Car advice

[8MileBU]

54 minutes ago, Ross. said:

Best bet then is to ask for an Opel Corsa rather than a Vaxhall one.

Or just look at the manufacturers mentioned in the post I replied to. 

[Ross.]

11 minutes ago, 8MileBU said:

Or just look at the manufacturers mentioned in the post I replied to. 

Sure, but that wouldn't have let me crack my cheap gag.

[die hard doonhamer]

I got a new corsa in 2016, have since traded it in but I absolutely loved it. However, I'm not sure that it's comparable with the new ones given that Vauxhall has since changed ownership and the new corsa is on a PSA platform rather than the previous GM platform. I'd definitely go new though.

[RH33]

I had a corsa, utter shite.

 

[Empty It]

Also if you're buying a car round about the £1000 mark dont buy from a garage, buy from a private seller, have a look online at common things to look for when looking at a specific model you're going to see.

[RandomGuy.]

27 minutes ago, Empty It said:

Also if you're buying a car round about the £1000 mark dont buy from a garage, buy from a private seller, have a look online at common things to look for when looking at a specific model you're going to see.

Without wanting to sound harsh, if you're buying a car for £1k then you're buying a heap of shite that will absolutely cost you money if you intend on keeping it beyond a year.

It'll be well beyond the need to just look at common faults as it'll likely be 10+ years old and had multiple repairs/faults by that point which could've gone either way, so it wont make any odds where you buy it. Garages are less likely to sell a car with a fault either, due to wanting to keep their reputation/the car likely being a trade in so the seller could upgrade. I know plenty of private sellers who get EML lights put out to sell as they know theres no come back on cars that age.

[Sergeant Wilson]

Buy a runner, MoT, condition etc is immaterial, don't tax or insure it to  make further savings.

[sergie's no1 fan]

If you are buying an older car you can check the gov.uk website to see its MOT history. Check if its failed in the previous year, any advisories ect.

I took a bank loan out to pay for my current car. Saved me a few grand on financing the car and I got a discount on the motor because I was paying it up front.

It is just down to yourself though, if you want to take the risk on an older motor if you can get a couple of years out it brilliant.

Or if you get a new(ish) motor you should have minimal costs to run the motor but you will be paying it off monthly.

My mrs did the opposite from me, bought a 57 plate Megane Dynamic a few years ago for £750. It's still going strong albeit she spent a few hundred on its last MOT.

[Homer Thompson]

If you are buying an older car you can check the gov.uk website to see its MOT history. Check if its failed in the previous year, any advisories ect.

I took a bank loan out to pay for my current car. Saved me a few grand on financing the car and I got a discount on the motor because I was paying it up front.

It is just down to yourself though, if you want to take the risk on an older motor if you can get a couple of years out it brilliant.

Or if you get a new(ish) motor you should have minimal costs to run the motor but you will be paying it off monthly.

My mrs did the opposite from me, bought a 57 plate Megane Dynamic a few years ago for £750. It's still going strong albeit she spent a few hundred on its last MOT.

I use https://www.caranalytics.co.uk

for that. It also shows more info and you can pay for a finances check etc if you want

[beefybake]

20 hours ago, Ekhibee88 said:

Need bit of advice. At the moment im out a job, I dont have a car and skint. If I get a job soon, I'm looking at getting car.  I have some savings but reluctant to use on a car, possibly I could take £1000 out. What would be the best idea? Take out a bank loan and buy a car, say a £3000 car or finance a car ? Either way its a mugs game. 

Or buy a banger for £1000.

£500 for  a car, any car..., with a years MOT was the traditional 'banger' starting point.   Nowadays, at £500 , that will generally get you something that needs work soon, MOT or no MOT. 

I'd steer clear of older VW's, Skodas, Seat's.    The  TDI 1.9 engines ( ie the PD versions )  are bulletproof.  Unfortunately, the Achilles heel on older VAG group cars is the electrics.

In your position, I'd aim for a basic car.   A Yaris, pehaps.  Or any one of Citroen C1, Peugeot 107, or Toyota Aygo.  The latter three are all the same car, and are all built in the same factory as part of a joint venture, using Toyota production methods.   There's zillions of them around, they are cheap to run and reliable.  They're also quite fun to drive.

I have a 2006 Yaris Mk2 1.0.    The engine is the same as what's in the C1, 107 and Aygo.  Currently shows 52mpg as an average running around figure, on the trip computer.

The Yaris is a step up from the other three in the quality of the 'trimmings', but not the basic mechanicals.  I paid just under £1000 on eBay last summer for mine, at which price,

I mentally budgeted in another £300 'ish to do odds and sods.  New brake discs, pads on the front. Rear silencer box.  Nothing major.

 

For anyone of a saving disposition, I'd just stay miles away from finance, and contracts.   A small bank loan would be the max, I'd ever borrow.

How about somewhere around £750 from your stash, plus the same again from a bank loan ?

Suggest you read up, and learn the weak and strong points of whatever make/model you're interested in, and in particular if you're buying private

take a friend/someone who knows what to look for,  won't be impressed by shiny paintwork alone, and won't get lost in the moment of urge to purchase..

Edited March 17, 2021 by beefybake

[KnightswoodBear]

My wife's car got a chip on the windscreen yesterday.  Her insurance has cover, where you just pay the excess depending on what needs done.  This doesn't affect her NCB. Will claiming this way increase her renewal cost?  Am I as well just getting it done myself?

[gav-ffc]

Took advantage of a free brakes check at Kwik fit as knew there was a bit of an issue, front discs and pads low and needing done ( expected) asked for a quote to get them done (fully knowing I’m going to a small independent garage anyway) £300+ And I laughed myself away out the garage.

[Ron Aldo]

My wife's car got a chip on the windscreen yesterday.  Her insurance has cover, where you just pay the excess depending on what needs done.  This doesn't affect her NCB. Will claiming this way increase her renewal cost?  Am I as well just getting it done myself?

I work in insurance and a windscreen claim shouldn't have any impact on the renewal as insurance companies don't class them as "accidents".

[KnightswoodBear]

Just now, Ron Aldo said:

2 hours ago, Knight55WoodBear said:

My wife's car got a chip on the windscreen yesterday.  Her insurance has cover, where you just pay the excess depending on what needs done.  This doesn't affect her NCB. Will claiming this way increase her renewal cost?  Am I as well just getting it done myself?

I work in insurance and a windscreen claim shouldn't have any impact on the renewal as insurance companies don't class them as "accidents".

Excellent.  Cheers

[Ekhibee88]

21 hours ago, beefybake said:

£500 for  a car, any car..., with a years MOT was the traditional 'banger' starting point.   Nowadays, at £500 , that will generally get you something that needs work soon, MOT or no MOT. 

I'd steer clear of older VW's, Skodas, Seat's.    The  TDI 1.9 engines ( ie the PD versions )  are bulletproof.  Unfortunately, the Achilles heel on older VAG group cars is the electrics.

In your position, I'd aim for a basic car.   A Yaris, pehaps.  Or any one of Citroen C1, Peugeot 107, or Toyota Aygo.  The latter three are all the same car, and are all built in the same factory as part of a joint venture, using Toyota production methods.   There's zillions of them around, they are cheap to run and reliable.  They're also quite fun to drive.

I have a 2006 Yaris Mk2 1.0.    The engine is the same as what's in the C1, 107 and Aygo.  Currently shows 52mpg as an average running around figure, on the trip computer.

The Yaris is a step up from the other three in the quality of the 'trimmings', but not the basic mechanicals.  I paid just under £1000 on eBay last summer for mine, at which price,

I mentally budgeted in another £300 'ish to do odds and sods.  New brake discs, pads on the front. Rear silencer box.  Nothing major.

 

For anyone of a saving disposition, I'd just stay miles away from finance, and contracts.   A small bank loan would be the max, I'd ever borrow.

How about somewhere around £750 from your stash, plus the same again from a bank loan ?

Suggest you read up, and learn the weak and strong points of whatever make/model you're interested in, and in particular if you're buying private

take a friend/someone who knows what to look for,  won't be impressed by shiny paintwork alone, and won't get lost in the moment of urge to purchase..

Only had one car in my life after I passed my test, It was a 06 plate Fiesta, it had a few problems and I had to get rid of it. It has put me off older second hand cars. I done that with my first car, took out a bank loan and paid cash for rest. 

I need to remember insurance costs too. 

[PWL]

21 hours ago, beefybake said:

 

I have a 2006 Yaris Mk2 1.0.    The engine is the same as what's in the C1, 107 and Aygo.  Currently shows 52mpg as an average running around figure, on the trip computer.

The Yaris is a step up from the other three in the quality of the 'trimmings', but not the basic mechanicals.  I paid just under £1000 on eBay last summer for mine, at which 

Well built wee cars.

My first car was a 52 plate Yaris. Was perfect for where we stayed In Shawlands. Weirdly, it's the only car I've owned where I can remember the reg number. Just checked on DVLA and it's still going strong and MOT'd till Nov 01. 

 

[Trackdaybob]

3 hours ago, Knight55WoodBear said:

My wife's car got a chip on the windscreen yesterday.  Her insurance has cover, where you just pay the excess depending on what needs done.  This doesn't affect her NCB. Will claiming this way increase her renewal cost?  Am I as well just getting it done myself?

I've had windscreen's replaced twice over the years through the insurance company. If it did make a difference (I suspect it didn't), it was negligible. 

[KnightswoodBear]

12 minutes ago, Trackdaybob said:

I've had windscreen's replaced twice over the years through the insurance company. If it did make a difference (I suspect it didn't), it was negligible. 

Cheers Bob.  I've gone through the insurance.  Autoglass charge £190 to do it without insurance, so I figure that it's unlikely to increase her premium by that much.

[beefybake]

4 hours ago, Ekhibee88 said:

Only had one car in my life after I passed my test, It was a 06 plate Fiesta, it had a few problems and I had to get rid of it. It has put me off older second hand cars. I done that with my first car, took out a bank loan and paid cash for rest. 

I need to remember insurance costs too. 

Insurance for the ones I've mentioned doesn't really get any cheaper.

What Ford is very good at is making cars that when you get into them, you feel right at home.   

Like Vauxhalls, though, underneath they're not actually a quality built car, and once they get a few years, and/or miles on , they're best avoided.

Yaris's have the Toyota build quality, and tend to maintain their value.

The other's, the C1, 107 and Aygo are cars that have been designed as cheaper cars. That is, money has been saved on, for example,  sound proofing,

so that starts to get noticeable above 60'ish mph. The doors will close with more of a clang than a VW Golf.  But underneath, it's a  car that will get you there.

You're most unlikely to ever  see  one sat by the side of the road, with an AA/RAC van next to it.  And that 1.0 litre 3 cylinder engine is pretty much bulletproof,

as long as you do the oil changes, and check the level regularly.  Spares are cheap, and in plentiful supply.     

 

[Thistle_do_nicely]

might be going mad but iirc when i had to get glass repaired on an old car that got broken into, it didnt affect my premiums at all BUT there was a separate excess on the policy that i had to pay, was either £50 or £100? legit not sure if that's a standard thing and part of why it doesn't make any difference. also don't know if I have a windscreen repair excess on my current policy come to think of it!

6 hours ago, PWL said:

Well built wee cars.

My first car was a 52 plate Yaris. Was perfect for where we stayed In Shawlands. Weirdly, it's the only car I've owned where I can remember the reg number. Just checked on DVLA and it's still going strong and MOT'd till Nov 01. 

 

I just had a look at an old Clio of mine, still going strong!

Although bizarrely the mileage history seems to be all over the shop - innocent explanation or something hooky going on with it? I remember an old MOT I got on my older Astra was fucked up because the garage put it in using KM rather than miles (someone had arsed about and changed the mileage display without noticing while doing the MOT and service, got a bit of a shock when he handed me the cert back and it had suddenly shot up!) but they fixed it promptly, so maybe something like that happened. Hm.

 

Edited March 18, 2021 by Thistle_do_nicely