Buying a Used Car - advice please!

ng24_2

Hi, I am planning to buy my first car soon and I'm trying to get as much knowledge about the process as possible before parting with any cash!

My budget is 2k max, although I'd be keen to spend a bit less. I have been advised to buy Japanese or Korean, and have seen a good Hyundai Getz 1.3 (2006 with 80k miles) for £1995.

Any advice? I'd like something with 1.3/1.4 engine and won't be doing long miles.

Thanks in advance!

jay87

Honda Jazz
Nissan Note
Renault Modus

I have a Modus, it is French but I like it and have found it reliable. It's a 1.4 and I got it as my car to learn in 2 years ago. Hasn't missed a beat. It's also the first car in it's class to gain a 5 star euro NCAP safety rating for occupant safety.

All these cars are in that price range, have lots of room inside being mini MPV style vehicles. They will likely be cheaper to insure than corsas,clios etc as not boy racer style cars lol

forgotmyname

Any particular reason why you want a 1.3 or a 1.4?

With your 1st car ask the insurance company what you can have. Pick the wrong car and you will need double your budget for insurance.

oliverr

With a budget of £2k then its going to be a pretty old car. With older cars, its often not the car - but how it's been maintained. You could have an old car with a great reputation but has been poorly looked after, on the other hand - it could've been a car with a not-so-great reputation but have had one owner from new and the owner loved that car and looked after it dearly...

As a general rule, I wouldn't go for anything French or Italian at that age, German might be good - but can be costly if it goes wrong. Japanese could be the way to go, old Micras are not bad I think.

spacey2012

On buying, IMO : never place or leave a deposit, go with cash and only exchange cash for the car to drive away, a vc5 new keepers filled in correctly and all the documents.
Most trouble we see on here is people who put deposits down and the dealer starts trying it on.
If responding to a private add, call up and ask "about the CAR for sale" do not say which car, let them tell you, if they ask which one, you know you have an auction banger dealer on the phone.

Clive_Woody

Avoid French cars, not good for reliability. Have you also budgeted for insurance, tax, running costs etc?

Try using some insurance comparison sites and putting in different makes and models to see what quotes it throws out, there can be surprising differences for no obvious reason.

ng24_2

Thanks for all the advice! I would like a 1.3/1.4 because I am used to driving my OH's 1.9 Saab, so moving to a 1.0 would be too big a change in power.

Insurance for the Hyundai Getz I mentioned was approx. £700-750. I'll have a look at insurance prices for some other models. As I have very little experience with cars I am planning to buy from a dealer and avoiding private sellers.

fivetide

Toyota Starlet if you only want a wee car. 1.3 and basically bombproof!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STUNNING-TOYOTA-STARLET-1-3-S-3DOOR-HATCHBACK-67-000-MILES-1-FORMER-KEEPER-/251335897562?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item3a84c971da

Well under budget as too

forgotmyname

1L engine with 125bhp or a 1.4 with 81bhp and dearer tax? Which one to choose?

ng24_2

@forgotmyname - is that a trick/rhetorical question? I'd rather a small engine with greater bhp, but as I have very limited knowledge of cars I'm not really sure if bhp is something I can ascertain when test driving a car. With a used car is it possible to make an assumption on bhp based on the make and age?

FreddieFrugal

ng24 wrote: »

@forgotmyname - is that a trick/rhetorical question? I'd rather a small engine with greater bhp, but as I have very limited knowledge of cars I'm not really sure if bhp is something I can ascertain when test driving a car. With a used car is it possible to make an assumption on bhp based on the make and age?

Car facts and figures available either via autotrader menus when looking at cars or on Parkers website.