Buying a Car

diz79

Over the years ive never really spent a lot on cars I usually buy a car then run it into the ground. My most recent purchase was a Ford focus mk1 for £1500 several years ago, its now probably worth about £250.

I have more money these days and just wondered what poeple did who spent more say £2000 -£5000 on a car do you do the same or do you keep it for a few years and sell it before it looses too much value. I understand all cars loose value Ive just never been in a position to spend more and wondered if its worth while?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

forgotmyname

£2k ish high mileage and sell it 5 years later for about 1/3rd of what i paid.

bigadaj

diz79 wrote: »

Over the years ive never really spent a lot on cars I usually buy a car then run it into the ground. My most recent purchase was a Ford focus mk1 for £1500 several years ago, its now probably worth about £250.

I have more money these days and just wondered what poeple did who spent more say £2000 -£5000 on a car do you do the same or do you keep it for a few years and sell it before it looses too much value. I understand all cars loose value Ive just never been in a position to spend more and wondered if its worth while?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

If you're happy doing what you are doing then carry on.

Cars are far more reliable and long lasting than they were years ago, so a ten or even fifteen year old car can provide relatively trouble free motoring. Similarly people still have an issue when a car hits six figures in terms of mileage but 200,000 plus isn't a problem for many cars, probably most.

The biggest cost in motoring is almost always depreciation, reducing that puts all other costs in the shade really.

DUTR

diz79 wrote: »

Over the years ive never really spent a lot on cars I usually buy a car then run it into the ground. My most recent purchase was a Ford focus mk1 for £1500 several years ago, its now probably worth about £250.

I have more money these days and just wondered what poeple did who spent more say £2000 -£5000 on a car do you do the same or do you keep it for a few years and sell it before it looses too much value. I understand all cars loose value Ive just never been in a position to spend more and wondered if its worth while?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

The last 2 cars I have owned have been from brand new, kept the 1st one nearly 9 years and just changed for some retail therapy, the sale of the last one just covered the options of the current one, I just change as the mood and affordability suits me, I don't look at owning driving a car as a value thing. If I like it and can afford it then I buy.
If I won the lotto jackpot tonight I wouldn't change cars, only that there is nothing that takes my fancy right now.

FreddieFrugal

If you want the best in terms of value for money - then you buy a second hand car in good condition and keep it for as long as possible.

As soon as the car starts to cost you too much to maintain. As in having expensive repair bills regularly. Then you're probably best to replace it with a newer car.

How long that takes depends on how well you look after it and also a bit of luck!

My current car (Ford Focus) I bought at 3 years old for £7,500, it's now past 8 years old and I've been lucky that it's cost me nothing other than routine servicing and consumables. It had one repair needed this last service where an air intake pipe had cracked. But that was a relatively cheap fix.

I plan to keep it until that changes OR circumstances change and we need something that it can't provide - like a bigger boot or more seats.

I do actually really like my car and wouldn't get rid of it unless I HAD to.

Ectophile

In my case, it doesn't matter how much I paid, I keep the car until it's not worth having any more. Anything I get from selling it at that point is a bonus.

I don't mind keeping a car 10 years or more if it runs OK and doesn't cost a fortune to keep fixing it.

System

Buy at 2 years old, run for half a decade or more, change because I want a change of car. Usually by the time I change them I've put the thick end of 100,000 on what was on them when I bought them, usually mileage being >150,000 and they have been sold because I fancied a change and not because there were any issues. My Mondeo I've had for coming up to 6 years went in for its 125,000 mile service this week. A slight bit of play in a track rod end was the only thing to come out of the inspection and the following day I got it replaced for a totla of £70 including four wheel alignment so there's a 125,000 mile car with no issues nor any expected in the near future.

diz79

I've always stuck with Ford as generally cheaper but do like vw, if you were to buy an older golf would parts be cheaper or more as it's a vw even if when it's old, is there much difference on general parts, tyres, engine parts, etc?

duffs54

We never spend much on my cars normally under a grand, the last 2 I bought for £500 and managed to sell at a profit, one £300 more and the other £150 more on ebay,.

But on hubbys car we spent £1800 on a 2004 V70 estate 200k mileage, we have had it 4yrs and have only managed to do another 10k in it, bodywork pristine always have advisories done on MOT and we've looked after it, it's all singing and dancing and I love it. doubt if we will get much for it but whilst it's not costing us any money we will keep it, like others have said once they start costing money it's time to go.
Have fun searching :j