Renault Clio Advice - 2007 (20,000 Miles)

Ectophile

Personally, the grubbiness of the engine would be the least of my worries.

There are car nuts who obsessively polish every bit of their cars, including the engine. Then there are the people who lift the bonnet once in a while to check that the oil and water are still there, and have the car serviced once a year. I'm in the latter camp. After 10 years, the engine will be a bit grotty looking. So long as it runs fine and doesn't leak oil all over the driveway, I'm happy.

But as others have said, very low mileage is not a good thing. And look closely at the service history.

walwyn1978

That shouts older persons shop runabout to me. That then leads into questions like has the engine warmed up very much, and how many nasties will occur when I use the car heavily?

It's a dealer car so there's profit in it for the dealer. That 3 month AA parts and labour warranty will have exclusions in it, mostly the wear and tear stuff but it's not a massive bonus.

At that age, I'd be looking private sale and probably double that number of miles.

ROY47

Quote from previous answer

"I would expect a 20k mile car to be spotless inside and out.

Bought a 4 year old car last year and it was like new inside and out.

That engine looks like its done at least 80k miles. Why does it have wet oily patches all over it?

A few little telltale signs there, im guessing that engines been out... "

Your talking through rear end ...

They are not oily wet patches just usual used dusty patches
If you took the time to wait and read the mot history to confirm mileage etc.


My own car is 13 years old
bought at 18 000 miles 10 years ago
Now on 36 000 miles
Bodywork is spotless
Engine bay is a little dusty like the one above
Serviced / mot every year

Has engine been out as you say above
NO
There are some genuine low mileage cars out there

forgotmyname

ROY47, explain the oily wet patches on a 20k mile engine? That is not normal. Dusty fair enough but oily patches where the dust soaked up the oil.

Look at some of the clips, they face upwards where on a standard factory original vehicle they will be facing downwards. So those clips have been removed since it left the factory.

£3500 for a 2007 car??? Paid a bit more than that for a 38k mile KA that was under 5 years old. From a large garage chain also not private or a small trader.

ROY47

WHAT oily patches are you talking about ??
If you mean the slightly darker bits on the grey tubes ?
That's not oil
Upside down clips where

We will agree to disagree

But I would knock price down

KA is different to Clio
Personally wouldn't touch a KA
each to their own I suppose