2nd hand car - Private or Trade? Where is the best place to look?

blue_monkey_2

LandyAndy wrote: »

I really wouldn't place much reliance on that.

No, but it is an option.

And if buying trade would there be more comeback??

gonzo127

how about looking at it from a slightly different direction, now you say its for carrying dogs as its main purpose, have you considered getting a supermini and dropping the back seat to give it the full capacity boot

stress_ed

Try Tesco cars.com avoid Funding Corporation or anything to do with carcraft, ACF,

blue_monkey_2

wild_tiger wrote: »

i'm in the same position as the op, i've been looking for a few weeks as i'm really fed up and don't know what to do for the best. I went to AC and looked at a £4000 ford focus 2006 28,000 which i was really excitied about but it has a rusty 1p dent in the front of the bonnet, both bumpers have been well scraped and there is a 1p hole in the rear bumper, the sales man wouldn't let me test drive it because it hasn't been in the bodyshop but yet it is for sale on several websites, i asked about a polo (also on their website) when i was there but it was away getting a mot at another site so i couldn't test drive it either I've looked at a few of AC cars and they are dirty inside, smelling of dogs and all of them have had dents and scrapes. This is maybe just because they are in my £4000 budget. The problem i have with buying privately is that i don't have a car to get to view the private ones easily.

I have £4000 and would prefer 5 doors, petrol or diesel, low miles, medium size as i have 3 kids, i have been looking at polos, ford fiesta and focus, and megane, i want as new as possible due to the extra safety since i'll have my kids in it and plan on using it to travel the 300 miles to my mums for holidays

Have a look for a Kia Cee'd, Rio or Carens.

We have owed a Kia for the last 10 years now. The new carens we have has an annoying problem with the window but other than this, no problems with them or the service they give. They give me a hire car for free when it goes in to be fixed (although it still isn't yet) too. Our old Rio never, ever lost a day and I wish we had kept it instead of trading it in, but hindsight is such a wonderful thing.

But I'd still choose another. We have always had them serviced and MOT's by Kia and we have never been ripped off on work that was 'needed' like we have in the past.

We are going to see a Kia Sedona on Saturday for £1800 on a Y plate. Insurance and fuel costs are decent too.

You should be able to get a 05-06 plate Carens for around £4k - the Carens we missed out on went for £850 on a 52 plate. And they often go quite cheap on eBay because people think they are 'old peoples' cars but the Carens is a decent size and they seem to be well built. Ours has airbags all around. If you can get one on an 06 plate or newer and it has all the dealer service history, go back to the dealer and ask if they will extend the warranty for another 2 years because you can do this now they have 7 year warranties. It costs about £200 but will give you peace of mind.

blue_monkey_2

gonzo127 wrote: »

how about looking at it from a slightly different direction, now you say its for carrying dogs as its main purpose, have you considered getting a supermini and dropping the back seat to give it the full capacity boot

Yes, but hubby wants it for going to 'B&Q' as well. (where is the rolly eye smiley these days).

But in all seriousness, if it is the holidays I want to get the dogs and the kids in the back plus hubby is going to need to use it when I am out with the dogs and he has the kids.

I have to be honest, I don;t think i can see myself in a small car ever again.

As I say, we are going to see a couple of Sedona's at the weekend - all under 2.5k, 'newest' on an 04 plate but one of them is £1300 and see what comes of that. I go to dog training at the weekend so it means I have to miss to go and buy a car because they are not open on Sundays. Tsk. They also have a couple of Discoverys that I want a look at too.

LandyAndy

blue_monkey wrote: »

As I say, we are going to see a couple of Sedona's at the weekend - all under 2.5k, 'newest' on an 04 plate but one of them is £1300 and see what comes of that. I go to dog training at the weekend so it means I have to miss to go and buy a car because they are not open on Sundays. Tsk. They also have a couple of Discoverys that I want a look at too.

Try not to do more than look;).

A £1500 Disco could break your heart and your wallet.:(

Hammyman

blue_monkey wrote: »

I go to dog training at the weekend so it means I have to miss to go and buy a car because they are not open on Sundays.

I absolutely HATE people like you with a passion. "They're not open on Sundays" whine whine whine. And to a man, if people who make that comment are asked if they'd work weekends they say "not a chance".

blue_monkey_2

Hammyman wrote: »

I absolutely HATE people like you with a passion. "They're not open on Sundays" whine whine whine. And to a man, if people who make that comment are asked if they'd work weekends they say "not a chance".

Hate people like me because they want to buy something on their day off?? I hope that you are not a trader with that attitude, it'll not get you far if you find your customer whiney because they want to buy something on their day off.

And ah you see just how very wrong you can be. My huband DOES work weekends. He also works Bank Holidays, has no set time he is home in the evenings and he was working all over Xmas. So do I, and evenings, but I work for myself so I can take a few hours out to do things I need to. My childrens clubs and dog training is done around our work.

And yes, Sundays are the only day we have a free day to be able to get out to buy anything that we need to touch, feel and try to be able to buy. Cars' furniture, clothes, if it needs to be tried it has to be on a Sunday or an evening. Tough really. We are the same as a lot of families out there now. We don't even go to the bank anymore. Everything is done online.

You cannot run a business and sell to the general public if you are only open Mon-Fri 9-5.

As for my business, I take it on holiday with me too, I work in the evenings and get up early in the morning to finish up if I need to. You want to make money you have to put yourself out to run it and this is what a lot of these traders do, they work for themselves, so if they want to sell then they need to employ someone on a Sunday or work themselves otherwise they are not reaching a lot of their market.

Lives are busy these days, you have to move with the times. The only day most of my friends are free to do these things is at an evening or on a Sunday too as they have things to do on Saturdays. And this is why car supermarkets do so well, because they are open late and they are open on a Sunday. But who really loses out? The smaller trader who works for himself because he is having a day off while the car supermarket is open.

IF it was me I'd be closed during the week and open on the Sundays. But that would make too much sense I guess. And if I wanted to have a day off I;d ask someone to help out for the day. How difficult can it be to open for 3 hours on a Sunday. Especially if you advertise on your website that you are open 7 days a week.

blue_monkey_2

LandyAndy wrote: »

Try not to do more than look;).

A £1500 Disco could break your heart and your wallet.:(

I know..... my husband and my friends hubby both fix cars and I know a cheap welder. I bought a cheap transit for £500 a few years back, cost about £300 in work to get through 2 MOT's and to fix the rusty chassis, used it for 3 years and sold it for £750. now that was a bargain!!

I need to go and drive one and see how bad and old one really looks before I am convinced otherwise though.

We have not even managed to go and look at any yet because everywhere seems to be CLOSED ON A SUNDAY! :rotfl:

z1a

blue_monkey wrote: »

We have been out today looking for a 2nd hand car. What a waste of a day!!

Some will not tell you the reserve so I am not going to waste my precious time viewing cars I might not have the money for anyway.

Just bid £100k to reveal reserve, then retract bid.