Should I keep my old car or buy another one?

Cressida100

J2637 said:

 @Cressida100, I was just re-reading the thread and noticed you said you pay £30 a year for your car tax. Could I ask how you got it so cheap? I paid £325 last year ...

Hi it's a 12 plate and i think it's 1.2. I will check the model. It may actually have increased to £35 this year (just paid but will also check). Mine is a bog standard model. No ac or fancy bluetooth but I'm perfectly happy with it. 3 door hatchback. 

J2637

Thanks @Cressida100 , you've got a great rate there, it must be low CO2 emissions.

stu12345_2

when a car hits 4 years old things need replacing, exhaust, springs, shocks, battery, brakes, discs, tyres, cat, alternator etc, then again at 8 years.

I don't like the buy a 6 to 10 year old car mentality, cos they are still expensive.
imo get a nearly new eg 18 months old or a old car eg 14 years old plus for peanuts eg £700

daivid

stu12345_2 said:

when a car hits 4 years old things need replacing, exhaust, springs, shocks, battery, brakes, discs, tyres, cat, alternator etc, then again at 8 years.

I don't like the buy a 6 to 10 year old car mentality, cos they are still expensive.
imo get a nearly new eg 18 months old or a old car eg 14 years old plus for peanuts eg £700

I don’t think such blanket statements work. At 6 years old one can still get a car from a main dealer with 12month warranty (comes at a cost but far less than an 18month old car). With a car of that age (carefully selected) I'd expect hassle free driving which for those without a second car and with work/family commitments can be very important. Buying a 14 year old plus car is fine if you have tools and mechanical ability, and can work round having it off the road for a few days if repairs are needed.

I'm on the second car bought in the 6-10 year age, the first cost nothing more than expendables (which cost far less than the depreciation would have been on a newer car) until it was 14 years old and had 106k on the clock, from then on it cost up to £500 per year until I decided it wasn’t worth a £1k ish repair at 134k and 17 years old. Its replacement is, fingers crossed, taking a similar trajectory though with any car out of warranty you never know when a big bill could happen.

Also with a modern car I'd expect exhaust (unless damaged which could happen at any age), springs, shocks, alternator and cat to last in excess of 10 years and 100k. Maybe the brands I gravitate towards have made me biased but I've never had to replace an exhaust or suspension component before that point and I've never had to replace a cat or alternator - the dynamo on my Morris Minor yes, but that is a whole different kettle of fish…

Barkin

stu12345_2 said:

when a car hits 4 years old things need replacing, exhaust, springs, shocks, battery, brakes, discs, tyres, cat, alternator etc, then again at 8 years.

Crumbs! Seems my 20 year old motor hasn't been made aware of that... 

stu12345_2

Barkin said:

stu12345_2 said:

when a car hits 4 years old things need replacing, exhaust, springs, shocks, battery, brakes, discs, tyres, cat, alternator etc, then again at 8 years.

Crumbs! Seems my 20 year old motor hasn't been made aware of that... 

depends entirely on the miles done.
my point is these second hand cars at say 8 years to 10 years old are bought at auction for cheap by a car dealer, they tart them up, do a little bodywork repair and slap a useless 3 month or 6 month warranty on.

and then ask 3 times the price they got it at auction.

and if you go the £700 route via an older car , you are not expected to be a car mechanic and do your repairs by yourself, just expect a repair or two in the lifetime you own it.

I've had 3 repairs in my £900 car I've had( I paid more cos it's an automatic  and rarer) for 3 years and I don't have the tools,ramps , skill or time.
but I saved £thousands by avoiding these £4000 to £6000 dealer cars that are still old but hugely inflated prices on what was a steal by a dealer that got them at auction 

Barkin

stu12345_2 said:

Barkin said:

stu12345_2 said:

when a car hits 4 years old things need replacing, exhaust, springs, shocks, battery, brakes, discs, tyres, cat, alternator etc, then again at 8 years.

Crumbs! Seems my 20 year old motor hasn't been made aware of that... 

depends entirely on the miles done.

Just coming up to 170k

Yes, it's had tyres & brakes done obviously. 

But steering/suspension is all original apart from front drop links & rear trailing arm bushes. They were done at approx 130k/13 years.

Exhaust is original. 

The original (Bosch) battery lasted 14 years. I replaced it with another Bosch.

I kinda get your point, but saying that a car will need these things at 4 years old, and again at 8, is... well... 

stu12345_2

Barkin said:

stu12345_2 said:

Barkin said:

stu12345_2 said:

when a car hits 4 years old things need replacing, exhaust, springs, shocks, battery, brakes, discs, tyres, cat, alternator etc, then again at 8 years.

Crumbs! Seems my 20 year old motor hasn't been made aware of that... 

depends entirely on the miles done.

Just coming up to 170k

Yes, it's had tyres & brakes done obviously. 

But steering/suspension is all original apart from front drop links & rear trailing arm bushes. They were done at approx 130k/13 years.

Exhaust is original. 

The original (Bosch) battery lasted 14 years. I replaced it with another Bosch.

I kinda get your point, but saying that a car will need these things at 4 years old, and again at 8, is... well... 

many sellers sell their cars just before these anniversaries, cos in general they know these parts are wearing out, especially if they have done say 12000 miles a year

pseudodox

My car's original battery was replaced at 14 years - it was OK-ish but I wanted peace of mind facing winter; replacement one is still going strong 10 years later.  Original exhaust was replaced at 20 years.  Unlikely the replacement will last that long, but if it did it would probably outlive me!

I have had to replace tyres occasionally not always because the tread is minimal but because the walls have started to weaken due to age.  I got unlucky with 2 punctures in 9 months on the same wheel in the same place when twice I picked up a screw too close to the tyre wall to be repaired.

No rust anywhere.  The gear box is getting a bit sloppy - I live in hilly country so am up and down the gear box all the time and drive a high proportion of miles in third so I can definitely feel the play.  Garage guys keep a check on it for me.

It really is all pot luck.  A friend of mine drives a 53 year old Morris Minor Traveller - but as much a hobby tinkering with it as a mode of transport.  There is a lot of original car so it is not yet a Trigger's Broom.

stu12345_2

rust is a rare thing since mid 1990s id say