Buying a Used Car - advice please!

CKhalvashi

I'd be tempted to go for an old MercS/BMW7, and there are several in this budget.

The reason for the insurance being cheaper, is that the insurers will automatically think you'll look after it, although this doesn't work if you do high miles.

CK

TradePro

forgotmyname wrote: »

1L engine with 125bhp

I'll have one of these for £2,000 please, where do I get one?

I assume you are referring to the Ford EcoBoost that's only been around for '5 minutes'?

p.s. OP, Getz is a great choice

forgotmyname

NG24. Not a trick question, Just pointing out that you can get a small engine with lots of power and a larger less efficient engine with much less power.

I was browsing cars for sale and spotted a Daewoo Nexia? 1.4 that cost more to tax than most 2L cars because the engine was basically as old as the hills it wouldnt manage to climb and not fuel efficient.

The I want a 1.3 or a 1.4 doesnt mean a great deal. I used to insure a 2.5L Rover with 160bhp for less than a 1600cc 105bhp Escort.


TradePro, Although Ford think they are making breakthrough's in that area, The japanese have been doing it for years.

The little Mitsubishi's, and Sukuki's with 1L engines or less have been pushing out over 100bhp per litre for a long time.

Take a trip to Japan.

OddballJamie

forgotmyname wrote: »

TradePro, Although Ford think they are making breakthrough's in that area, The japanese have been doing it for years.

The little Mitsubishi's, and Sukuki's with 1L engines or less have been pushing out over 100bhp per litre for a long time.

Take a trip to Japan.

Which old Mitsubishi's, and Sukuki's with 1L engines or less have over 100bhp? Or are you taking about motorbike engines?

londonTiger

spacey2012 wrote: »

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.

This, a typical trick by dealers is to tell you that they have received a lot of interest on the car and so want you to urge you to come and pick up the car.

This is just BS, dealers are not your pal they wouldn't have a care in the world of selling you a car over someone else, if they have a lot of interest on a car they will not call you to notify you. For them a sale is a sale and anyone who comes later for that car will be offered an alternative.

This might be used as part of a ploy to get you to part with a deposit. A deposit is easy money for them sometimes the profit margin is the deposit so they love it and see it as free money.

londonTiger

People are knocking £2k cars, IMO £2k is good money to buy a good car.

I have a 1.6 golf 2002 I have driven lots of new cars on zipcar and my golf drives a lot better. There are obviously a few refinements on new cars like the fact that you can steer the wheel with 1 finger and you can change gears with 1 finger too (the mk4 golfs have very stiff gears).

But apart from the refinements everything on my mk4 golf works perfectly. Engine sounds great, never had any issues with it, all the electronics work, air con, fans, electric wing mirrors etc.

Even the interior looks great. People who spend upwards of 15K on a car seem to think that a 2K car is going to be a piece of junk. It's not.

Also with regards to going japanese, that was the common consensous in the 90s but it is not the case today. I think all cars have upped the standard and all cars built in the last 10 years should get 120K on the clock without any troubles as long as it's been serviced on time, and the driver hasn't thrashed the clutch and gearbox by revving it wrong and driving it in the wrong gear.

In fact I would go as far as to say that the cars built 10 years ago are probably going to be more reliable than the cars built today.

Cars built today have all sorts of features to suck out as much fuel efficency as possible, like engine cuts out when you're in a traffic jam if you press the breaks - who knows what that will do to the engine and starter motor. They have turbos and very finely tuned injection system that could get damaged if the car is filled up with poor(er) quality fuel, some have cylingers that turn off when not using them. E.g. 4 cylinder car becomes two cycliner if you're driving locally at a slow and steady pace.

All these things overcomplicate engine design and may affect their longevity.

forgotmyname

OddballJamie wrote: »

Which old Mitsubishi's, and Sukuki's with 1L engines or less have over 100bhp? Or are you taking about motorbike engines?

Cars also. I cannot remember the models, It was a roadtest of japanese cars around 1989/1990. Half had names so long it covered the entire boot.

Mitsubishi Minica Dangan ZZ Turbo, Had something like 80bhp from a 550cc engine?

Daihatsu Charade GTti had just over 100bhp from a sub 1L engine.

OddballJamie

forgotmyname wrote: »

Cars also. I cannot remember the models, It was a roadtest of japanese cars around 1989/1990. Half had names so long it covered the entire boot.

Mitsubishi Minica Dangan ZZ Turbo, Had something like 80bhp from a 550cc engine?

Daihatsu Charade GTti had just over 100bhp from a sub 1L engine.

Going by the spec that Daihatsu must've been like a little rocket
http://fastestlaps.com/cars/daihatsu_charade_gtti_uk_spec.html

I had a soft spot for a Polo G40 when I was younger.

TradePro

Nissan launched the March (Micra) Super Turbo in 1988, 110ps from 930cc

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_MA_MA09ERT

Sorry everyone, but VAG didn't 'invent' turbo and supercharging decades later

forgotmyname

Yeah no safety features, Must have weighed as much as a family xmas biscuit tin and 100bhp.

I wanted one.

I do remember the Dangan ZZ thing, Faster than a Golf GTI to 70mph. With a tiny little 500/600cc engine.