Need advice buying first car please. No idea what I am doing

JP2019

I have just passed and am looking to buy my first car and to tell you the truth I don’t have a clue what I am doing or what to look for...

Do I go with a dealer or a private seller? Surely there’s more risk with a private seller as I imagine dealers have to abide by certain laws/standards?

How much should I pay? What should I be looking out for.

I don’t have anyone to help me with this or take along to view a car so could do with the help guys. I have been looking at auto trader and I am so petrified of being scammed.

My budget is up to £1000

Thank you

[Deleted User]

I wouldn't spend £1000 at a dealer. That is bound to be Arthur Daley territory.
Is there anyone in your family or friends who is selling a car or could help you buy from a private seller?
Some one at work maybe? Let it be known that you are looking and need help.

Nebulous2

A £1000 car will always be very much hit or miss. Without getting ‘scammed’ you may pick up one which needs some repairs fairly quickly or you may get lucky and get one which lasts a while. You need help from someone who can help cut down the risks. Mainstream models may be more expensive than slightly less desirable ones.

Whatever you do don’t commit to anything until you get an insurance quote.

AdrianC

A grand is definitely private seller territory. You pay a grand at a dealer, it's a car you could have bought for half that privately, for not much added comeback.

You NEED to get the help of somebody who knows what they're looking at.

bengalknights

For £1k id be inclined towards the ford fusion/honda jazz type vehicles.

One is pretty reliable the other pretty cheap to maintain.

tacpot12

I'd ask around your friends for recommendations for a local mechanic. You are going to need one anyway when you get a car, so it is worth finding one, and asking for their advice. Most mechanics know about the cars locally that are for sale which they know to be reliable.

Let them know you need something that is cheap to insure, and check the cost of insurance online before viewing any car.

AdrianC

bengalknights wrote: »

For £1k id be inclined towards the ford fusion/honda jazz type vehicles.

One is pretty reliable the other pretty cheap to maintain.

For a grand, you want to be looking at unloved things. Polos, Jazzes and the like have a rep for being good, so are expensive condition-for-condition.

For me, and if the space is adequate, I'd be looking at the many decent C1/107s for that money. Lower-spec the better, because they're simpler. You'll pay a premium for an Aygo, because Toyota (plus tend to be higher spec).

JP2019

Can somebody explain why a grand at a dealer is bad but is ok for a private seller?

Forgive me... I really am clueless with this

AdrianC

JP2019 wrote: »

Can somebody explain why a grand at a dealer is bad but is ok for a private seller?

Forgive me... I really am clueless with this

Because the dealer has to make a profit out of that grand.

He has to buy the car, prepare it for sale, pay for his premises and other business overheads, pay tax... and pay himself. There's not a lot of room in a grand for that lot. Especially when you consider that preparing a car at that end of the market is likely to involve a reasonable amount of work.

So what did he pay for the car? £500? Well, why don't you just buy that car for £500 before he does? If you pay a grand for a car before he does, then what would he retail it at? £1500? More?

Remember that all your consumer rights on used goods are tempered by reasonable expectations for goods of that age/price/apparent condition. So you have very little comeback on a grand's worth of used car. What are we talking, 12-13yo? Average age of all cars in the UK is 8-9yo, and average age at scrapping is 13-14yo. So a grand's worth of car is, by definition, something with which you can reasonably expect to encounter quite a few issues.

JP2019

AdrianC wrote: »

Because the dealer has to make a profit out of that grand.

He has to buy the car, prepare it for sale, pay for his premises and other business overheads, pay tax... and pay himself. There's not a lot of room in a grand for that lot. Especially when you consider that preparing a car at that end of the market is likely to involve a reasonable amount of work.

So what did he pay for the car? £500? Well, why don't you just buy that car for £500 before he does? If you pay a grand for a car before he does, then what would he retail it at? £1500? More?

Remember that all your consumer rights on used goods are tempered by reasonable expectations for goods of that age/price/apparent condition. So you have very little comeback on a grand's worth of used car. What are we talking, 12-13yo? Average age of all cars in the UK is 8-9yo, and average age at scrapping is 13-14yo. So a grand's worth of car is, by definition, something with which you can reasonably expect to encounter quite a few issues.

Feel slightly stupid now really as this makes total sense

So in theory - If I buy a car from a private seller for a grand it is usually worth a grand..... if I buy a car for a grand from a private seller for a grand it is usually worth half that (give or take)

AdrianC

Not that simple. It's worth whatever the market deems it worth. You may well get better VFM from a private seller, but that doesn't mean the trade car isn't "worth" that.