Any good car deals?

bingobangobongo

I'm on the look out for a new family car - either brand new or 1-2 years old.

Hate cars and know very little about them so I'm hoping someone can offer some advice on what to get, and where to get it from in the greater Belfast/Co Antrim/East Antrim area.


Not only that but what is the best way to buy a new car in terms of finance and these HP type schemes - are they a con or are they decent?

I will have a few grand deposit plus my current car which I reckon will get 1,500 - 2k for. So say 7k deposit for talks sake.

Thinking something £10k to £14k and my research has led me to consider the following (but not limited to):

Ford Mondeo
Skoda Octavia or Superb
Huyandai i40
Toyota Avensis

And also considering a crossover like the Nissan Qashqai or even something like the Kia Sportage.

Where do you start? Don't know if its worth buying new or not or something a year or two old. Is it worth getting diesel for 16,000 miles a year - there seems to be a lot of diesels about this year.

Let me know if you see any good deals (for new cars or other).

suki1964

Now hubby does love a new car, and we have wasted THOUSANDS in the past five years lol

Second hand or pre registered

Out of those, my preference is the octavia

I hate kias, but others love them

There's a lot of diesels about cos red is about 60p a litre cheaper then white :rotfl:

oldhand

Dont waste money on a brand new car as depending on the make it loses thousands as soon as you drive out of the showroom.At 16k miles a year a diesel is not a viable option as its about 9pence a litre more expensive than petrol to begin with but on a car 2 year old the deprecation is mostly gone so worth considering then.
The hyundai i40 only came out last year I believe but its a very popular model but because of that still expensive even used.
Saltmarine cars has a 2012 i40 auto with all the bells and whistles and only 5620 miles for £18995 pretty expensive but im sure you can whittle it down.
They also have a mazda 5 1.6td 7 seater,2012 with 4100miles for £16990.I have no connection with them other than previously buying cars from them but they will deal with you,they offer 0% finance but thats probably on new purchases but wherever you go its a buyers market so check out various dealers and dont be afraid to ask for extras such as free servicing and if you dont like the deal dont be afraid to walk away,theres always plenty more.

Mistral001

oldhand wrote: »

.At 16k miles a year a diesel is not a viable option as its about 9pence a litre more expensive than petrol .

But you can get about 50mpg with a diesel compared with about 35-40 with a petrol-driven car. I have had both. Diesel will nearly always work out cheaper on fuel economy especially if you do a lot of short journeys. That is why taxi-drivers prefer them.

Generally diesels are more expensive to buy, but last longer (my last diesel had well over 200k miles on it). They also have a good resale value usually.

BigAl94

Diesels are more expensive to service and repairs eg injectors very costly. Not worth considering with your proposed mileage, some very fuel efficient petrols out there now.

bingobangobongo

Thanks all - really appreciate the suggestions. Was thinking more along the lines of 12k for a 2012 car.


Anyone seen the recent skoda offer - 25% off Octavia connect - 14k on the road. Google it and let me know what you think..

ballyblack

all the brands/model you mentioned are ok

16,000 miles is borderline for to buy diesel over petrol (Diesel in a large car Petrol in a small car)

The Skoda superb is superb but especially the diesel model

Avoid French made cars E.g. Renault, Citroen Peugeot & you will be fine

Beachview_2

I'd recommend the Toyota Avensis. I've had 3 Toyota myself and found them to be excellent cars, and the dealers have been the best I've been to. A friend of mine has an Avensis and its such luxury inside. Its her second Avensis.

There's 0% on at the minute on the Toyota Avensis. Its a 3 year PCP offer with a 0 - 20% deposit. With PCP you have a Guaranteed Future Value or an Optional Final Payment.

Its got a rear view camera, dual zone automatic air con,17 inch alloys, cruise control, and Toyota Touch and Go multimedia system with satellite navigation.

I have the rear view camera in my own Yaris and I can tell you it is fantastic, handy for parallel parking, and for seeing those dreaded bollards in car parks. Handy too for seeing any dogs that run out behind you.

I've also got the Touch and Go system with the sat nav, which I have found to be very helpful. Far better to have your sat nav built in than to have messy wires trailing everywhere or a bracket stuck to the window.

As for the Hyundai, I know there's a thread over on the motoring section on this site about them having faulty clutches on very young cars. Have a look and you'll see.

bingobangobongo

I don't really understand all this PCP stuff - I take it you pay a lot of interest?

I was thinking of getting a loan from the bank, can get interest rate of 5.1% which might be more favourable than the dealer rates?

What does the final value mean - they will guarantee so much for the car at the end of the 3 years?

Beachview_2

bingobangobongo wrote: »

I don't really understand all this PCP stuff - I take it you pay a lot of interest?

I was thinking of getting a loan from the bank, can get interest rate of 5.1% which might be more favourable than the dealer rates?

What does the final value mean - they will guarantee so much for the car at the end of the 3 years?

PCP means Personal Contract Purchase. You don't need to have a big deposit. You don't pay any interest on a 0% PCP finance deal such as the one I mentioned on the Toyota Avensis, as its a 0% finance offer.


'Guaranteed Future Value' and 'Optional Future Payment' are the same value. The Guaranteed Future Value will be written down on your finance agreement. This is how much your car is guaranteed to be worth at the end of the finance term.

You have a few choices at the end of the finance term, you can part exchange the car, so you don't need to pay off the remainder of the finance. Or if you want a different brand, you would hand the car back, and again, you don't pay the rest of the outstanding finance (known as Optional Final Payment).

The only time you pay the Optional Final Payment is if you decide you love the car so much and can't bear to part with it that you want to keep it for longer. You can then pay this off as a lump sum, or you can refinance this outstanding amount.

To be honest, I'd never pay interest on a car as a car is always depreciating. If you want finance, keep an eye out for 0% offers as its the best option.

saverbuyer

Beachview wrote: »

PCP means Personal Contract Purchase. You don't need to have a big deposit. You don't pay any interest on a 0% PCP finance deal such as the one I mentioned on the Toyota Avensis, as its a 0% finance offer.


'Guaranteed Future Value' and 'Optional Future Payment' are the same value. The Guaranteed Future Value will be written down on your finance agreement. This is how much your car is guaranteed to be worth at the end of the finance term.

You have a few choices at the end of the finance term, you can part exchange the car, so you don't need to pay off the remainder of the finance. Or if you want a different brand, you would hand the car back, and again, you don't pay the rest of the outstanding finance (known as Optional Final Payment).

The only time you pay the Optional Final Payment is if you decide you love the car so much and can't bear to part with it that you want to keep it for longer. You can then pay this off as a lump sum, or you can refinance this outstanding amount.

To be honest, I'd never pay interest on a car as a car is always depreciating. If you want finance, keep an eye out for 0% offers as its the best option.

Something on Honest John about car finance, something to think about if using PCP

One final point: if you buy on finance, pay off half the total finance cost (including any deposit you have made or been allowed on a part exchange), then discover that you owe more than the car is worth, you are legally entitled to return it to the finance house and walk away debt-free. This can make straight finance at a sensible APR a much better deal than personal contract purchase which ties you into a fixed contract you can't get out of.