'New' car options

DD265

I've got to change car by April; in order to keep my £450pcm car allowance my car must be under 10 years old. Shame because it could go on for another 100k miles easily!

As things stand my budget should be £4k cash come March. My Golf might be worth £1500-1800 privately if we opt to sell it; we may become a two car household and will have to see how that plays out. It could be worth less too, so easier to leave it out.

We're not actively looking to buy now, but getting a feel for what's out there and whether I'm going to have to find a way to increase that budget. Options are limited; I may have the option to borrow a bit off a family member or use an interest free credit card but I'm reluctant. At the same time, changing car every 2 years is going to put a lot of pressure on saving for the next one so I'm feeling a little stuck.

The car:
- must be under 10 years old (2012 plate or younger so I have a couple of years to save for the next one before changing again!)
- will be doing 15 miles a day commute, mostly motorway, and some longer journeys a couple of times a month
- must have 5 doors and 4 seats
- size wise ranging from Focus to Qashqai; I could consider smaller if we kept the Golf though
- something comparable to my 1.9 TDI would be nice but that's plenty of juice for me

I'm open to different makes/models. I don't think I can bring myself to go back on finance and as I VT'd a finance agreement two years ago that might not be an option anyway.

If you were in my position, what would you be looking at? I'm hoping for reassurance that £4k will be a reasonable budget!

ETA - I am not car savvy but I am quick to pop it into the garage and get any repairs done so anything I buy will be looked after. When it comes to actually car hunting, I've got a relative who is car savvy to search with/take with me.

DUTR

So it's not new as in Brand new, what's up with another Golf? You are already familiar with them.

loskie

get a 4yr old Avensis or Octavia then you are sorted for 6 yrs.

Think about a petrol in case your company changes it's diesel car policy. Quite likely to happen (albeit nonsensical) the way things are going.

DD265

DUTR wrote: »

So it's not new as in Brand new, what's up with another Golf? You are already familiar with them.

Would love another Golf and that's what I'd originally decided on but when I looked there's not a lot of choice in the 4k budget. An Autotrader search right now returned ~20 2012 regs with 120k-ish mileage. Seems a bit high but appreciate they will be fine if well maintained. I'm not sure how much difference 8 months will make to prices?

loskie wrote: »

get a 4yr old Avensis or Octavia then you are sorted for 6 yrs.

Think about a petrol in case your company changes it's diesel car policy. Quite likely to happen (albeit nonsensical) the way things are going.

Similarly I'm struggling for a (petrol) Octavia or Avensis 2012 or later on the £4k budget.

My family member is arguing that maybe diesels will be cheaper as people want rid, and I was questioning whether the shorter journeys meant it was a bad idea. When I bought the diesel Golf I was commuting 80 miles a day. It hadn't occurred to me that the company might bring something in but good point!

fatbelly

The 4k budget linked with a 2012 or younger car leads to something a bit less popular than a Golf, unless you are prepared to gamble with a high mileage one.

I'd be looking at something like a Fabia or a Ford Fusion; maybe a Hyundai i20 or Kia Rio.

jimbo6977

Nissan Note?

[Deleted User]

Peugeot 208 is a five seater, stylish and surprisingly roomier than you might think. Should be able to get a 4 or 5 year old one for your budget.
These are cheap to run and reliable.

loskie

with that car allowance why are you setting a low budget?
I don't get a car allowance but do get 45ppm for work, dropping to 25ppm after 10,000 per annum.
So what do I do? Put £250 month into a savings account with a standing order. When time comes to buy a different car there's money there for it.
Luckily I don't have an age restriction on the car I use. Usually spend 4 to 6 k on an older low mileage/owner car and run it into the ground. Have bought brand new and leased but buying older works best for me. I treat it as a business tool rather than an emotional, status symbol.

Scrapit

Do you definetly have to change it? We have the same policy at my work but several of my colleagues flout it and continue to get paid.

martinthebandit

Buy a private number plate and keep the golf, job done.

parking_question_chap

martinthebandit wrote: »

Buy a private number plate and keep the golf, job done.

Not a bad idea if the company are fairly easygoing on their rule. But anybody can check a numberplate online and see the MOT history and registration date of a vehicle. So if the company are strict on their 10 year rule using a private plate would not work.

OP, has the company taken action on others, or warned people that have been close to the 10 years? I expect the reason for the rule is company image rather than vehicle reliability. If it were me I would keep the car clean at all times and hope you get away with it. Worst they will do would be give you a reminder, if you are even half good at your job they would not stop the payments each month.

Then perhaps ask for an advance on several months payment to allow you to get a newer vehicle rather than having the same issue in a few years.