Jump to content

Buying a car


Recommended Posts

I'm going to have to buy a car relatively soon. I'm 33 and I've never bought or owned a car - when I lived at home I just drove my parents vehicles, when I moved away I couldn't afford one and since I've been able to afford one I feel I get by fine without one. However, if my wife and I are going to have kids in the next few years then I'll need a car and it would be helpful for getting out and about and seeing family etc.

I know nothing about cars and have no idea what the best way to buy one is. Should I get finance on a brand new car or a second-hand, is it better to lease or just save up and buy a second hand car in cash?

Help me P&B. You're my only hope.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 180
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Don't buy new - get an "almost-new" from one of the many places that advertise nationally.The savings are massive. If you're not au fait with motors, don't take a chance on a private buy. The money you save could end up being spent - and more- before the motor's paid for.

Above all, though, remember - like wine, it's hard to actually buy a bad car these days. Get what's right for you.

ETA: When I say "don't buy new", I'm assuming you're not a member of the Union that got me a £21000 Zafira for £13500. Check out any deals and discounts you could get from Union Membership, etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

IMO buying a new car is the equivalent of just throwing large amounts of cash down the drain. So PCP deal or buy a used car. In general terms, cars are far more reliable these days. Our household has three cars none of them is less than ten years old. None of them have given us any major problems in terms of reliability or repairs. The other consideration is whether to go petrol or diesel. Nowadays buying a diesel isn't always the most economical option. If you are doing a high mileage like more than 20,000 per annum, then consider a diesel.

The first step is to decide what you need/want from a car

three door/ five door

five seater/ seven seater

city car/car that is better for longer journeys etc.

In general terms most Japanese or German models are the best.

Note that Skoda and Seat are also VW/Audi group and are perfectly good cars.

I have had excellent service from both brands.

An excellent choice for a first car would be a Seat Leon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Go on Gumtree
  • Filter to cars under £1000
  • Look for advert where words are misspelled
  • Arrange meet
  • Go to garage site
  • Kick left front tyre
  • Sigh
  • Offer £200
  • Buy car
  • Spend £10,000 over the next ten weeks sorting car
  • Scrap car for £50
  • Buy ex-showroom car for discounted price
  • Wonder why you never scrolled down
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My brother put me on the insurance for his Saab 9-3 last year when he was visiting, I quite enjoyed driving that? I've hired an Audi A1 for thsi weekend, that could be a good car?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have just got rid of my 4th car, was too much hassle and money to run it and I'm a student

I would recommend leasing or PCP, you could get a decent fiesta for under 100 per month. Although that will require a 1000 deposit. Second hand cars are always a lottery and a lot can go wrong

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Try to find a local dealership with a good reputation. If you go to a fancy one then you are paying for their fancy suits and showroom.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you are happy and able to spend £100-400 every month to own a new car then go for it, it gives you the peace of mind of the manufacturer's warranty and free servicing for a few years etc. It also ties you into this arrangement for the long term - if you want out of it you will end up hugely out of pocket.

We drive older cars in our household, 6-7 years old ish and usually keep them for 3 or 4 years. We accept that once or twice a year we may have a bill of a few hundred quid, but we see this as more sensible than paying the same amount every month to own a new car, and overall our costs of ownership are much lower than they would be with a new car. I think people who's second biggest monthly expense after their mortgage/rent is their car are nuts.

Buying used is always a risk, but if you do some research and get someone knowledgeable to help you then IMO it's often the more sensible option.

I think it also depends on whether you "like" cars and driving, ie whether you actually care about what you drive or just want an A to B machine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As others have said it's all about your budget.

I've always bought cars that were around 4 years old (about the £4k mark) and sold them/ traded them in after around 3/4 years.

On average they have depreciated by around £500 per year.

I always put x amount in a savings account each month to try and cover insurance/tax/service/repairs & m.o.t as for tax and insurance you tend to get a discount if you pay in full rather than per month, and the repairs always tended to be needed when I was rooked.

I think the best way to pay for a used car from a dealership is by 0% credit card then switching with a 0% on balance transfer card after the term ends. If you get the right cards any transaction charges are minimal and are tiny compared to the interest charged on a loan.

Our first child was born in April and we needed a bigger car and in a break from the above I bought a new Honda Jazz. The main reason was I didn't want the worry of them breaking down.

It seemed like a good deal as well as I got 3 years interest free from the dealer and with the bonus of not needing to M.O.T it for 3 years it wasn't working out much more expensive than the old car. Although it will depreciate quicker.

I would recommend the Honda Jazz plenty of room for prams etc. I got the basic s type for £10500.

/end (war&peace)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Despite what's been said on here, buying second hand is not always a bad thing, neither is buying private. Depends on your budget and how long you plan to keep the vehicle for.

If your buying new or nearly new look for makes that offer a decent warranty, always a bonus if there's a major problem.

Vauxhall are offering a tremendous warranty at the moment, Kia do 7 years, Hyundai and Toyota do 5.

Try to find a friend or family member who knows a bit about cars when you go to look/buy, particularly if you're going for an older car.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Go on Gumtree
  • Filter to cars under £1000
  • Look for advert where words are misspelled
  • Arrange meet
  • Go to garage site
  • Kick left front tyre
  • Sigh
  • Offer £200
  • Buy car
  • Spend £10,000 over the next ten weeks sorting car
  • Scrap car for £50
  • Buy ex-showroom car for discounted price
  • Wonder why you never scrolled down

You mock but Mrs Ned and I drove nearly new cars for years until my car died big style forcing me to buy a 'run-around' from Gum Tree for £300 that turned out to be that good I just kept it.

It had 10 months MOT on it and it lasted the 10 months without me having to spend a penny on it - at the end of the 10 months I got £165 for scrapping it and went out and bought another 'banger'.

That's 10 months driving for £135 !! Mrs Ned's finance is more than that a month and her car has also generated it's own fair share of costly repair bills.

My current car cost £350 and is fecking outstanding ... I'm actually thinking of putting this one through its MOT which would be the first MOT I've put a car of mine though for about 5 years. (more money saved)

If any of these cars had died big style I wouldn't have repaired them I'd have just scrapped them straight away and bought another cheapo - the current collect from house deals average about £150 ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

August is coming up. Check the dealers for pre registered cars.

Sometimes (to keep qualifying for bonuses from the manufacturers) dealers will register a new car they don't have a buyer for.

If they don't sell the car before the reg plates change over, they end up with a completely new car that has an older reg plate on it and so have to discount it heavily.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm going to have to buy a car relatively soon. I'm 33 and I've never bought or owned a car - when I lived at home I just drove my parents vehicles, when I moved away I couldn't afford one and since I've been able to afford one I feel I get by fine without one. However, if my wife and I are going to have kids in the next few years then I'll need a car and it would be helpful for getting out and about and seeing family etc.

I know nothing about cars and have no idea what the best way to buy one is. Should I get finance on a brand new car or a second-hand, is it better to lease or just save up and buy a second hand car in cash?

Help me P&B. You're my only hope.

Every time I've thought about changing my car, I've found this site to be invaluable and very accurate.

http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/reviews/

ETA...

VW Golf, Focus or Astra are good choices for the first time owner/buyer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All depends on what budget you have and what type of car you want,i used to buy and sell cars and I made a good wee profit out of it.I did it at the sub £2000 range however as they were easier to sell.

I would never buy a new car as they drop around 25% as soon as you drive out the showroom.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...