Buying a car unemployed. :(

toomsie

It's more like £1700. It's cheap compared to how much a new driver is a risk compared to me, and how much I am paying. 

toomsie

It's hard to define the word afford. I would not like to be down to my last £1700 in assets.

Herzlos

What's the use case? Like, what's she actually wanting the car for and how much / where is she planning on taking it?
Is it for helping elderly mother get about? If so, have you checked if she's entitled to a mobility car?

If she's a new driver, then insurance is going to suck whatever she gets.

I'd focus on trying to find something as cheap as possible, and as simple as possible, to keep the costs down.

Herzlos

The same dealer has a Ford Fusion for £3194k:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202210190881876?advert-type=dealer-stock&advertising-location=at_cars&advertising-location=at_profile_cars&fromDealerSearchResults=/retailer/stock?sort=price-asc&page=1&dealer=10018155&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&advertising-location=at_cars&advertising-location=at_profile_cars&dpp=10018155&sort=price-asc&percentVehiclePriceDeposit=true

It's a bit bigger, bit older, and less fashionable. But the £2k saving is significant here.

ontheroad1970

toomsie said:

I bought my first car for a monkey   

How was the monkey's driving? Better than a human? Sorry, couldn't resist

Sea_Shell

Ectophile said:

toomsie said:

Its worse no that I have much less income, though I do have stocks. But selling at the bottom is not what I want to do, its like selling for scrap. I can’t sleep about this.

Not Your Problem.  Look after your own money and don't worry about other people's.

Agree.

When you have a sibling living off the bank of Mum and Dad, you just have to let them all get on with it.

If the financial wheels fall off, it's not your problem to fix them all.

Bonniepurple

OP, I get you’re worried, but your sister is an adult.  The reasons for her wanting a car could be anything, from needing reliable transport to get to work/the Job Centre, to your Mum wanting your sister to do her shopping/drive her about.  

You say you paid for her to have driving lessons.  Was this recently?  If so, what did you think would happen when she passed her test and had no car?

Reading between the lines, I wonder if this is more about fairness and inheritance than your sister wanting a car.  

seatbeltnoob

toomsie said:

My younger sister wants to buy a car while not having a job with the support of her mother. I don't like it one bit. Already things are at a crisis level, with things about to double. The problem is how are they going to survive without the expenses of a car, let alone with one. Losing money every month because of a car is not a good strategy. My situation has gone down 5 fold this year so I can't offer much support. Maybe it breaks protocol to talk about it here but I don't know what to do. 

getting insurance as an unemployed person (if they disclose this honestly) will make their premiums so high, potentially not even get quote.

Having said that, have a car does help with job prospects, easier to get around jobs, do delivery jobs with car etc.

seatbeltnoob

baser999 said:

If she’s presently unemployed she really doesn’t need a car does she? Suggest she delays any purchase until she’s in work and can fund it herself; she might even be able to get a loan for it and if she fails to keep up with the payments the car will be repossessed. That might focus her mind. 

if they're in a town with limited public transport. not having a car might be the reason why they currently dont have a job.