Older Bargain vs Newer Reliability

Older Bargain vs Newer Reliability

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Alex_225

Original Poster:

6,234 posts

200 months

Tuesday 28th June 2016
quotequote all
Not the most helpful of thread titles so I'll explain.

Until the last 12 months or so I've tended to opt for newer cars, bought a couple of hot hatches brand new and am still a massive fan of that type of car. But as I got older (now 34) I fancied something that was comfier, more powerful etc and ventured down the road of buying a 2007 CLS63. In turn that's led me into owning a 2003 E320 as well which I use daily and I really cannot fault. It's got 100k on the clock but everything works, it's comfortable, powerful and I'm extremely pleased with it.

So that leads me to the question of buying older cars that are perhaps faster, better spec'd, better built for X amount of money versus buying something newer, that's perhaps not as quick but that bit more modern and perhaps cheaper to run for the same kind of money.

In context my other half is looking to sell up her 2013 Focus diesel as she's changing jobs and mileage is going from 100 miles a day to 20 or under. She seems to be quite taken with the comfort and amount of car you get for your money with the likes of the E class I bought and there are plenty of low mileage CLKs or the like around but they're obviously older.

Pulling a figure out of the air, if you had £10k to spend on a used German car with a decent amount of power but that's not crippling to run what would you opt for?

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

125 months

Tuesday 28th June 2016
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Alex_225 said:
So that leads me to the question of buying older cars that are perhaps faster, better spec'd, better built for X amount of money versus buying something newer, that's perhaps not as quick but that bit more modern and perhaps cheaper to run for the same kind of money.
Are you including depreciation in "cheaper to run"?

ITP

1,996 posts

196 months

Tuesday 28th June 2016
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Why just German?

caelite

4,273 posts

111 months

Tuesday 28th June 2016
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Would never buy a new car, however 3-5 years old with 30-50k (depending on vehicle) seems to be the sweet spot for age vs price. You need to look out for a lot more once the car gets 10-15 years old where rust & running gear issues begin to crop up, condition is a lot more important than mileage at that age.

Alex_225

Original Poster:

6,234 posts

200 months

Tuesday 28th June 2016
quotequote all
Depreciation aside really just day to day running and servicing really.

Open to suggestion other than German, fire away. smile

TurboHatchback

4,151 posts

152 months

Tuesday 28th June 2016
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Well I bought this:




I paid £7000 for it in December 2014 and I think it's great, fantastic value for money. It's huge, has all the toys you could want, super comfy seats even for a large individual like myself and it goes rather well too (345bhp, 440Nm and AWD). I was going to sell it but I think I've now changed my mind and probably won't bother re-advertising it next week, every time I drive it I'm reminded how much I like it! The A4, A6 and A8 are all really nice cars if specified with a proper engine, Quattro and all the trimmings.

Personally I prefer the smaller BMWs to the larger ones and Mercedes seats and interiors don't appeal to me much, though they do some magnificent engines. The Jaguar XJ and XF with a decent petrol engine do certainly have an appeal though. It's all subjective, try them all and see which one appeals most!

WinstonWolf

72,857 posts

238 months

Tuesday 28th June 2016
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Yup, I got a 4.2 TD A8 in budget, fantastic cars biggrin

culpz

4,881 posts

111 months

Tuesday 28th June 2016
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I keep looking at old hot hatches and older cars in general. Like you i love hot hatches, especially Renaultsports. I think i prefer the looks and simplicity of cars from the past. But right now i'm stuck in a bit of a leasing rut which i cannot pull away from. I think i'm too scared about facing breakdowns and repair bills that would potentially put me out of pocket and leave me car-less.

Really depends what you're after but i do see what you're getting at. For 10k you could get a pretty decent E46 BMW M3 which is what what my heart would choose. However, it would also be expensive to run in regards to servicing, tax, petrol, repairs, insurance etc. On the other hand this could be offset by the very low depreciation.

For the same money you could have a Megane 250 which is what my head would choose and will be the opposite of the BMW and cheaper to run but will probably depreciate more. Probably not the best comparison of 2 cars seeing as the Meg's don't seem too bad depreciation wise, aren't exactly that new and the running costs might not be that much better. On the whole i'm sure you see what i'm saying.

In the end i'd probably go for the newer car but would most likely kick myself for doing so every time.



caelite

4,273 posts

111 months

Tuesday 28th June 2016
quotequote all
Alex_225 said:
Depreciation aside really just day to day running and servicing really.

Open to suggestion other than German, fire away. smile
Comfy Barge, cheap to run & service, lots for money AND doesnt have to the German?

Have you considered a Lexus? The big Asian barges tend to be extremely reliable but lose 50% of there value the moment they drive out of the showroom. Mid 2000s offer a lot of bargains with Lexus V8s (GS, LS or SC flavour),

SiT

1,163 posts

200 months

Tuesday 28th June 2016
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An interesting thread this as I am looking to go the other way from older, higher mileage, performance cars to a new one.

Over the last 16 years I have owned in the region of 35+ cars of every type/size for varying reasons along the way, at present I am driving the newest lowest mileage car I have ever owned - 2010 Clio 200 with 22k on the clock. With the Clio up,for sale I have now decided that perhaps it's time to buy my first new car and stop playing the roulette of running older higher mileage cars that would normally be out of my reach. The associated risks of repairs/servicing have been kind to me so far but that can only last so long.

The draw of a new car with warranty, roadside recovery, fixed price servicing and knowing that I am the only person who has owned the car are growing stronger each day.......

Am I wrong?!?

Si

Alex_225

Original Poster:

6,234 posts

200 months

Tuesday 28th June 2016
quotequote all
Thank you for all the responses guys and I'll definitely put some of those suggestions forward.

Si, I don't think you're odd for liking the idea of brand new. I've been there although come full circle too.

The car she's seen which has the potential to be a money pit but then again could you justify it based on the love of a car is the 2003 era Merc SL. Great looking car I must admit and a 60k example can be had for £10k!

TVRJAS

2,391 posts

128 months

Tuesday 28th June 2016
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It's not an easy question to answer,but think the heart rules the head for many of us when this occasion occurs.

Three/five months ago when car shopping I was going through all the options of what car to have and was going all over the place. From thinking of doing a lease deal on a Citroen C1 that then changed to a Nissan Pulsar that then changed to I've never leased before so why now.

Strange how the mind can play funny games when figures are dangled in front of us. I was at one stage when considering the C1 quite happy to throw less than £100 a month for one,but I know 100% that there wasn't a chance in hell I walk into a Citroen dealers and pay £8-10k cash for one.

In the end I decided I wanted something 4/5 seats,comfortable,quiet with an auto box with a price under £10k. I ended up paying a lot less (6k) because it just felt right and with a very close location and it was the car I had narrowed it down to.(Jaguar XJ 350 V6 petrol) and can't fault my decision so far.

I'm not suggesting that you go buy one,more pointing out that I went Older Bargain rather than the Dacia Sandero that a TVR mate said I could of bought for the same money.

But I still look on the Dacia web site with curious/what if thoughts. I think it's amazing that in 2016 you can actually buy a new car for £5,995 or for a bit more £9,495 the Duster which looks great I think.

Quietly confident that I've not helped you one bit.

Alex_225

Original Poster:

6,234 posts

200 months

Tuesday 28th June 2016
quotequote all
Thanks TVRJas that's some good info and like you say for us petrol heads it's all about the heart ruling.

For £10k I'd be between two minds, a safe bet is a hot hatch of some description so you get a relatively new car (sub 5 years), fun and relatively cheap.

But having had a taste of what you can buy that's say 10 years old, would I'd be more tempted with the likes of a CLS or as mentioned M3 or fast Audi etc. Doesn't mean you can't find a low mileage one with the same wear and wear as a 5-6 year old car. If I had to buy an all encompassing car I'd opt for a CLS350 diesel but she's got a soft spot for the SL.

Watch this space as I'm still making suggestions haha

northwest monkey

6,370 posts

188 months

Tuesday 28th June 2016
quotequote all
Alex_225 said:
Pulling a figure out of the air, if you had £10k to spend on a used German car with a decent amount of power but that's not crippling to run what would you opt for?
Not a German car.

edc

9,231 posts

250 months

Tuesday 28th June 2016
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£10k gets you a lot of German car. I liked the figure so much I used it twice biggrin and have a Boxster and a C55 AMG.

Alex_225

Original Poster:

6,234 posts

200 months

Wednesday 29th June 2016
quotequote all
edc said:
£10k gets you a lot of German car. I liked the figure so much I used it twice biggrin and have a Boxster and a C55 AMG.
Haha I like your thinking!

I've presented her with various different cars, she's not taken on hatches so much so looking at coupes or convertible type cars.

TTs were a no and I did suggest a Golf GTi as I think they're great all round cars but she's not keen. 1 Series Coupe was an option but she's not won over by the interior, may be different if she gets to sit in one.

The only cars she's looked at and really liked was the C Class (W204) Coupe but the cheapest I've seen of those is around £14k, the CLK which come in a lot cheaper but are still great looking and the real head turner is the SL. The only trouble with the SL is that a great example with 60-70k on the clock is around £10k for the SL350 but she'll be using it daily and don't want it to be a money pit.

I don't mind a money pit if it gives me smiles for my money but that's not everyone's point of view.

Challo

10,043 posts

154 months

Wednesday 29th June 2016
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Are you mechanically minded? Often servicing the car yourself, and attempting easier repairs can really bring down the costs of running an older car.

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

125 months

Wednesday 29th June 2016
quotequote all
Alex_225 said:
I've presented her with various different cars, she's not taken on hatches so much so looking at coupes or convertible type cars.

...I did suggest a Golf
<scratches head>

Shakermaker

11,317 posts

99 months

Wednesday 29th June 2016
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V6 Skoda superb....

Bargey, comfy, decent bit of grunt, 4wd... and not "fully German"

xjay1337

15,966 posts

117 months

Wednesday 29th June 2016
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I think most cars in the last 10 years are now fairly safe bets and reliable unless you go for something left field.