Tips on buying long distance

Slowly_does_it..

Dealers do not put everything on websites, I have just bought a car that was delivered to the dealer that day, he had not had time to clean it, never mind take a photo of it! It is a slow process, but I recommend walking through through a few dealers yards close to home. Good luck, a good car for you is out there!

maninthestreet

OP - what part of the country do you live in if there are so few car dealers or even cars for sale within several hours travel??

boyse7en

Nearest town to me is Barnstaple (about 25 mins drive), then it's Exeter (about 1hr 15mins).

Went to Exeter last week and had a drive around the Marsh Barton Estate, which is full of dealerships. None of the main franchised dealers do cars under £3000, they all seem to send them off to auctions up country. The cheaper end dealers (of which there weren't many) only had small hatchbacks - mainly 207/Fiesta/Clio - as they are easy to shift on.

I've not given up looking around locally, but spending a day milling about second hand car lots on the off chance they have got something suitable seems a bit of a waste of time. I might as well spend the day driving to somewhere that I know has got a car.

Herzlos

Why not phone around once a week or so and see if they've got anything suitable in, or ask them if they can hold any suitable trade-ins for you to get first refusal on? I'm sure they'd rather do that than put it to auction.

I've known car dealers to have multiple lots, with trade-ins and 'bangers' kept out of the way unless you ask them, as they've got better things to put on the forecourt.

Foxy-Stoat_3

Just searched 20 miles from Exeter council postcode for upto £3000 diesel estates - 4 pages of results

30 miles shows 7 pages

Upto £4000 within 20 miles shows 11 pages

£2000-£4000 within 20 miles shows 7 pages

How specific are you being with your searches?

Obviously this has £500er's but theres still pages of £2000-£4000 cars. Go and see some at £3300 etc, they will more than likely come down a few hundred.

forgotmyname

I would be looking at a Mondeo estate MK3 2007 with about 120,000 miles for around £2000...

I nearly drove from the midlands to the bottom end of Cornwall for a car. But just before i was due to go i found one a lot closer.

mgdavid

If it were me I'd avoid anything French; Passat and Mondeo are good.
just did ebay for 50 mile radius of Barstaple rugby club, £2k to £3.5 diesel estate -
95 cars found
lovely Passat in Colebrook... another in Dobwalls, another in Plymouth
Mondeo in Exmouth... another in Minehead.., and Bridgewater, & Torquay
also a rather good-looking Jag at the place in Plymouth,