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Post by mariobalotelli on Jul 1, 2021 20:23:09 GMT
Hi guys,
I passed my driving test earlier today. I’m actually the first in my family to drive haha so I don’t really know what I’m looking for when it comes to buying a car and neither does anyone else. Obviously I just want something that’ll get me from a - b, has a fair few months MOT and isn’t going to break the bank.
Basically is anyone able to recommend somewhere that isn’t going to rip me off?
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yattongas
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Post by yattongas on Jul 1, 2021 20:47:58 GMT
Think pucklegas might possibly be able to advice ? Good luck 🤞 |
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Post by baggins on Jul 2, 2021 5:17:55 GMT
Hi guys, I passed my driving test earlier today. I’m actually the first in my family to drive haha so I don’t really know what I’m looking for when it comes to buying a car and neither does anyone else. Obviously I just want something that’ll get me from a - b, has a fair few months MOT and isn’t going to break the bank. Basically is anyone able to recommend somewhere that isn’t going to rip me off? Got a budget? Personally, I'd go Japanese ( even though I drive a Ford at the moment), but they are superb for great little reliable runabouts that keep on going and are cheap to fix. Toyota Yaris. Honda Jazz. Definitely petrol rather than diesel (unless you're doing 10's of thousands miles per year). As mentioned Pucklegas would be my first port of call for advice. Bags. |
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Post by Gassy on Jul 2, 2021 6:31:50 GMT
Hi guys, I passed my driving test earlier today. I’m actually the first in my family to drive haha so I don’t really know what I’m looking for when it comes to buying a car and neither does anyone else. Obviously I just want something that’ll get me from a - b, has a fair few months MOT and isn’t going to break the bank. Basically is anyone able to recommend somewhere that isn’t going to rip me off? What size car are you going for? When I buy cars I always look at autotrader, it’s probably the largest database and will give you a good idea on price and what you can get for your budget. Things to look out for: - MOT: I won’t even consider buying a car with less than 9 months left. Not unless they agree to put it through the MOT by the time I purchase it and fix and minors/majors that may arise - MOT: online you can check the full history of any car by typing in the number plate on the gov website. Look for red flags or previous failures, anything more than basic jobs like tyres, brake pads, lights & winder wipers suggest at some point (depending on the age) the car hasn’t been treated well. Service history: does it have a full service history? Not a flag tbh, but if it does, it’s suggests it’s been looked after Parts & repairs: this as a major consideration when buying. Depending on the manufacturer, depends how expensive repairs are. Quick example, my first car was a Corsa and when MOT came around brake pads would cost £10 each and I’d get a full set of Michelin tyres for £200. My dad had a BMW m5 and I can’t remember brake pad price, but tyres were £200 each! Also consider the availability of parts, Vauxhall, Renault, Ford, BMW etc will always be easy and quick to get a hold of, not quite sure Dacia would be the same (yet). Mileage: personally I won’t go above 60k miles and 100k is a red flag IMO. Cam belt: you need to research/ask the owner what the cam belt is in the car. If it’s chain then you’re all good, if it’s rubber then ask whether it’s been replaced. Rubber cam belts need changing every 10 years or 100k miles, whichever is sooner. It’s a long job as they have to take the engine apart to do it and will cost you £400/500+. If it’s close/overdue to being changed, either get them to change it for asking price, knock the difference off the price or just stay away. Test drives: look at a few cars that you like on auto trader and work out what you like outside and in. Once you’ve done this, find some local dealers who have that model and engine size you like in stock (engine size very important to get it right as it’ll drive completely different). Act interested, ask for a test drive and move on, saying you’ll think about it. This way you can go in a few cars to see which you prefer the feel of before buying, without wasting a private owners time. Always ask for a test drive even if you’re buying privately. If they say no, major red flag. Buying the car: really look at all the details closely. Looks for scratches, knicks, bumps, tyres tread carefully. Anything that’s there that wasn’t advertised is either something to be suspicious of or a bargaining chip to lower the price. Warranty: seems to be common if you buy from a trader these days. Usually getting 3/6 months free. A definite peace of mind. This is everything off the top of my head, hope this helps. Happy to assist if you need anything else or want a 2nd opinion |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2021 6:52:08 GMT
Hi guys, I passed my driving test earlier today. I’m actually the first in my family to drive haha so I don’t really know what I’m looking for when it comes to buying a car and neither does anyone else. Obviously I just want something that’ll get me from a - b, has a fair few months MOT and isn’t going to break the bank. Basically is anyone able to recommend somewhere that isn’t going to rip me off? You can search a cars MOT history online, just Google the number plate. Cars tend to get problems when they are 10 years old, so more expensive to maintain. Id usually buy from a authorised car dealership as you get a year warranty, but they are a more expensive than private. Do a test drive and properly inspect the car away from the seller, make sure heaters work etc. Cars can be ridiculously pricey to fix and back street garages are disappearing rapidly. |
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Post by mariobalotelli on Jul 2, 2021 9:31:42 GMT
Thanks for all the replies.
I’m willing to spend up to £1000 on the car itself. I’ve been looking on auto trader for a variety of budget cars and mostly see Corsas popping up and two of my friends had one as their first cars so that’s where I’m leaning. There just always seems to be a niggling issue - no warranty, bad dealership reviews, a “loud engine”, “rattling exhaust”, distance, too many miles etc
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Post by stuart1974 on Jul 2, 2021 9:45:30 GMT
Thanks for all the replies. I’m willing to spend up to £1000 on the car itself. I’ve been looking on auto trader for a variety of budget cars and mostly see Corsas popping up and two of my friends had one as their first cars so that’s where I’m leaning. There just always seems to be a niggling issue - no warranty, bad dealership reviews, a “loud engine”, “rattling exhaust”, distance, too many miles etc Firstly congratulations on passing, quite a milestone in life. Where abouts are you based? There always used to be several second hand car dealers in the Two Mile Hill area. I wouldn't get too worried about certain niggling issues, cars will always have flaws especially used ones. The trick is to see what you can live with or get sorted afterwards. As you are (presumably) a cash buyer (by that I mean not taking out any finance plan to fund it) and won't have anything to trade in, worth enquiring about a discount, be that money off or extended warranty, etc. Worth haggling a bit. |
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Post by baggins on Jul 2, 2021 11:27:44 GMT
Thanks for all the replies. I’m willing to spend up to £1000 on the car itself. I’ve been looking on auto trader for a variety of budget cars and mostly see Corsas popping up and two of my friends had one as their first cars so that’s where I’m leaning. There just always seems to be a niggling issue - no warranty, bad dealership reviews, a “loud engine”, “rattling exhaust”, distance, too many miles etc Look for Toyota Yaris. |
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Post by gasandelectricity on Jul 2, 2021 11:42:48 GMT
Hi guys, I passed my driving test earlier today. I’m actually the first in my family to drive haha so I don’t really know what I’m looking for when it comes to buying a car and neither does anyone else. Obviously I just want something that’ll get me from a - b, has a fair few months MOT and isn’t going to break the bank. Basically is anyone able to recommend somewhere that isn’t going to rip me off? Cam belt: you need to research/ask the owner what the cam belt is in the car. If it’s chain then you’re all good, if it’s rubber then ask whether it’s been replaced. Rubber cam belts need changing every 10 years or 100k miles, whichever is sooner. It’s a long job as they have to take the engine apart to do it and will cost you £400/500+. If it’s close/overdue to being changed, either get them to change it for asking price, knock the difference off the price or just stay away. Solid advice. Particularly on cam belts, which I got hit with on my first car! Pretty sure cam belt life is car specific though so read up on this, try and find a servicing schedule for the car you’re getting and ensure it’s been met. You’ll probably not get a complete service history for the older end of cars, but this is highly desirable if you can get it. I’d rather have a car personally that’s done 80k miles with a full service history than one that has done 60k with a patchy history and might have not had an oil and filter change in five years. My first car was a Corsa and the cam belt went on that at perhaps 80k miles and the vehicle was probably about 12-15 years old. Hadn’t been done at all. The car was worth about 600 when I bought it and had to spend half that getting it back on the road after the engine was destroyed when the belt went. Ever since I’ve personally been neurotic about this when buying a used vehicle of a significant age. Last few cars have been chain based so not had to worry about this. |
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Post by gasandelectricity on Jul 2, 2021 11:48:45 GMT
Thanks for all the replies. I’m willing to spend up to £1000 on the car itself. I’ve been looking on auto trader for a variety of budget cars and mostly see Corsas popping up and two of my friends had one as their first cars so that’s where I’m leaning. There just always seems to be a niggling issue - no warranty, bad dealership reviews, a “loud engine”, “rattling exhaust”, distance, too many miles etc At that budget you’ll probably struggle to get a decent vehicle from a decent dealership. If you go private then you might be able to get a good deal following some of the advice on here but be careful as it’s buyer beware in that territory! My first car as I said in my last post was £600 private about 14 years ago. In fact, there’s not many about but if I had some spare cash I’d love to get one of these for sentimentality sake. My second car was a Citroen Saxo, which externally and under the bonnet are virtually identical to Peugeot 106s. Very light and as a result very nippy and fun to drive. I couldn’t recommend them any more. You could probably get one for your budget, and probably wouldn’t be too bad for maintenance costs at all! Either way you’ll be in for some fun experiences with your first car, enjoy! EDIT: last time I sold a car privately Auto Trader was pricey to list on so might be worth checking out Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace etc but definitely be a lot more careful with that. Either way probably worth considering in a HPI check on the vehicle to see if there are any historic nasties and the car is a bit too good to be true. |
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Post by Hugo the Elder on Jul 2, 2021 14:50:46 GMT
Dont touch a Corsa, they are sh**.
If you go for a Mini dont by one that's an 04 or older. The Midland gearbox is a known issue in those models.
I have had my mini for 4 years (and other than 600 quid to replace the gearbox) I've not had a single problem with it.
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Post by pucklegas on Jul 2, 2021 20:56:14 GMT
Hi guys, I passed my driving test earlier today. I’m actually the first in my family to drive haha so I don’t really know what I’m looking for when it comes to buying a car and neither does anyone else. Obviously I just want something that’ll get me from a - b, has a fair few months MOT and isn’t going to break the bank. Basically is anyone able to recommend somewhere that isn’t going to rip me off? Hi MB I work at My Garage doing their marketing and other things we have a good selection of secondhand cars give Richard a ring on Monday 0117 9579708 and he will help you, and go through current stock and new stock coming in. |
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Post by Gassy on Jul 2, 2021 21:14:54 GMT
Dont touch a Corsa, they are sh**. If you go for a Mini dont by one that's an 04 or older. The Midland gearbox is a known issue in those models. I have had my mini for 4 years (and other than 600 quid to replace the gearbox) I've not had a single problem with it. Not as a first car, it was great for me. Had a 1.0 and it was perfect for what I needed. The new ones I can't comment on, but they seem over priced. For £1k though it's really hard as cars have definitely gone up since when I was looking for my first. I'd also advise to look north as prices drop by a fair bit. Mind you, you'll then have to pay for the travel, which'll only make up for difference anyway. But worth keeping an eye out |
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Post by pucklegas on Jul 3, 2021 7:02:57 GMT
Thanks for all the replies. I’m willing to spend up to £1000 on the car itself. I’ve been looking on auto trader for a variety of budget cars and mostly see Corsas popping up and two of my friends had one as their first cars so that’s where I’m leaning. There just always seems to be a niggling issue - no warranty, bad dealership reviews, a “loud engine”, “rattling exhaust”, distance, too many miles etc Look for Toyota Yaris. Bags they ve got cats that criminals steal so nooooo |
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yattongas
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Post by yattongas on Jul 3, 2021 8:33:51 GMT
My first car was a Vauxhall Shoveit …. Literally 😂
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Post by mariobalotelli on Jul 3, 2021 10:23:12 GMT
Regarding budget, I was told I'd be able to get a little run around for around the 1K mark but that does seem pretty difficult! I can spend more if needed.
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Post by baggins on Jul 3, 2021 10:54:03 GMT
Regarding budget, I was told I'd be able to get a little run around for around the 1K mark but that does seem pretty difficult! I can spend more if needed. You can, just take your time trawling through Auto Teader, you'll find something. If the Yaris isn't your thing, I'd go for a Ford Fiesta. Thousands about, parts are cheap and easily available, and make friends with Pucklegas who can take care of any problems. |
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Post by Somersetgas on Jul 3, 2021 22:27:23 GMT
Thanks for all the replies. I’m willing to spend up to £1000 on the car itself. I’ve been looking on auto trader for a variety of budget cars and mostly see Corsas popping up and two of my friends had one as their first cars so that’s where I’m leaning. There just always seems to be a niggling issue - no warranty, bad dealership reviews, a “loud engine”, “rattling exhaust”, distance, too many miles etc Look for Toyota Yaris. Was just going to say the same, might have the odd water leak now and then but other than that totally bullet proof, I work at a main dealer and we get 15 year old Yaris in with no issues at all, solid cars. Avoid Vauxhall And Gord in my opinion. (Worked for Ford for 14 years) |
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Post by Gas Go Marching In on Jul 15, 2021 20:56:40 GMT
Hi guys, I passed my driving test earlier today. I’m actually the first in my family to drive haha so I don’t really know what I’m looking for when it comes to buying a car and neither does anyone else. Obviously I just want something that’ll get me from a - b, has a fair few months MOT and isn’t going to break the bank. Basically is anyone able to recommend somewhere that isn’t going to rip me off? What did you go for in the end MB? |
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Post by mariobalotelli on Aug 3, 2021 0:24:11 GMT
I upped my budget in the end and got myself an Audi A1. Still a small car. Had it for 2/3 days now and the first day was a horror, over think everything. Getting better though. Any one know any good areas to drive round at night? At the moment I’ve just been driving from my house to imperial park and back a couple of times. I did go to Asda Bedminster earlier but not sure I could do it in the day when it’s busy just yet lol.
As for motorways, I’ve got to go see some friends soon and will need to conquer them eventually. I’m not a road person, no one in my family has ever drove lol. If I went out one on at night where should I go, fairly close but far enough away to get me a bit of a experience?
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