Which Car?

spikescot2005

Currently looking at 2 cars, which would you recommend going for. Both cars are in fantastic condition thoughout.

Option 1... Trade seller

Renault Clio Mtv, 2000 1.1
Mileage = 73,000 mile
1 years MOT 6 months tax
Price £700

Option 2... Private seller

Vauxhall Corsa Comfort 16v, 2001 1.2
Mileage = 91,500 miles
Mot: 18/06/2012
Tax: 31/10/2012
Price £1000

Would be very grateful of your assistance.

pinkneonmartini

spikescot2005 wrote: »

Currently looking at 2 cars, which would you recommend going for. Both cars are in fantastic condition thoughout.

Option 1... Trade seller

Renault Clio Mtv, 2000 1.1
Mileage = 73,000 mile
1 years MOT 6 months tax
Price £700

Option 2... Private seller

Vauxhall Corsa Comfort 16v, 2001 1.2
Mileage = 91,500 miles
Mot: 18/06/2012
Tax: 31/10/2012
Price £1000

Would be very grateful of your assistance.

Personally i'd opt for the Renault, lower miles on the clock, cheaper price, and I'd imagine it'll be cheaper to insure. But check Glass's or Parker's used car price first on both to make sure your getting a good deal, and be cheeky, offer £500 and do some haggling

MX5huggy

Option 1 as it has a decent MOT length.

But any evidence that the milage is genuine? Check the mots on the web. Pile of old certs, service record?

The get the bonnet catch checked, http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/no-recall-from-renault-on-clio-bonnets/224409

pendulum

Out of the two, probably the Clio, as you've got a long MoT and some extra cash to fix it when something goes wrong.

jaydeeuk1

I'd go for the renault too (never thought I'd ever say that!), only because its cheaper. Both will probably have faults weeks or months down the line, so the money saved can be put towards repairs.

IMO, there are better cars you can get for £1000 if you don't mind something korean or japanese

edit - pendulum a quicker typer than me

bungle4by4

i'd be buying the renault, when buying a cheap car always buy on condition and price. if they are both equally good condition, the price dictates.

Strider590

Neither.... Engine too small for the size/weight of the car. You'd have to thrash them just to keep up with traffic, thus giving poor fuel economy.

spikescot2005

Neither.... Engine too small for the size/weight of the car. You'd have to thrash them just to keep up with traffic, thus giving poor fuel economy.

It will be my first car so need something with a small engine to keep the insurance down.

Thanks for all the advice so far. I don't mind buying the Corsa even through its more if the car is going to last longer. I plan on keeping the car for about 2 years.

victor2

I'd seriously consider the Corsa. More room for negotiation with a private seller. Look at whatever details it has regarding service history. You could try to get the seller to MOT it into the deal. Won't cost the seller much if it passes, you may want to walk away if it fails.
Will the trade seller give any sort of warranty that could swing it in his favour? Renault's have a reputation for very unreliable electrics, don't know how they were in 2000 though.
You can check a vehicle's MOT history at https://www.motinfo.gov.uk. All you need is the document reference number from the V5C or the number from the most recent MOT certificate. Worth doing, as it shows the mileage recorded at each test and details of any failures or advisory notices given.

Strider590

spikescot2005 wrote: »

It will be my first car so need something with a small engine to keep the insurance down.

Thanks for all the advice so far. I don't mind buying the Corsa even through its more if the car is going to last longer. I plan on keeping the car for about 2 years.

Fair enough, but don't discount bigger cars..... Back in the day, a friend of mine found the cheapest car for him to insure was a Volvo 240:



Not a small car......

The insurance companies load up premiums on small hatchbacks because they're higher risk, more boy racers buy them for a start, thus more get crashed.

My premiums halved going from a 306 to a Vectra.

Obukit

victor2 wrote: »

You could try to get the seller to MOT it into the deal. Won't cost the seller much if it passes, you may want to walk away if it fails.

Don't think many sellers would pay for a £50 MOT on a car they have advertised at £1000, especially because at that age there could be a couple of things that need doing, and a failed MOT will make the car practically worthless.

Happy to be proved wrong though