Which car should I buy

geordiepaul2001

Hi all,

I am becoming really indecisive with which car to buy and I could do with some helpful guidance/opinions.

The car I need is for myself to drive mainly, though my wife will be driving occassionally.
It must also have room for 2 childrens car seats and a pram in the boot.

I have narrowed my search down to 2 vehicles.

The first is a 05 plate Citroen Xsara Picasso 1.8 petrol with 22,000 miles on the clock.
It is the exclusive model with all the trimmings such as rear parking sensors etc.
This vehicle is listed as category D damaged, which until recently the owner was not aware of until they tried to part ex the car.
Apparantly the previous owner (who used the car as a motobility car) had an accident in the car.
The car is just out of its 12 month warranty and has sailed through its MOT, the only damage to the car is that the plastic wheel arch which is above the wheel (instead of medflaps) is missing frm the front passenger side wheel.


The second car is a 53 plate Honda Jazz 1.4 petrol with 28,000 miles on the clock.
Its an S model which is the basic model and does not include aircon.
This vehicle has only one previous lady owner and ha not been a previous write off.
The car will also do 10mpg more, is in the cheaper tax and insurance bandings - though it is less powerful and has less boot space.


All opinions are appreciated, especially regarding the buying of a category d vehicle.

Cheers,

Paul

Keith

I'd go for the Jazz, how much are you looking to spend? The Volvo Estate V70 would be my weapon of choice

geordiepaul2001

I am only looking to spend around £4300.
I had a nasty experience with my last car - a Renault Laguna sport tourer.
It cost me £4000 in January 08, and I sold it two days ago for £2800 after carrying out £800 of repairs.

I am looking for a reliable car which isn't too thirsty, or extortionate to insure.

Keith

Don't buy the Citroen then! Honda Jazz will be reliable.

£800 is a lot, I'm guessing gearbox/clutch issues?

geordiepaul2001

2 Window regulators, one halogen bulb and a timing belt replacement.

I was under the impression that the Citroen was reliable and the Honda was ridiculously reliable.
I am willing to accept a reliable car, its just the whole category D thing which is worrying me

Thunderbird_2

Hi

I would go for the Honda, the Jazz is a brilliant little car and will hold it's values far more better than the Citroen should you decide to sell it in the future. If I was given the choice, I would go for a Ford Focus.

Best advice ever I read over these forums when you have to fit 2 child's seats is to take the seats with you to some of your local dealers and try to fit them on the cars you are interested in along with the pram. Most dealers don't have a problem with this and you will see exactly how they fit inside the car and help you narrow your choices and decide which one to go for. Then go back home and research for the best price for the chosen vehicle.

Cat D will be hard to sell later, even if you will price it keenly. Plus, you don't know the extent of the damage. It is selling now because it is still young car.

Relaibility wise, Japanese all the way!

Keith

geordiepaul2001 wrote: »

2 Window regulators, one halogen bulb and a timing belt replacement.

I was under the impression that the Citroen was reliable and the Honda was ridiculously reliable.
I am willing to accept a reliable car, its just the whole category D thing which is worrying me

2 of those items are service items which you expect to change over the life of the vehicle, the Laguna has notorious expensive bulbs though. The window regulators are possibly a Renault

Citroen is from the same family as Renault.

If you are put off by servicing costs you should check when purchasing, call the service department and ask for an estimate on the next service which your used car will be due. Otherwise find a decent independant

geordiepaul2001

Many thanks for the replies, they are confirming my thoughts.
I guess the only niggling doubt I have is the age difference.
I plan to keep whichever car I buy for at least 5 years, so I am not sure if either will have a particularly good retail value by then.

geordiepaul2001

Keith wrote: »

If you are put off by servicing costs you should check when purchasing, call the service department and ask for an estimate on the next service which your used car will be due. Otherwise find a decent independant

£800 was going through an independent garage.
The stealership wanted £1110 just to change the cambelt :eek:

Thunderbird_2

Hi

Just general thought about buying a car. Read about the car that interest you on WhatCar and HonestJohn websites. The first one will help you which one to go for, most common faults and what running costs roughly might be. The second one will tell you more details about common faults and frequent wear and tear items you might need to replace. Don't forget to choose used cars icon when using the drop list on WhatCar website. Both websites suggest alternative cars to look at of the same class as the one your reading about. Parker's has detailed information on tax and performance of each car.

Don't forget HPI checks and an independent (AA/RAC) inspections.

Good luck

BillScarab

Keith wrote: »

Citroen is from the same family as Renault.

No they're not, Peugeout and Citroen are the same company. Renault are a seperate company although they are now in allaince with Nissan, Renault own 44.4% of Nissan and Nissan own 15% of Renault.

To the OP I'd prefer a Honda to a Citroen but comparing a Picasso and a Jazz seems bit odd as they are completely different classes of car. I would also avoid a Cat D car.

Perosnally for what you want I would buy a second hand Skoda Octavia, they're cheap reliable and roomy.

Here's a link to What Cars reliability survey from last year, may be useful.