Tips on getting a good bargain on a 2nd hand car

[finlay666]

Simply to put it, way my job hunting is going means I will be likely living in Reading next year, so from Newcastle that is a fair drive each time I will be coming home (to see my gf), and also for drivign in general to see mates in the area so I have decided on:

A hatchback runaround, diesel and possibly a turbo (1.9 tdi Vauxhall astra for example, or a 1.5dci renault clio) as they fit in my budget of under £3000, prefferably less, I have seen a few £500 N reg clios locally, dunno if they are any good though.

Now, There was a thing with Quentin Wilson on 5th gear/another car show about picking up a good deal for cheap, can anyone remember the details/shownotes? (would ask for a link but dodgy tv = bad mmmkay) failing that any tips, I figure £4000 inc the cost of insurance would be good, as it means I would need a very small loan if one at all to cover the cost of the car.

[staffsMike]

I don't really think there are many tricks to be honest. Best thing is to know your market and know what a fair price is. Haggle as best you can.

If you are doing that sort of milage, stick with a safe car unless you value your life as £2500 or less lol

Have you also considered the train? You might be able to get some kind of season ticket or rail card etc.. It would probably cost the same as the fuel anyway.

[Shad]

Something like an older Audi A4 1.9 TDi could be a good buy. Well built, good for long journeys, quite cheap now and good on fuel too.

Welcome to the South too, Reading's a pretty good place to live

[hitman67]

Pug 106 1.5D,

Like Mine. Sit on the M-Way at 100 for absolute fun, can still put a smile on your face in the twistys and will give you 60mpg. Seen them in the Rags for about £600 in good condition. Really is a great little car I can't recommend enough!

EDIT: One on t'bay for a bag of sand: 1996 Peugeot 106 1.5D Escapade Level 2 Blue on eBay, also, Peugeot, Cars, Cars, Parts Vehicles (end time 17-May-08 12:20:26 BST)


That's a Phase 1 car, aka one made between 1991-1997. If buying one of those make sure it's the 1.5D and not the 1.4D, other than that just look for the usual signs. IMO Phase 2 cars (1997-2003) look a lot better though, and can be had for the same money now.

Here's a Phase 2: PEUGEOT 106 XND 1.5 DIESEL WHITE 1996 on eBay, also, Peugeot, Cars, Cars, Parts Vehicles (end time 17-May-08 14:34:11 BST)

[dave87]

Something like an older Audi A4 1.9 TDi could be a good buy. Well built, good for long journeys, quite cheap now and good on fuel too.

Welcome to the South too, Reading's a pretty good place to live

Shad, weren't you wanting to shift that Volvo?

[finlay666]

Have you also considered the train? You might be able to get some kind of season ticket or rail card etc.. It would probably cost the same as the fuel anyway.

Seeing as I will be seeing my gf a fair bit, the cost of the train + the time it takes puts it out of the option, a 5 hour drive or a £70 5 hour train with a tube aswell

Just had a few other looks, a S40 diesel Volvo and 1.9tdi Renault laguna (I actually know where the latter is parked as it is on the way to my gf's) come under the £3000, ideally I would rather spend £2000, which the laguna will come under, I want as little on credit as possible you see, and there will be rent deposits etc for my new place

Nothing set in stone yet, but having a shifty at my choices

[dave87]

s40 is based on the Mitsubishi Carisma, and despite its name, lacks exactly that.

Small Skodas must be in your price range by now? A Fabia or something, with either a 1.4 or a 1.9sdi engine?

Not quick, not flash, but reliable and cheap

[finlay666]

the nearest non written off fabia works out more than the renault laguna all together, both on cost and insurance

Thing is I have some savings, but will need to put some to a deposit for a new place to live, aswell as the car, insurance isnt too bad really as I am looking at roughly £1000 fully comp regardless, so really a max car price of £1500 for me I think

[dave87]

Do you really need fully comp on a car worth £1500?

I've got TPFT cause I decided it wasn't worth paying out the value of the bike in a years insurance. May allow you to go for a slightly better car

(2k bike, 1.5k insurance fully comp. Circa £800/year for the first year TPFT)

[finlay666]

Difference in cost was about £100, ill take a look though

Fugging endsleigh keep ringing me as soon as I do a quote check on confused.com...not happy about that

[dave87]

Heh, have you tried other places like Compare the Market etc?

May give you a wider range of insurers?

[Vimeous]

5hrs is a long time to sit in any car. As you're planning to do it regularily I'd scrub anything tiny or uncomfortable.
Small means cash savings in fuel and repairs but you may find it a tedious travelling device.

Mondeo/Vectra/Laguna/Passat - Comfy long distance cruisers. Loads of last generation diesels with big miles (130k+) cars under £2k.
Focus/Astra/Octavia - Fewer sub-2K diesels about but good balance of size vs economy. Should be cheaper to look after. More modern than most rivals at a similar price.



This will seem like a silly question but how much are flights from London to Newcastle? If you can get budget flights only the airport tax and getting to and from will cause a raised eyebrow.
If you use 1.5 tanks of fuel at £50 a tank plus the cost of owning an old long-distance battlewagon you never know.....

[Rave]

You want a Xsara HDi I reckon. A common rail diesel has got to make sense if you're doing mega miles from a fuel economy perspective, and I've heard of the 2.0HDi engine doing over 200k miles without going wrong. Plenty of choice under £2k, in fact £2k should get you a very nice one.

[chriswood_7]

Get an older Volvo or Mondeo. See if you can stretch your budget somewhat to get more for your money. Newcastle to Reading is a long journey, so you want something comfortable, reliable and does more than 45mpg!

When it comes to buying, check the oil cap for any white mayonaissy mess. If there is any there, avoid like the plague as this is normally a sign the head gasket is on its way out. When you take it for a drive, leave the hankbrake on and just check the clutch isnt slipping. If the car stalls as you let the clutch out then its fine, if it keeps revving then it may be slipping and will need replaced (still may last a while but could just decide to give up on you. Not good on a journey methinks)

Check under the bonnet for any signs of water damage, maybe even lift carpets up to check for signs of water damage (mucky water lines, excess muck). Just have a general look around under the bonnet and let the seller believe you know what your looking at. This way haggling should be a bit easier.

Good luck and please let us know what you buy

[eshrules]

5hrs is a long time to sit in any car. As you're planning to do it regularily I'd scrub anything tiny or uncomfortable.
Small means cash savings in fuel and repairs but you may find it a tedious travelling device.

Mondeo/Vectra/Laguna/Passat - Comfy long distance cruisers. Loads of last generation diesels with big miles (130k+) cars under £2k.
Focus/Astra/Octavia - Fewer sub-2K diesels about but good balance of size vs economy. Should be cheaper to look after. More modern than most rivals at a similar price.

sound advice, would be well heeded, I'll second the generic saloons, although I'd probably be reluctant to go down the renault route (personal preference). you won't go far wrong with a passat, with your budget, probably a 2000 to 03 plate, dependant on mileage.

check for usual signs of wear and tear on anything you look at, anything approaching 100k MUST have a good service history. internal wear isn't that important, as long as you have a sound engine.

try to go for a lower bhp output engine, as this will (usually) result in a higher MPG = lower fuel and insurance costs.

if you opt for anything like a passat or octavia, drop me a pm and i'll point you in the direction of a few forums.

[Howard]

You want a Xsara HDi I reckon. A common rail diesel has got to make sense if you're doing mega miles from a fuel economy perspective, and I've heard of the 2.0HDi engine doing over 200k miles without going wrong. Plenty of choice under £2k, in fact £2k should get you a very nice one.

Yep, and they're cheaper than equivalent scene-taxed 306s