom book. The salesman that is doing the deal in the main dealer will filter the cars that he offers to his preferred trader, such as only phoning "John" when a nice one owner diesel auto is about to be traded in.

Some main dealers just have a policy to send straight to auction all trade ins over a few years old and don't underwrite the deal atall, though even if they do phone a trader to underwrite the deal there is no guarantee they will sell them the car, just use them to push down your trade in price.

Staff at the dealer also have a chance to buy the trade ins, at cost plus a little bit on top.

But the large majority of trade ins do go straight to auction, this includes really nice reliable cars, but will obviously include a few lemons, but seasoned auction buyers know how to spot a lemon, only inexperienced private bargain huntes tend to buy these wrong-uns.

I have had to point obvious things out to these bargain hunters on more than one occasion, call it a character flaw but I can't help it.

If you go to Chelmsford Car Auction, now Aston Barclay, or Manhiem in Colchester there are two or three traders that buy three or four cars a time, and move them to the car park, take photos and then put them straight on eBay, I watched an Alfa with the sensotronic thingy auto box fitted go for £700, that then sold four days later on eBay from nigh in £2000, the eBay listing was full of rubbish and flannel, this trader also has at least four eBay aliases.

He always puts on his listings that the car has come direct from the previous owner or was a main dealer trade-in, etc, etc.

I would never buy from a trader on eBay, I would and have bought a cheapy from the previous owner just wanting rid, but most, of not all eBay traders are less honest than those selling through Autotrader, as eBay is an auction, and it is buyer beware.

Dodgy trader know this, there are many good traders on eBay, but the rubbish out numbers the good from what I have seen.


Basically, buyer beware, and avoid the 1.9 CDTi Vauxhall engine with or without the DPF, have been working in the office where the bloke at the next desk is the bloke in charge of purchasing fleet and therefore knows exactly how unreliable this engine is, which is a shame as it is a smooth and when remapped a reliable unit.

Though perhaps it is the way we treat them in the NHS Ambulance Trusts, every Trust that had them had problems, which we never had with the 1.8 petrol engines or the 2.0 DTi used the same way, even though the 2.2 and 2.0 DTi a bit of an old school diesel lump, they do seem robust, and now they can be remapped to give a bit more oomph, the 2.0 DTi only came with 100bhp in the auto Zafira mk1, with an extra 10 or 15 bhp a Vectra 2.0 DTi would be a much nicer vehicle, though I am not sure what the power of the 2.0 DTi Vectra is, but I would assume it is the same as the Zafira.

We have got 50 or 60 2.0 DTi Zafiras, all auto, some where 53 and 54 plate and the rest where 05 plate, which had alloys and sports seats, but otherwise pretty much the same. They are all on the original engines, they do go through turbos every two years due to the way we switch them off after a hard drive, but they are so much more reliable than the 1.9 CDTi's.

It is a shame as the CDTi is a much smoother and quieter engine, but a choice between refinement and reliability, I am afraid I would chose reliability.

To, the OP, don't forget that you will get a newer Mondeo for the same money as a Vectra, petrol Mondeos are almost worthless at auction.

Though I reckon the Vectra is a better looking more roomy car, and it was one of the cars I was after when I bought my Mondeo, I wanted a Rover 75 diesel estate, a Vectra hatch with a DTi engine or a Mondeo.

The Mondeo was just too cheap to ignore, just over 3 years old, FSH, one owner, approx 80k miles for £2450, sold to the bloke at the back!

The only Vectra I could get for that money was 5 yrs old.

liam8282

bigjl

I presume the astra sportive van CDTi 1.9, is the same engine as the Vectra CDTi 1.9? Or have they changed over the years, say from 05 to current?

Just asking because my dad has the astra sportive van and I have to say he has never had a problem with it. Although saying that, he has had it from new and it is only a 59 plate or something close.

The CDTi 1.9 was actually one of the cars I was looking at and may have ended up bidding on. I was under the impression the diesel would be more reliable than the petrol, but I will definitely take note of what you have said. I would actually prefer a petrol, but was trying to be sensible and go for the diesel.

I think the reasoning behind choosing a Vectra over a Mondeo or something similar, is just as you said I think it is a better looking car, there isn't much between the two, I just prefer the Vectra out of what is available in that range.

I also want one with the dark brake lights, colour coded door handles, alloys etc. So probably an SXI or SRI, or a lookalike. Not that I am picky or anything. The Elegance that was there Monday had all that, so hopefully a few more will turn up at the auctions soon.

Strider590

^^ The most reliable engines are the 1.8 petrol, the 2.0 turbo petrol and the 2.8 v6 petrol.

Buying new, you'd go for the diesels, but as they get older the diesels start to cost a fortune in repairs, with turbo, DMF and DPF failures costing near £1000 a pop.

The SRI is just a trim level and was available in all engine sizes with the exception of the V6's.

optimus_primera

I have been out in a company Vectra estate today,never driven the estate version before, quite impressed,lots of room for me (being over 6ft).
Will have to add to my 'considering' list for the Primeras replacement.