Want a car but know nothing about them, any advice please?

Brighthopefortomorrow

We have recently made a start at our own business and would like to get a car to help us be able to get to more venues to sell our goods, we are thinking that due to the amount of available money we have it would have to be second hand and we really know nothing about cars. Are there particular places we should try/avoid, particular questions we need to ask, things we need to check on?

Any advice anybody can give would be greatly appreciated pleased.

P.s. we know not to buy privately as you have no rights.

john_white

Buying a car privately is a great way to save money.

You have rights when buying from a dealer but just see the raft of threads on here about dealers who say no, unless you have time and money to go to court ...

Brighthopefortomorrow

So what would you recommend we try?, we really don't know about cars, the last time we had one was my late husbands mobility one 16 years ago.

john_white

Work out a budget and go from there.

Find cars that suit your needs and test drive some. Just make sure once you find a car that meets your needs you research it.

Not much else to say right now, the question is very open.

arcon5

Buying privately isn't necessarily a bad thing for getting a cheap motor - although not recommended if you are clueless. What's your budget? If it's low it's likely enforcing any rights will be difficult anyway since it's likely to be relatively old with med-high mileague for which problems naturally arise.

Do you know anybody that can assist?

Alternatively a lease car?

How about Ford Mondeo, Skoda Octavia (there's a lot of these as minicabs around my end as they are said to be very reliable), Peugeot 406........

Stooby2

You need to specify what your requirements for a car are please. You mention selling goods - what are they? Generally cars can be a bit limiting if you're moving bulky stuff around so a small van - Escort Van / Berlingo sized might be better for you. But give us more info and you'll get better advice!

Brighthopefortomorrow

Okay, sorry guess I am being rather vague.

We sell all kinds of home fragrance and aromatherapy goods, so not particularly bulky we get a really good looking stall into about three large boxes and five or six bags and dd has a therapy coach which folds up to about (can't see the tape measure) 2ft by 3ft by 1ft, there are only two of us so can use the back seat as well as the boot for luggage.

Budget is hard to say because of needing to think about the insurance as well, dd is thirty passed her test in 2006 but has done almost no driving since so I'm thinking that will be quite high at first and we need to look into if we will need business insurance.

Don't really know anybody to advise, two closest driving friends have mobility cars like my late husband.

I know we seem to be really jumping in at the deep end here it's just that if this is to become a real business rather than a hobby business we really do need to be much more mobile.

forgotmyname

Get some insurance quotes you maybe in for a shock.

With zero no claims its not going to be cheap.

Small cars can be 60MPG out of my 2004 Mondeo diesel.
But heavy traffic can half that.

Paper licence or photocard one? Still in date?

agrinnall

You need to find a friend who does know something about cars to give you some advice on what vehicle would be suitable for your needs and to go with you to view and do test drives - if you know nothing then all a test drive will tell you is whether you like the car, but what you really need is someone to see if there are any obvious faults.

Once you have decided on something then make sure you do a HPI (or equivalent) check to make sure the seller owns the vehicle and that it hasn't been written off, and you may want to consider paying for a mechanical check to be done by someone like the AA or RAC before parting with your money.

Oh, and I'm sure you will need business insurance.

Sooki

I'd recommend you get a small hatch back car with a decent size boot, something like a polo or jazz this way you can fold the back seats down and use it like a van but can also use it as a family car too but shouldn't be too expensive to insure.

Brighthopefortomorrow

dd's license is photo card valid until November 2014.

Will ask my driving friends if one can come and help advise, trouble is the one who would be best won't be able to because he needs an adapted car but perhaps he can tell me things it definitely shouldn't be doing.

We know insurance will be high, but that isn't a problem which is going to go away is it?