Is now a good time to buy a car?

[Welshbeef]

What sort of discounts can you expect?
Looking at a few of the big discounters brand new fiats Bravo & Grande Punto can be bought for 28% off list with 0% finance over 3 years & 0% deposit & 5 years unlimited miles warranty!

Ive seen a few of the Grande punto's 5 door brand new for £5999 which would be over £8400 list.
Surely that makes a lot of sense, low VED, high MPG, 5 years unlimited milage warranty, low purchase price and clearly come the end of the 5th year it will still be road worthy so you could buy it and run it into the ground or just say it dies 5 years & 1 day then it will only cost you £100pcm in depreciation.

Againt this would anyone prefer to buy a 3-4 year old Golf GT TDI 140 with say 100k miles same money. Or a BMW 330i Sport higher milage but 5-6 years old.

Or would anyone buy a Brand new Mk5 Golf GT TDi Sport 140/170 leather DPF?

Or would the smart money go on Mk5 Golf Gti for the £10k price tag?

How much discount would everyone push for OR would everyone just hold out keep their current car and run it until it dies/repair it cheaply and keep it going clear as much mortgage rather than getting a newer car?

[Munter]

Until it's cheaper to buy a car in better condition just keep running the one you have if it's a financial decision. Which buying a car rarely is....

[hugoagogo]

is there ever a good time to buy a brand new fiat?

[illmonkey]

Cars with lower MPG are going for alot less than they should as people want more economical cars.

Higher MPG cars are going for a good price, as there is high demand.

hugoagogo said:

is there ever a good time to buy a fiat?

Corrected.

Edited by illmonkey on Tuesday 26th August 11:39

[Welshbeef]

hugoagogo said:

is there ever a good time to buy a brand new fiat?

Well I have one of the best modern Fiats the Coupe.
That aside the 5 star N cap, its 5 year unlimited milage warranty, the fact you can buy one brand new for £6k which is just shy of 30% off list, looks one of the best looking small cars about.

And given it has the 5 year warranty doesnt that make it a stunningly good value car to buy? Air can, blue & me, CD player.

[Munter]

5 year warrenty. I'd sooner have a car which didn't require any warrenty work in the 5 years rather than one constantly in the garage having another thing fixed.

Warreties save you expence, buying reliable cars saves you hastle.....

You pay your money you take your pick.....

[hugoagogo]

Welshbeef said:

hugoagogo said:

is there ever a good time to buy a brand new fiat?

Well I have one of the best modern Fiats the Coupe.
That aside the 5 star N cap, its 5 year unlimited milage warranty, the fact you can buy one brand new for £6k which is just shy of 30% off list, looks one of the best looking small cars about.

And given it has the 5 year warranty doesnt that make it a stunningly good value car to buy? Air can, blue & me, CD player.

they depreciate a bit though, don't they? if you're going to keep it forever/5 years/till it dies/whichever comes sooner, i suppose it's fine

Edited by hugoagogo on Tuesday 26th August 11:48

[Welshbeef]

Munter said:

5 year warrenty. I'd sooner have a car which didn't require any warrenty work in the 5 years rather than one constantly in the garage having another thing fixed.

Warreties save you expence, buying reliable cars saves you hastle.....

You pay your money you take your pick.....

Of course who wouldnt - however given a car maker has upped its warranty by two years 60k to 5 years unlimited milage & its a new model and only effects the Bravo & Grande Punto it would mean they have changed something in the QC otherwise they are going to have cars in their dealerships clogging up the garages with warranty work.


One thing it does do is keep more cars within the Fiat Mainn dealer group for 2 additional years. That can only be a good thing for residuals.

[chris_w666]

The fiat makes sense as a car for £100pcm over five years, then throw away or give to a relative for beer money.

[hugoagogo]

chris_w666 said:

The fiat makes sense as a car for £100pcm over five years, then throw away or give to a relative for beer money.

i couldn't live with myself, throwing away 100pcm like that

[chris_w666]

hugoagogo said:

chris_w666 said:

The fiat makes sense as a car for £100pcm over five years, then throw away or give to a relative for beer money.

i couldn't live with myself, throwing away 100pcm like that

I agree it could be throwing it away, but as a motor to get you to work, the shops, and the odd longer trip you could do worse. Servicing should be the only maintainance cost, as long as the thing doesn't break a lot and cause hassle its fine.

I tend to set myself a 10-12k budget when buying a car, so if I bought something like the brand new punto at 6k and something interesting that I would put fun miles on.

[Welshbeef]

chris_w666 said:

The fiat makes sense as a car for £100pcm over five years, then throw away or give to a relative for beer money.

Well thata my view - brand new car so for the 5 years I'll also have AA or RAC cover paid for by Fiat. I think I ceratinly would have it Main dealer serviced for the warranty.

The mrs's car is pretty old and we have kind of agreed that by Q2 2010 she'll replace it. So here is my thinking that I chop in my car against it now and then run it up to that point and then give it to her.
She would keep it until it drops.

I would have prefered to have bought a Kia Cee'd 1.6 CRDI LS as that has 7 years warranty and frankly we wouldnt breach that milage in the 7 years + its a bigger car.

The thing is though Ive always had fast cars and am a little concerned that the little 1.2ltr in that Fiat will leave me wanting somewhat. Therefore would the suggestion of the Mk5 Golf GT TDi 140 or if poss the 170 be a better choice but with it being 3-4 years old and 100k miles will there be problems? Again we'd be keeping it until it dies.

Im sure id prefer the Golfs drive & power over the Fiat but should it be head over heart? Or should it be run mine until the MOT expires and see what needs doing to get another year out of it.

[Welshbeef]

[/quote]
I agree it could be throwing it away, but as a motor to get you to work, the shops, and the odd longer trip you could do worse. Servicing should be the only maintainance cost, as long as the thing doesn't break a lot and cause hassle its fine.

I tend to set myself a 10-12k budget when buying a car, so if I bought something like the brand new punto at 6k and something interesting that I would put fun miles on.
[/quote]

Well yes thats the idea only basic servicing cost should be incurred for 5 years anything which breaks is warranty (or am I wrong here?).

Im thinking tyres probably change them once in the 5 years (I'll not be driving it hard no point its a slow car), brakes well I guess they should be good for 50k? and then its the cambelt which is what once every 4-5 years (guess £250 a time)?.

[sjg]

They do make a lot of sense now - I was seriously considering one but the hammering in value of my Alfa means I'll keep it a bit longer. Was pondering a 1.9 Sporting - with that warranty I could run it for 120k+ miles with just servicing, tyres and consumables and at a smidge over £10k even if it's worth nothing at the end it keeps depreciation to less than 2k a year.

As a basic town car if you think it'll meet your needs then it's not bad at £100pcm. Would look at how the numbers work on the 1.4 tjet though - bit more fun and the extra poke would be handy for longer trips.

[hugoagogo]

well that what my focus did/does

i bought it in 05 for work use, at 20,000 km, for €10k (prices seem a bit higher over here) and i've taken it up to 200,000km

basic oil change servicing every other service at 20k, bigger service every 40, two and a half sets of tyres (including a couple of punctures)
two sets of brake pads, one of rear shoes

cambelt at 160,000

no problems

still worth best part of €6k to trade in

now i could have bought a brand new fiat at the same time for that money, but no way it would have held up to those miles and be worth anything now
i could have bought a brand new focus for about an extra five grand and it wouldn't have given me anything better

[Welshbeef]

sjg said:

They do make a lot of sense now - I was seriously considering one but the hammering in value of my Alfa means I'll keep it a bit longer. Was pondering a 1.9 Sporting - with that warranty I could run it for 120k+ miles with just servicing, tyres and consumables and at a smidge over £10k even if it's worth nothing at the end it keeps depreciation to less than 2k a year.

As a basic town car if you think it'll meet your needs then it's not bad at £100pcm. Would look at how the numbers work on the 1.4 tjet though - bit more fun and the extra poke would be handy for longer trips.

They make the 1.9 Sporting in a 5 door now which makes a lot of sense - I think that one specifically makes even more sense bar the higher cost.

Also Ive driven one and they are fine cars they do the job sure they dont handle like a 1 series but who cares its good enough.

[sjg]

Bear in mind though the 1.9 diesel is due for the axe soon, to be replaced with the newer 1.6 16v diesel used in the Bravo and the upcoming MiTo. Lower emmisions/tax, better economy, more torque. Worth waiting for if price is about the same, or push for a _very_ good deal on the 1.9.

[Welshbeef]

sjg said:

Bear in mind though the 1.9 diesel is due for the axe soon, to be replaced with the newer 1.6 16v diesel used in the Bravo and the upcoming MiTo. Lower emmisions/tax, better economy, more torque. Worth waiting for if price is about the same, or push for a _very_ good deal on the 1.9.

Just had a glance at A.T. and there are many exceptionally good looking Golf GT TDI 140's for the £5-7k area with around the 70-116k miles. Most/all I looked at had FVWSH asnd all had Cambelt changed so in theory your ready to go for 4 more years then a new cambelt.

Apart from the cambelt @ 4 years/80k what else is there to do? What options are key for the GT TDI 140? Im after Black I think or a dark blue - silver has had its day and not the best for the Mk5 IMHO, grey being the best but very few around.

[bramley]

I've just bought a 53 plate 530i Sport Touring with 100k on it, for £6995. 5 years ago it cost it's previous owner £37k ish and it's now £1,500-£2k cheaper than a diesel version.







Great time to buy a car like this I reckon.

[Welshbeef]

bramley said:

I've just bought a 53 plate 530i Sport Touring with 100k on it, for £6995. 5 years ago it cost it's previous owner £37k ish and it's now £1,500-£2k cheaper than a diesel version.







Great time to buy a car like this I reckon.

Hi cannot see the pics - work PC is yours the new or old shape 4 series?