New car advice

chloelesliexo

`Hope this is in the right thread!!

I've just got myself clear of debt, my only outstanding thing is my car finance on my 2009 ford ka. I have £1000 left to pay.

Unfortunately my car is starting to go majorly wrong with 30,000 miles on the clock. A mechanic said the gear box is wearing, the clutch could be on its way out and the abs has a problem.

Its estimated the car is worth £3,500 and the repairs are well over £1,000. I drive my car daily so need something reliable.

I was looking at getting a new Vauxhall corsa on 0% finance over 5 years. For the first 2 years I will be paying the £180 per month on my own. Then me and my partner will be sharing the car so this cost will be halved. (he has a company car at the moment which goes in 2 years and wont be buying another, he hardly uses it so we have decided to share)

I really like the idea of getting a new car with 5 years warranty. I've had 2 used cars that were one year old at the time of purchase that have just gone wrong as soon as they reach 3/4 years old.

Just wanted an outside view as to whether i;m making a wise choice?

In comparison a second hand Corsa (2011 plate, 20,000 miles) from Vauxhall in this range is about £10,000 with 7.9% finance on top. The brand new one is £14,000 at 0%


oh and just so you get an idea of my income. I get paid weekly and take home £332 per week (its £22,000 per annum). My only outgoings are my phone at £15 and a gym at £34 which I probably won't renew. I also pay housekeeping to my mum of £100 (she wont take any more from me!)

maninthestreet

A gear box badly worn at only 30,000 miles? What does 'ABS starting to go' really mean?

chloelesliexo

sorry i am not technical at all!

when you put your foot on the break the abs locks.

my next door neighbour is a mechanic and has driven and inspected the car.

and yes im as shocked as you are re: the gearbox! It makes grinding sounds when you change gear.

OddballJamie

Which model Corsa is it? Reason I ask is £14k is a lot of money for a Corsa, Vauxhalls 0% deal tend to include the interest in the high list price.

Last time I was in Vauxhall they offered my partner a high spec 5dr Corsa for £12,300 on 0% free.

If you can try and get a cancelled order or a spec that has a short life as you can get good discounts on them. In September 2010 I picked up a new high spec Astra brand new with £8k ish off list price as it was a cancelled order, had £1500 of options too.

If you or any of your family work for certain companies you can also get discounts from Vauxhall - http://www.vauxhalloffers.com/partners.php

Also the warranty is not limited to 5 years, it's based on mileage only. 100,000 miles in total, could last a lifetime

chloelesliexo

OddballJamie wrote: »

Which model Corsa is it? Reason I ask is £14k is a lot of money for a Corsa, Vauxhalls 0% deal tend to include the interest in the high list price.

Last time I was in Vauxhall they offered my partner a high spec 5dr Corsa for £12,300 on 0% free.

If you can try and get a cancelled order or a spec that has a short life as you can get good discounts on them. In September 2010 I picked up a new high spec Astra brand new with £8k ish off list price as it was a cancelled order, had £1500 of options too.

If you or any of your family work for certain companies you can also get discounts from Vauxhall - http://www.vauxhalloffers.com/partners.php

Also the warranty is not limited to 5 years, it's based on mileage only. 100,000 miles in total, could last a lifetime

I was going to get a basic spec but I quite like the limited edition one. I'm toying between the two and have an appointment to discuss and test drive saturday.

Cancelled orders sound a good idea! How do I find those?

The reason im drawn to Vauxhall is the 0% interest but am not fussy on what car I get really. Just a reliable one

motorguy

chloelesliexo wrote: »

sorry i am not technical at all!

when you put your foot on the break the abs locks.

my next door neighbour is a mechanic and has driven and inspected the car.

and yes im as shocked as you are re: the gearbox! It makes grinding sounds when you change gear.

I would be surprised if you had gearbox failure at 30,000 miles.

Have it checked out properly and see what the car really needs.

It will always be cheaper to repair what you have than to put your money into a heavily depreciating new car.

OddballJamie

Cancelled ones are rare, I was just lucky I guess. I don't think you will find any Limited Edition cancelled orders as they are all the same spec, it's generally ones where certain options have been added, for example my car has a massive panoramic windscreen.

Pre-reg could be an option for you as there are some good savings and you still get the long warranty.
http://www.lookers.co.uk/vauxhall/offers/pre-reg-vauxhall-offers/pre-reg-corsa-offers
Or a new reduced one with 5 years 0%
http://www.lookers.co.uk/vauxhall/offers/new-car-offers/vauxhall-corsa-offers

Personally I would take a look at a Skoda Fabia or the new Fiesta Ecoboost and ignore the 0% as the depreciation will be less on those two models.
Possibly a Yaris as they have 5 year warranty and good finance deals.
http://www.toyota.co.uk/cgi-bin/toyota/bv/generic_editorial.jsp?navRoot=toyota_1024_root&fullwidth=true&noLeftMenu=true&forceText=%3Cnone%3E&edname=CC2-Yaris-offersandfinance&id=CC2-Yaris-offersandfinance&zone=Zone+NG+Yaris&sr=Mall

chloelesliexo

motorguy wrote: »

I would be surprised if you had gearbox failure at 30,000 miles.

Have it checked out properly and see what the car really needs.

It will always be cheaper to repair what you have than to put your money into a heavily depreciating new car.

It was my neighbour who owns a garage that checked it out and I also took it to a Halfords auto centre who both said the same thing

I dont actually want a new car I like my little ka!

I might look further into used cars. Would you recommend a dealer from auto trader or go to a main one?

chloelesliexo

OddballJamie wrote: »

Cancelled ones are rare, I was just lucky I guess. I don't think you will find any Limited Edition cancelled orders as they are all the same spec, it's generally ones where certain options have been added, for example my car has a massive panoramic windscreen.

Pre-reg could be an option for you as there are some good savings and you still get the long warranty.
http://www.lookers.co.uk/vauxhall/offers/pre-reg-vauxhall-offers/pre-reg-corsa-offers
Or a new reduced one with 5 years 0%
http://www.lookers.co.uk/vauxhall/offers/new-car-offers/vauxhall-corsa-offers

Personally I would take a look at a Skoda Fabia or the new Fiesta Ecoboost and ignore the 0% as the depreciation will be less on those two models.
Possibly a Yaris as they have 5 year warranty and good finance deals.
http://www.toyota.co.uk/cgi-bin/toyota/bv/generic_editorial.jsp?navRoot=toyota_1024_root&fullwidth=true&noLeftMenu=true&forceText=%3Cnone%3E&edname=CC2-Yaris-offersandfinance&id=CC2-Yaris-offersandfinance&zone=Zone+NG+Yaris&sr=Mall

just had a look at the pre regs, they look like quite good value! Thankyou

colino

I think you really need a third opinion from a trusted, local mechanic. While some strictly town Kas can wear out their clutches quite quickly (I wont mention driver error) I've never seen one with a worn out gearbox in such a short time. ABS could be a minor problem, let someone check it out and scan the thing.

chloelesliexo

colino wrote: »

I think you really need a third opinion from a trusted, local mechanic. While some strictly town Kas can wear out their clutches quite quickly (I wont mention driver error) I've never seen one with a worn out gearbox in such a short time. ABS could be a minor problem, let someone check it out and scan the thing.

haha it probably is driver error!
i must admit i dont cherish my ka very much.