Replacing my car - advice needed please!

Michlan

My current car (7-seater Renault Grand Scenic) is 9 years old and it is starting to cost me money to keep fixing it. I want to replace it, but I'm completely flummoxed at all the options, firstly which car to choose and secondly how to buy it; PHP HP PLP PPPPPPPP ?? What? arrghgh. Can anyone help me?

I would like:
a smaller car which is cheaper to run
something reliable that is cheap to fix if anything goes wrong
something that will be ok on occasional long motorway journeys
big enough boot for my dog to sit in without feeling squashed (he's a medium sized cockapoo)

I will have a lump sum deposit to put down and then am planning to pay the rest monthly
Ideally I'd like a preregistered or nearly new car with very few miles on the clock. I know brand new cars lose money the moment you drive them off the forecourt! I'm thinking buying it outright (ie HP via a loan) would be a good option, I'm happy to keep the car for years as long as it's reliable. I'm not one of those people who like to swap their car for something new every few years, so PCP might not be my thing? The other thing someone mentioned to me was leasing, but I can't figure out the pros and cons of all these different ways of buying.

Can anyone help me? I am new to car purchasing as we've always bought family cars previously but I'm now separated and the last thing I want is for the salesmen to be rubbing their hands together when they see me coming, hoping to put one over on me being as I'm a woman on her own :mad:

foxy-stoat

New medium sized cars start from £17K up wards - whats your maximum budget you can afford?

Nearly new cars will be a fair bit cheaper.

a smaller car which is cheaper to run
something reliable that is cheap to fix if anything goes wrong
something that will be ok on occasional long motorway journeys
big enough boot for my dog to sit in without feeling squashed (he's a medium sized cockapoo)

Not much to go so try and narrow the manufacturer down and what you want to spend - Look at Hyundia i20/i30 or Seat Leon. If you have badge issues then spend more on a BMW/Merc/Audi.

Michlan

Thanks - I'm thinking Toyota Yaris or Ford Fiesta size - certainly no smaller than that, and don't want a bmw or audi or merc
Budget probably about £14k tbh.

System

You never save money buying a new/nearly car over repairing what you've already got. The annual depreciation alone ensures that even before you factor in any interest you're paying.

If saving money is the goal then buying a new/nearly new car is the wrong way to go about it. The only thing a newer car gives you is a more comfy place to be in and hopefully not having the inconvenience of breaking down, not that a well maintained older one should be either. What a new(er) car won't give you is more money in your pocket even taking into account things like better fuel economy and fewer repairs.

forgotmyname

The depreciation in the first 3 years would probably keep your current car running for another 9.

Depreciation and interest for a loan. Use your saved money and buy something with that instead? Or fix your current car?

Bigger cars cost more to run? Are you sure?

TadleyBaggie

Michlan wrote: »

Thanks - I'm thinking Toyota Yaris or Ford Fiesta size - certainly no smaller than that, and don't want a bmw or audi or merc
Budget probably about £14k tbh.

Be aware, some Yaris models don't have rear brakes...apparently.

Silvertabby

VW Polo .

Michlan

The thing is, my car is probably only worth about £1500 now, and i know for a fact there is work to be done - both wiper motors need replacing (£300 each for a start), and the brakes will need doing this year too, plus there is play on the ABS joints which will need to be sorted probably by next MOT - plus tyre treads are getting low. I can't justify spending that much on a car that's only worth £1500. I just don't know what to do. It's a diesel and is on 106,000 miles now. How much longer will it run before it costs too much to fix compared to the value of the car?

tacpot12

If you are replacing your car with something brand new-ish, you should look at an electric vehicle. Something like the Nissan Leaf. If you buy the battery for a Leaf, you should assume it will need replacing after 8 years or so, so factor in the cost of replacing it to your calculations to see if as a package it makes financial sense for you.

hollie.weimeraner

I know I keep harping on about these but stay away from any Ford with an ecoboost engine.
Me and my wife have changed cars recently to Toyota Prius and Yaris hybrids and are really happy with them. The Prius estate is better than the Yaris for our dog as it’s an estate. Both have 5 year warranties with 10 on the batteries.
As far as fully electric goes, if you have a driveway and don’t do a lot of long journeys then possibly worth considering but I’d really do my homework properly before going down this route.

RichardD1970

tacpot12 wrote: »

If you are replacing your car with something brand new-ish, you should look at an electric vehicle. Something like the Nissan Leaf. If you buy the battery for a Leaf, you should assume it will need replacing after 8 years or so, so factor in the cost of replacing it to your calculations to see if as a package it makes financial sense for you.

That's a rather sweeping statement.

Electric only suits a minority of users at the moment. You have no idea of their driving pattern or needs or availability of charging points etc.