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Buying used car from main dealer - advice please

2

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  • FreddieFrugal
    FreddieFrugal Posts: 1,752 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    BigTezza wrote: »
    I'm considering [STRIKE]Audi A3, VW Golf, Seat Leon Fr, [/STRIKE]Honda Civic and Hyundai i30.

    Correction made for reason below
    2. I commute 70 miles each day and will need to keep the car for 5-6 years so reliability and a decent warranty are quite high on my list.
    Mortgage remaining: £42,260 of £77,000 (2.59% til 03/18 - 2.09% til 03/23)

    Savings target June 18 - £22,281.99 / £25,000
  • bigjl
    bigjl Posts: 6,457 Forumite
    Not sure why you would discount the Seat Ibiza?

    The Golf and A3 are a bit overpriced imho but the Ibiza seems to be well
    priced.

    Not sure I would have an i30 though they are reliable enough.
  • FreddieFrugal
    FreddieFrugal Posts: 1,752 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    bigjl wrote: »
    Not sure why you would discount the Seat Ibiza?

    The Golf and A3 are a bit overpriced imho but the Ibiza seems to be well
    priced.

    Not sure I would have an i30 though they are reliable enough.

    Ibiza is a B segment (supermini) car like a Fiesta. OP wants a C segment (small family) car. Did you mean Leon? That is on his list already.
    Mortgage remaining: £42,260 of £77,000 (2.59% til 03/18 - 2.09% til 03/23)

    Savings target June 18 - £22,281.99 / £25,000
  • loskie
    loskie Posts: 1,761 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts
    Volvo V40 worth a look as is Mazda 3
  • BigTezza
    BigTezza Posts: 90 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10 Posts Photogenic Combo Breaker
    Thanks all!

    Sorry - I forgot to mention that at the moment I'll only be looking at diesels. That may change the prices some folk have quoted and put new cars out of my range. I prefer to buy a car maybe 12-18 months old due to losing chunks of cash the minute you drive a new car out of the showroom. Also, 12-18 months should (in theory) have been enough time to get any niggles sorted out. My brother always buys new and without exception, every car has had to go back a few times in the first year or so for irritations to be put right.

    I drive a diesel Yaris at the moment and (at the risk of invoking a kiss of death...) it's been a fantastic little car. Over 80K miles covered and she's been back to the dealership 3 times - twice for minor recalls and once for a blown headlight bulb! However, she's at around £2500-3000 trade-in now and that's when I usually change. Also, I have a slight mid-life crisis to fuel so I wanted the next car to have a little more 'thump' on the daily commute as well as being generally better suited to motorway driving - a bit quieter and more comfy.

    I don't want to start a discussion on what the best car is but I chose the Audi A3, Golf 2.0 and Leon Fr because of the 'expert' and also customer reviews, they have essentially the same power unit and I drove a diesel Leon before the Yaris and it was a good car. I added the Hyundai i30 because a couple of friends swear by them and I chose the Civic as an outsider. I've read good things about the power/economy and it's a Honda so I wouldn't expect it to break in to bits like some cars I've had. It may be Marmite though when I get to test drive - I like the exterior bar the backside and the interior looks funky but in reality it could be a pain in the bottom!

    Back to plan of attack....one poster said don't tell the sales fella what my budget is and another said to be up front so nobody wastes their time. I can see the merits of both so I guess it depends on what the fella is like on the day, unfortunately! When asked the question on a forecourt I reckoned on pointing to the window sticker and replying "Around this mark" so that I don't give much away but they know I've got money. Fair?

    I take on board the comment about having a quick discussion about price and whether they'd be willing to do some sort of deal before I get in and drive it. Yunno, I've never done that before!! I've always listened to that child-like voice in my head that says "Oooh look!! New toy, nice new toy - let's go and play NOW!" before I've talked prices. I wish I'd done that at the Kia garage I mentioned because I wouldn't have left the garage feeling like I wanted to belt the arrogant sales guy.

    I'll certainly check out DrivetheDeal (thank for that). For those like me who prefer face-to-face at a local franchise, has anyone ever gained a bit more ground by mentioning the possibility of going online or is that taboo?

    As for firming up my budget, well I've decided that £15K cash is my limit. The trade-in on my car is about £2500. If I was faced with the potential love of my life and a great warranty etc I would add another £500 to make my ceiling £18K but like anyone else I would like to spend as little capital as possible given the chance!!. So given my ceiling should I be looking at cars up to £19K maybe?

    Thanks again all, much appreciated.
  • bigjl
    bigjl Posts: 6,457 Forumite
    IanRi wrote: »
    Ibiza is a B segment (supermini) car like a Fiesta. OP wants a C segment (small family) car. Did you mean Leon? That is on his list already.

    Sorry, yes said Ibiza in error.

    Was looking at small estates recently and the Ibiza seems to have stuck to have stuck in my head.
  • bigjl
    bigjl Posts: 6,457 Forumite
    If you have had good service from your Yaris diesel then I would definitely look at the Auris Hybrid.

    After recent experience with newish diesels I reckon. A Toyota Hybrid is a good idea.

    You will likely get 60mpg out of the Auris, more if you really try.
  • BigTezza
    BigTezza Posts: 90 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10 Posts Photogenic Combo Breaker
    Thanks. I confess that I do like the look of the Auris but the engine has the same power (albeit slightly tweaked perhaps) as my Yaris. If Toyota put a larger engine in it that produced maybe 130-150 horses then it would go straight to the top of my list. I wanted something with a few more nuts this time if possible.
  • Ectophile
    Ectophile Posts: 7,999 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    I see no reason to conceal what your budget is. that way they have no way to tell if you're looking for a nearly new premium model, or a part exchange to clear heap from the back lot.

    But there's nothing to stop you lowering the figure a bit. If your absolute maximum is £18000, tell them a bit less - perhaps £17000. Make them work harder to get the car you want within your (stated) budget.
    If it sticks, force it.
    If it breaks, well it wasn't working right anyway.
  • Clive_Woody
    Clive_Woody Posts: 5,941 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    If you are looking at Audi, VW and SEAT, can I suggest that you add in Skoda as they are part of the family too and you get more car for your money. Same engines and essentially the same cars.

    I've had my Octavia over 5 years and have been really pleased with it. No major issues and it's fun to drive and comes with a decent array of bells and whistles (I do have the petrol vRS version but there's plenty of others to choose from).
    "We act as though comfort and luxury are the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us happy is something to be enthusiastic about” – Albert Einstein
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