Which people carrier to buy/avoid for around £4-5k

bigjl

JimmyTheWig wrote: »

All the Grand Scenics in CarGiant are manuals. We're looking for an automatic ideally.
Don't fancy auctions.
The one we've seen is a 2.0 petrol, though we're not overly fussed about that. Bigger is better, obviously, but then you pay more on insurance and fuel. I've never felt the need to beat boy racers at traffic lights!
It's done 55k, which I think is pretty good.

The thing that attacted us to that one was the warranty.
The first place I spoke to about a warranty (on an 03 Kia Sedona) wanted £500 a year for an RAC warranty. This place are saying £575 for a three year AA warranty. I presume that the two warranties are comparable.

But if you can get an independent warranty, that sounds worth looking at. There's a 55 plate Grand Scenic that's done 80k for a thousand pounds less than the one we're looking at. If we can get a resonably priced warranty on that we might be sorted.

the one that went through Chelmsford for £3300 was an auto.

Autos are not really worth much more than a manual these days. Certainly not a Grand Scenic anyway.

In fact most of the Scenic and Grand Scenic getting sold at BCA are auto, a large number of which were Motability.

Still think you are paying a lot for a 6 yr old Renault.

Even the overpriced on i mentoned was auto, it was a low miler, but was expensive at £7 grand, though i expect a deal.could be done if you weren't trading in.

A three yr old Grand for £4000 at auction versus a six yr old for 500 more. I think i would risk.it on a fsh ex motability car.

I wouldn't put to much value into the AA warranty, though it will pay for the autobox when.it goes.

bigjl

Forgot to mention a warranty on a newer car will usually work out cheaper.

And as the manufacturers warranty has just expired there is always the idea of buying an extended warranty from.Renault.

Also look into the AA repair cover that you pay for monthly or yearly and when something breaks the cover pays for a repair.

Again i have never used it but it does seem a good idea.

Personally i would buy at auction at three years old and take a chance.

One of the vehicles i am looking at will be a Scenic with an autobox but with LPG. As you have room to put the LPG filling point under the petrol flap for that factory look.

It is a pity you never checked CG earlier as they had several 2.0 auto Grand Scenics in stock recently, all ex mobility.

There is a BCA near you though, Blackbushe. Why not check what they have in stock.

I am going down to CG this weekend with the BiL as he wants a Honda Accord and i will grab a manager to see if he knows of any more Grands with an autobox coming in soon.

I know Renaults may not be as reliable as some cars, though never had many problems with mine, but they are sooooo comfy........

JimmyTheWig

They've got one at Blackbushe in two days time.
1. I'll be at work.
2. I have no idea what it will go for.
3. Can you really tell what you're buying at auction?

Flyboy152

JimmyTheWig wrote: »

They've got one at Blackbushe in two days time.
1. I'll be at work.
2. I have no idea what it will go for.
3. Can you really tell what you're buying at auction?

You might find CarGiant to a bit cheaper, but you will end spending more than save later on. Bigjl seems to be on some kind of commission for everyone he refers to them, so take what he says with a large pinch of salt.

I'd also suggest you read some of the CarGiant threads on this forum.

mikey72

bigjl wrote: »

...............He doesn't do diesel, especially that Fiat lump so it is the nice 2.2, not a mark on it anywhere, but it is manual so no good for me.

Price?


£5999 + £91 fees. Last serviced at 15k a couple of months ago. Not bad for an 08 plate low miler. Even got £500 for his 150k mile 04 /04 Mk3 Mondeo with a petro engine, that will be going through Chelmsfors or an auction in Colchester next week.

Now come on flyboy, where is your suggestion for a better deal, not everubody likes Vectras but not expensive at that price.

Would have been, what? £22k new.

Haven't read the other threads, too long for me.

The Vectra is about the same price in our supermarkets, so it doesn't sound bad at all. They don't have many 2.2's though, you really have to want one to pay the extra VED, the fuel, and fact you can't give them away after. Still a nice car though, maybe if I didn't do so many miles and treated my cars like skips I'd be tempted.

bigjl

He intends to get it converted to LPG mikey, and I have filled him in on the need to keep the oil changed regularly wth top spec stuff, he intends to keep up the dealer history with me doing and interim oil change at 6k.

The car is spotless and a CDTi with similar miles would be a lot more expensive, and you know my opinion on that engine with a DPF.

He needed to finance otherwise it would have been a trip to Manheim or BCA to save a grand or so, but he is well pleased, local dealers have higher miles ones for a grand more without the Irmsher grille so again he is happy, it also has HID lights, not sure if that was an option.

The thread basically turned into the usual rubbish were flyboy adds nothing constructive and then says i work for CarGiant, what twaddle.

BiL drives in from Colchester to work in London, but stays at mine, does his three shifts and goes back to Colchester.

He is showing over 40mpg sitting at a steady 70ish, as it is a rather long geared, but that was always a Vauxhall trait, long legged cruisers.

I must admit that it is the cleanest car I have seen bought at CarGiant, not even so much as scuff on an alloy, parking dent or stonechip. If it was an auto I would be jealous.

As it stands it is a massive family hatchback for the money, the 1.8 is way too sluggish for my liking, but I think the 2.2 has 150bhp, I believe the only issues are occasional fuel pumps. I think somebody on here said the top end issues that the 2.2 had were sorted out in 2004 at the latest.

mikey72

I've bought from car supermarkets. Usually less than a year old, and I keep them for years, until they fall apart.
Prices are low, they're ex fleet normally, and the first one I bought years ago, was from a batch of 4, I bought one, then when I went to a Fiat garage to get a few niggles fixed under the rest of the warranty, they had the others on their forecourt for sale for about £1000 dearer.

Flyboy152

mikey72 wrote: »

I've bought from car supermarkets. Usually less than a year old, and I keep them for years, until they fall apart.
Prices are low, they're ex fleet normally, and the first one I bought years ago, was from a batch of 4, I bought one, then when I went to a Fiat garage to get a few niggles fixed under the rest of the warranty, they had the others on their forecourt for sale for about £1000 dearer.

You see, this is the point, most people would have preferred the seller to have resolved these "niggles," before offering the car for sale.

JimmyTheWig

Ok, here's a plan...

Cargiant fans: Pick me out an automatic 7 seater, with room for a buggy in the boot, from cargiant, ideally under £5k.
Cargiant haters: It's your turn next - what's wrong (or might be wrong) with the car(s) they pick out.

mikey72

Got to be honest, I agree. If it has a Fiat warranty, I want them to fix it, not a car supermarket. They may be as good, equally, they may just have a really big tin of polish and a really big tin of tyre black in the garage round the back.

The main niggle was the electric sunroof needed adjusting properly, as it caught coming back. A dealer would have a much better chance of getting the adjustments right. A door lock went as well, far better to get a Fiat motor put in under warranty, and get the Fiat headed paperwork in case it needed looking at again later. (It didn't).
Other things like the cigarette lighter that had been nicked, the supermarket probably nicked one from the car next to mine for me when I told them.

Another one, different supermarket, the spare key didn't work (chip was missing), it worked at the time, but only because both keys were in the car, and the car was reading the other key, and the spare tyre was flat. (It had been swopped over, and obviously not picked up, and I didn't check)
Thet told me to take it to a main dealer, I got it sorted, then they sent me a cheque for it.