New Car, Small Budget, HELP

chris.courtnage

thanks so much for the details advice! thats exactly what i need. Im not too interested in what it looks like, I would like something that is a bit better that my old 1996 golf, but I'm realistic on what i can get.

Thanks, but I don't need the car for a month or so yet. I'll look on Auto trader closer to the time. Any one else give any suggestions / tips?

chris.courtnage

I'm maybe thinking now that it will be better to buy a used car for about £2000-3000, paying the £1000 up front and paying the rest on finance? more reliable option, more fuel efficient, cheaper road tax?
What do you think?
Thanks
Chris

jaydeeuk1

chris.courtnage wrote: »

I'm maybe thinking now that it will be better to buy a used car for about £2000-3000, paying the £1000 up front and paying the rest on finance? more reliable option, more fuel efficient, cheaper road tax?
What do you think?
Thanks
Chris

Thats what I was going to suggest if money really is that tight, otherwise you'll end up skimping on maintenance/safety. But don't pay £1000 deposit.
Get a 0% credit card for 18 months if you can, put what you can on there, then budget an additional £20 a week over min payments to pay if off in a large chunk later on. Old cars will go wrong, and you're better off using the £1300 as a buffer. You could get lucky and get a car that bar tyres won't need anything doing for 12 months, or you could get one that needs brakes, exhaust or clutch, all of which would take up a fair whack of that £1300.

Depends what your salary is, and how much driving you'll need to do, but you can get a lot of car for 1.5 - £2k. Plus I'd go for something like a kia rio, daewoo/chevy kalos etc. It will probably be a lot more reliable than the cars listed before, and newer/safer, cheaper to run.

chris.courtnage

ah ok, and should I get this car from a dealer yea? seems like the safer option. I was thinking about the 0% card option and just pay off the £1000 or so right away to make smaller repayments, seem like a good idea?
Any other good cars i should look out for? and also ideas of common ware and tear of these cars i should be buying…


I know I'm asking a lot of questions but I'm really trying to minimise the chance of me getting a dud!

Cheers for the help guys.

Chris

jaydeeuk1

chris.courtnage wrote: »

ah ok, and should I get this car from a dealer yea? seems like the safer option. I was thinking about the 0% card option and just pay off the £1000 or so right away to make smaller repayments, seem like a good idea?
Any other good cars i should look out for? and also ideas of common ware and tear of these cars i should be buying…


I know I'm asking a lot of questions but I'm really trying to minimise the chance of me getting a dud!

Cheers for the help guys.

Chris

If you haven't a clue about cars, and have no mechie mates, then yes, only buy from a dealer (but make sure you don't sign something as trade sale, might make things difficult should you need help further down the line). At least if it blows up on way home, you'll have some comeback. No point having £100 aa inspections at this end of the market.

Do some research first, eg check to see if engine is chain or belt driven, last changed, read up on common faults, and ask to see receipts of work if it does happen to have some history, not just some stamp in a book.

chris.courtnage

awesome! looks like its set buying from a dealer. is it worth trying to haggle on price at a dealer too yea? maybe got a £3000 for for like £2500???

jaydeeuk1

chris.courtnage wrote: »

awesome! looks like its set buying from a dealer. is it worth trying to haggle on price at a dealer too yea? maybe got a £3000 for for like £2500???

Always worth haggling, most dealers expect some negotiation. I think a 10% discount is usually a good target to aim for - just make sure the car isn't 20% more expensive than an identical model up the road . If they offer a good finance package, might be worth considering it - they'll probably budge on price more too. Plus if you do have problems, you can moan at the finance comp too. Can always pay it off straight away! Also I wouldn't bother traveling huge distances to get a car, I'd personally pick an area of max 20 mile from where you live (maybe more if you're out in the sticks) and find one from there just incase you do have some niggles you want them to look at.

Jamie1981

Do you know anyone that has bought a car recently from a dealer? If you do, ask their recommendation on the transaction and how the car is.

Also, where abouts are you from as people replying here may be able to signpost you to dealers they have had good experiences with.

A dealer will give you more protection than buying privately, but again, it's buying from the right dealer. Read through the forums about problems with recent purchases from a dealer and the hassle to get it fixed/refund etc.

As mentioned, see what history comes with the car in the way of receipts etc. Just because it has a stamp in the book, does not mean that it has been serviced correctly. A local garage near me stamps the book for oil and filter changes if thats all that was requested. Even though is has been advertised as full service history, you can quickly find that the timing belt, auxillary drive belt, gearbox oil, coolant, break fluid etc have never been changed.

Just because a car may be slightly newer for the money, does not always translate in to trouble free motoring. Buying a used car is a lottery sometimes and Im sure others will tell you, you can have the likes of AA etc check the vehicle for you, but something could go 2 weeks down the line.

The best you can do is take someone with you, get the AA if that would make you feel more comfortable and do all the checks you possibly can. By doing this, the chances are you will end up with a good one rather than a bad one.

BobQ

How far does this car need to take you each day? Is it a long journey? Will comfort matter? Do you have any need to carry passengers? Could you use public transport instead?

My concern is that in your price range the sort of dealers you will encounter may not be above off loading all sorts and some will not be above pretending to be private sellers. You really need to find someone who knows what they are doing and take them with you.

chris.courtnage

thanks, great advise again.

I live in liverpool, so anything around the merseyside area is best for me. If anyone knows any good dealers around here…?

Thanks too bobq, that sounds like a good shout! I have some friends with ideas about cars so i'll try to take them with me!

Ill need it for day to day commuting, i definitely will need a car as I'm going to be going to few different schools and to uni. The journeys will vary in length, but i will rarely have any passengers, so I will only need a little hatchback.
Thanks
Chris