Buying a relatively cheap reliable used car, advice?

delmonta

My old Vaxuhall Astra has just died and I need a new car. I have always bought cars around the £1000 mark, and as you'd expect its been a gamble, some have lasted years, some broke on the way home!  

At what price do you think you start getting more reliable used cars, above £2000? Or is it still a gamble.
I am currently looking on gumtree, eBay and facebook makes place, mostly the same cars are coming up. Would you recommend anywhere else?

I'm looking for an estate. Would your recommend any makes or models that tend to be reliable and reasonably priced, and any you would avoid?  What limit would you have on milage for diesels or petrols?

I just need it to be practical, not fancy at all
Any advice would be great
thanks

AdrianC

It's all about how well you choose. Don't get hung up on specific makes/models/mileages at this end of the price range - buy on a specific example, on the MOT history, and on the vendor.

Buy privately. Buying from a trader adds nothing to your consumer protection, only to the cost.

EdGasketTheSecond

Try and get one from a genuine private buyer that has owned the car a few years not a dodgy dealer with a limp excuse as to why they are selling. You can find genuine ones and you can tell a lot from the advert and from a phone call so as to weed out the no-hopers. Even so I went to see a car once that the vendor assured me was in great condition but it was absolutely awful, much worse than the one I was scrapping. Theres youtube videos on what to look for, educate yourself and then go take a look.

I don't think price comes into it too much. You still get duds at any price level. None of my cars have ever cost more than £1000 in 45 years of driving.

delmonta

Thanks, thats good to know. I thought if I spent a bit more I'd get something more reliable, but its a gamble. 

Im waiting for new cars to appear, as I feel that possibly ones that have been up for weeks and are still available would have a reason they havent been bought. Maybe this isn't the right way to look at it?

delmonta

What milage would you say is too high on a diesel? I've just seen a 2007 VW Passat diesel which looks really good, but its 150k miles. Other than that it looks ideal, but its a bit of a drive to see it

Herzlos

There's no real rules, a higher budget will get you something newer and give you more choice, but anything out of warranty may have problems and people are selling cars for a reason. Maybe you'll find the genuine seller who likes the car but has got something else, rather than the dealer garbage of "wife didn't like the colour".

Everything else is condition - miles don't mean much in terms of condition. Huge miles implies it's spent a lot of time on motorways or was a minicab, but tiny miles is just as bad as it'll likely not get up to temperature and spent a lot of time sitting parked up.

As said, try and find a genuine private seller (one who knows which car you're enquiring about without having to specify) and get a feel for why they are selling it. At that price range most dealer models will be bangers  with a markup and little protection.

Condition condition condition.

AdrianC

delmonta said:

Thanks, thats good to know. I thought if I spent a bit more I'd get something more reliable

You'll get something newer/more market-preferred/lower-mileage/ostensibly better condition.

That doesn't always transfer into "more reliable". This is why you need to buy based on an individual vehicle alone. There'll be some rock-solid, excellent <£1k sheds about. And some £2k nightmares-in-waiting.

And remember... preventative maintenance is not "repairs". It's the cheapest way of extending the life of a vehicle.

delmonta

Thanks, great advice. Yeah so maybe I don't need to spend an extra grand, I just need to be more selective. It seem choice is limited with the coronavirus situation, but I need a car as I live in the middle of nowhere!

EdGasketTheSecond

delmonta said:

Thanks, thats good to know. I thought if I spent a bit more I'd get something more reliable, but its a gamble. 

Im waiting for new cars to appear, as I feel that possibly ones that have been up for weeks and are still available would have a reason they havent been bought. Maybe this isn't the right way to look at it?

If there is a car that has been around ages but looks OK apart from the price, then see if they will accept a much lower offer. Sometimes the higher-priced cars can be the better ones; you just need to negotiate on the price.

[Deleted User]

I had a £2000 car and it started costing me money only after a few months of ownership with new exhaust, then brakes, then springs, then catalyst.

I had another £2000 car that didn't cost me anything for 2 years until it needed a new spring.

Had £400 car that was a money pit.

forgotmyname

Unless your a low mileage user dont buy a diesel with over 300,000 miles... A well serviced diesel will do this without major work to the engine.
I start my searches at 130,000 miles and look for cars with excellent service histories. Got stamps in a book, next please. Got receipts and
a record of all the work? On my way.

Sold a previous diesel with 174k on the clock, buyer did 60k in the following 2 years serviced once if it was lucky.