(Deal now done)Tips Urgently needed on buying a cheapish used car

[Drago]

£2900 is a lot for a small car knocking on 8 years old. Low mileage does little to affect market value (unlike high mileage) and can bring its own problems.

Buy the car by all means, but invest a hundred quid or so in a professional RAC inspection. It gives you some comeback against the RAC if it turns out to be a shed, and they really are very thorough.

 

[screenman]

If I was selling that car at this moment you would not get much knocked off of it, there is a huge shortage of used cars about with many cars at auction making a lot over book price. Some of my customers are down to a third of the stock they would like to own at the moment.

But who knows you may get lucky. Nice little cars by the way.

 

[Drago]

There's a shortage of newish new cars of 5 years or younger.

No shortage of lower market old timers that the dealer picked up at auction for £1500 or less and is punting out for £2900. Smokers and oldies are in plentiful supply.

 

[vickster]

£2900 is a lot for a small car knocking on 8 years old. Low mileage does little to affect market value (unlike high mileage) and can bring its own problems.

Buy the car by all means, but invest a hundred quid or so in a professional RAC inspection. It gives you some comeback against the RAC if it turns out to be a shed, and they really are very thorough.

Sometimes they can be so thorough so to include every last little thing and avoid missing anything, that you'd never buy a used car again!

 

[Drago]

Oh indeed. My Mum's last car they described paint damage. They made it sound like a meteorite had hit the car, but it was a barely visible chip. Still, they found it and the seller repaired it before itnwas delivered.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Sometimes they can be so thorough so to include every last little thing and avoid missing anything, that you'd never buy a used car again!

They sound the same as the Honest John motoring website car reviews, they tend too be a little to thorough.

https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/

 

[roadrash]

£2900 is a lot for a small car knocking on 8 years old. Low mileage does little to affect market value (unlike high mileage) and can bring its own problems.

Buy the car by all means, but invest a hundred quid or so in a professional RAC inspection. It gives you some comeback against the RAC if it turns out to be a shed, and they really are very thorough.

tmn to me

 

[Drago]

tmn to me

Too much nudity?

 

[roadrash]

nah... too many nutters

 

[screenman]

There's a shortage of newish new cars of 5 years or younger.

No shortage of lower market old timers that the dealer picked up at auction for £1500 or less and is punting out for £2900. Smokers and oldies are in plentiful supply.

Do me a favour and buy some as I have dealers up here that will buy them all day long, damn it with those margins I will even have some. Do you know how much the auctions charge to sell you a car.

 

[Paulus]

My mechanic friend always looks at the colour of the radiator coolant - it should be clear (with blue tinge of anti-freeze).If not it's a possible sign of head gasket failure.

Also, take the dip stick out and look at the colour of the oil. Dirty oil just means it needs an oil change, If the dip stick has the off white emulsion on it, then possibly a head gasket fault as water is getting into the oil.

 

[mcshroom]

The price looks decent for the age: -
https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/used-prices/Hyundai/i10/2010/

 

[Paulus]

Also, when on the test drive, when braking, see if the car steers to the left or right. Could be the tyre pressures, but also uneven braking, ie pads, cylinders .

 

[PaulSB]

There's a shortage of newish new cars of 5 years or younger..

I’ve no knowledge and only my one recent experience to judge by but this surprises me.

I’ve had company cars for 40 years. Buying a car at retirement was a nervy experience, especially choosing a smaller vehicle than I had been used to. What I found was a huge range of low mileage vehicles from all manufacturers available at very competitive prices.

Eventually I settled on a Hyundai i30, two years old, 5000 miles, 3 year warranty for approximately £10,000 below the current new list price. I had a choice of 12 different i30s!!!

Why buy a new vehicle?

 

[roadrash]

^^^^bloody hell that's only just 50 miles a week^^^^