Thinking of changing car - need advice

steve-L

newfoundglory wrote: »

OP if it makes you feel any better I drive a ford ka 1.3 from 2008. Tax is 160 per year and mileage around town not much over 20 mpg. And it doesn't even have much power

Expensive for what it is - but I've had no problem with it!

If buying a diesel be careful of ones with particulate filters if you don't make many long journeys. Usually the cheap diesels to tax have the DPF fitted as older diesels can be a lot more expensive. Diesels can also cost more to insure.

And as many are looking for cars with cheap tax - tax rules could change in the future as the government makes less money.

I drive a 3 litre BMW.... and town MPG is terrible yet I get 30+ MPG minimum about town! (Motorways I get 60 mpg at 70 mph)
Tax is £190/yr.

Since she is trading a 1.6 Zafira with 100k any 'decent diesel' will be pre-2005 and hence probably no DPF. The question really is what might she get once she PX's?

Obviously if the Zafira is already starting to cost money that's one thing but what is she likely to get that doesn't run the risk and she is £500 down already?

I also have a Honda Accord TDCI with 180k.... It has cost £500 or so over the last few years to replace parts and is set to cost me another £1000 to change clutch and DMF.

I personally count that as good running costs... it costs my OH who only passed her test a little over a year ago a non too bad insurance (with me as named driver) and 155/yr road tax.

Quite honestly I can't see how if she got a Jazz (or similar) how much we might save? Even if this was a zero cost transfer I doubt total costs over a year would be significant.... and most importantly, if we PX'd even if we were lucky then we would struggle to find anything that would save £500/yr to cover a PX!

worried_jim

So the consensus seems to be stick with what you have tintingirl until you have to change it as it will go no further.

oliverr

While I agree with what is said above, it is a 100,000 mile Zafira and something is bound to go wrong soon...

Giraffeseeker

The engine didn't make it to 100K miles - it blew up about 3 years ago and I got it replaced at big cost! Still has an oil leak which needs fixing though and until I do costs me £10 in oil each month - keep putting that off as I don't know what the cost to fix will be - really should check it out.

Fuel - I do 3.2 miles round trip to work each day and about 20 miles round trip to boyfriends, on average twice a week. And put in £20 twice a week. Maybe I'm wrong, I'll check it out next time the fuel light comes on by putting £10 in and zero-ing the mileometre, and see how many miles have gone by when it comes back on again.

No other problems as far as I know, replaced tyres this year and had a battery check at the same time.

Perhaps I will just keep it and look after it so it lasts as long as possible. Seems like the safest option. I am not really interested in cars as long as they get me from A-B, and I don't think I look after it particularly well.

steve-L

Its more accurate to fill the car and then refill to see how much you used than use the fuel light (as a one off MPG check). The light might come on with +/- quite a few litres different.... but it will at least give you a better idea.

If you can get the oil leak fixed you might get quite a bit of life out of the car, especially now you made that big investment in the new engine.

You're going to find it hard to sell with the oil leak... and not realise what you invested in the new engine. It might be a bit time consuming but I'd try and get 3 quotes from some local garages (hopefully someone you know can recommend one or two) and see what is wrong and what it might cost.

Oil leaks can often be just a rotten seal of a £20 part! Obviously you still have labour costs but it needn't be THAT expensive to fix.

If the engine was reasonably new/recon you might (having had the oil leak fixed) get a semi decent price.

The best way to find out is perhaps to pay for an autotrader entry....
Be totally upfront but perhaps leave milage blank and then explain it had a new engine at xxx miles..... you can advertise at a price BETWEEN the new engine milage (should have been given you when they did the work) and the actual....

Selling a refurb is a bit off the norm.... hence its hard to say what someone will pay! (i.e. whatever the theoretical price someone has to want to buy it.... and being a bit blunt (and as you probably feel) who would specifically be looking for a Zafira 1.6?

i.e.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201243489948366/sort/default/usedcars/price-to/3000/body-type/people_carrier/make/renault/onesearchad/used/onesearchad/nearlynew/onesearchad/new/postcode/bb79da/page/3/radius/1500?logcode=p

Why would they not get that?

The problem is any car in that price range has a reasonable chance of becoming a money pit. Unless you know the history.... and even then.

You could end up in the same situation but £500 lighter!

If you sell privately you haven't indicated if you could live without a car and for how long.
This is really the most economic way out....

Buying a £2000-£3000 car takes time.... you want to be sure you are not from the frying pan into the fire.

You then have to find something reliable to BUY... and not be forced into jumping at the first through NEED of a car ASAP. If you do then chance is you will have made a bad choice!

getmore4less

tintingirl wrote: »

Fuel - I do 3.2 miles round trip to work each day and about 20 miles round trip to boyfriends, on average twice a week. And put in £20 twice a week. .

I would think your best bet would be to ditch the car all together and look at alternatives for a year.

get the BF to pick you up, work look at bus/bike/walking/car share.

With the on the drive costs, tax insurance, mot etc that will cover the odd car hire taxi.

and the current fuel and oil will pay for a load more.

steve-L

getmore4less wrote: »

I would think your best bet would be to ditch the car all together and look at alternatives for a year.

get the BF to pick you up, work look at bus/bike/walking/car share.

With the on the drive costs, tax insurance, mot etc that will cover the odd car hire taxi.

and the current fuel and oil will pay for a load more.

It does seem the common sense option?
Look into carshare type things for work? Even if you ended up paying someone £10 a week to pick you up and drop you off you'd save on insurance and all the other costs?

However .... it also depends where you live.....

I know if my OH had no car we would spend more on groceries.... and we spend more by far on groceries than anything but RENT!!!

We use Tesco/Morrisons/Asda/Sainsbury's and even Waitrose and play the petrol coupons game.... and buy the cheapest groceries where we can.

What I'm saying is the car is somewhat fundamental to the overall Money Saving aspect. Without the car we would have to use a different pre-school or face a 2 hour set of bus changes for a 15 minute drive! Our present one is free (almost) vs what could be significant costs for a private one.

emmell

avantra wrote: »

Oh dear.

From the frying pan to the fire, should have stretch himself to a 308 which is a better sorted tin box than the ever problematic 307 (this is a general opinion, your friend's and other might say it is a good model).






There is few animals like this, my main choice will be a 2006~2007 Ford Fusion 1.4 petrol Zetec or Style (the Fiesta estate version).











.[/QUOTE


I don't think she looked on it as from the 'frying pan to the fire', she needed something cheaper and more reliable, so I don't think £500 would have stretched to a 308.

She got a 52 plate 307 with 55,000 miles, full service history, 12 months MOT and 12 months tax......and has never missed a beat since she bought it last Spring.

The Fusion.......is that the car that even Ford Dealers don't like to keep in stock because they are rubbish sellers ?

I wasn't particularly singing the praises of the Peugeot.....just that it may be better to cut her losses and buy something cheaper and run it into the ground......as my friend will do with her 307.

ML.