how far do you travel to view a car? and how many?

how far do you travel to view a car? and how many?

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Discussion

Robbie_FRS

Original Poster:

81 posts

187 months

Thursday 22nd January 2015
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I am currently browsing for an approved used car. My closest dealership in cardiff has told me that they can buy any car from the stratstone fleet providing i semi commit to buy the car with a £1000 holding deposit.

Before putting a deposit on anything i would want to see and feel the car first. This may sound silly but a few little things (that could seem nothing to someone else) could make me not want the car and i wouldn't want to put myself in that awkward situation.

So, just wondering, how far have you traveled and how many did you view when buying approved used?

RobM77

35,349 posts

233 months

Thursday 22nd January 2015
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I'll typically drive up to 2-3 hours each way to see a car. I love cars and on average own them for 3-5 years, so I think it's worth it to find the right car. The last car I bought was my wife's FN2 CTR, which came from North Wales, so about a 3 hour drive each way, and I've frequently been to look at cars up to that distance. If I was looking for something really special that I thought I'd own for a long time then I'd travel further than that, including abroad.

ETA: As for the how many, the most I've looked at is probably about 10, but 2-3 is more normal. I've been quite lucky with cars compared to a lot of other posters on here as most have been in the expected condition when I've been to see them.

Edited by RobM77 on Thursday 22 January 14:49

k-ink

9,070 posts

178 months

Thursday 22nd January 2015
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Most people seem to lie about the condition of their cars. So this limits me to 20 miles. I expect to have my time wasted and half a morning is all I am prepared to lose. I will keep looking to find the right car, but typically I nail it in under six attempts.

My last car was from an independent local high end dealer, who happened to have mine at their lower end of their stock. It was perfect as described so I'll be using them again. Luckily there are good pickings in Surrey anyway.

mon the fish

1,412 posts

147 months

Thursday 22nd January 2015
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I'm near Aberdeen, last year I bought 2 cars, one near Derby and one near Manchester.

If the car is right, travel for it

toon10

6,140 posts

156 months

Thursday 22nd January 2015
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I bought my car from a none main dealer about 40 miles away. It was a bit of a pain as I had to make a few trips back and forward to test it, buy it and a couple of minor things that the garage needed to sort out. It meant leaving work early and hitting commuter traffic to get to the garage just in time. When I look at cars on the web, I normally put in a 40 mile radius and expand it if there aren't any matches.

My partner bought an XC90 from a place less than a mile away. We've been back about 5 or 6 times in the first 6 weeks for various issues. The garage have been good and sorted things without arguing but it would have been a pain having to do that if it was further away.

If I was in a position to buy more of a dream car and it was rare, I'd be prepared to travel a lot further but for run of the mill cars, I tend to just wait until something closely matches near by.

robinessex

11,046 posts

180 months

Thursday 22nd January 2015
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I've 'bought' 2 cars in my lifetime, both unseen, at a consideable distance away. One was private, had a very low mileage for the year, the guy sent me loads of pictures, it was kept in a heated gagarge, and was easily as good as he described. Paid cash, and drove it away. Second car from a dealer, again low mileage, and again he sent me lots of pictures. Described the car perfectly, and the 1 minor fault (damaged seat cover) he pointed out. Made a bank transfer, went that very late aftrenoon, and drove it away. Can be done.

Crusoe

4,068 posts

230 months

Thursday 22nd January 2015
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Did a 1200 mile round trip to pick up my Z4M Coupe at the weekend so pretty much anywhere in the UK for me.

Lots of photos, video and chat with the mechanics but all worked out with no issues.

Pixelpeep7r

8,600 posts

141 months

Thursday 22nd January 2015
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Depends on the cars designation and value.

Daily spotter max £1000 then i wouldn't travel more than 10 miles.

If it was a dream car purchase (or tvr lol) then the following:


Do as much homework and questioning over the phone. Hopefully you will get a 'feel' for genuine people. once you've filtered out the nasties to the best of your ability then no where in the British isles should be off your radar for the right car.

The more filters you put on the car you want the less chance you'll have of getting it.

k-ink

9,070 posts

178 months

Thursday 22nd January 2015
quotequote all
robinessex said:
guy sent me loads of pictures, it was kept in a heated gagarge, and was easily as good as he described.
I bought a car like that - Nogaro Blue S3. It was advertised for one day and I got there first with cash. He had about six others lined up to buy it by the end of the day. I got a years free motoring out of that. Unfortunately cars like that are in the 1% bracket.

Pixelpeep7r

8,600 posts

141 months

Thursday 22nd January 2015
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forgot to add:

Back in 1998 i bought a £3000 205 1.9GTi. it had to be white, it had to have the glass roof and had to be between an E reg and an H reg (didn't like the first ones and didn't want one with a CAT). We traveled 800 miles and spent a whole weekend looking at tat before we found the perfect one a week later in colchester, less than 40 miles from my doorstep lol.

Jim AK

4,029 posts

123 months

Thursday 22nd January 2015
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I'm in North London. My current daily was bought from a dealer in Ipswich, approx 100 miles from home. My previous was from a dealer in Newbiry, approx 55 miles from home.

Actually think my existing car was the furthest I've ever travelled but when I change again I will probably search up to 100 miles & increase it by 50 each search if the dealers that appear do not have what I require.

If buying a shed no more than 10 miles. I will the best of whatever for that.

Claudia Skies

1,098 posts

115 months

Thursday 22nd January 2015
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Robbie_FRS said:
I am currently browsing for an approved used car. My closest dealership in cardiff has told me that they can buy any car from the stratstone fleet providing i semi commit to buy the car with a £1000 holding deposit.

Before putting a deposit on anything i would want to see and feel the car first.
Sounds simple enough - find out where the car is, then go and look at it. If it's in Aberdeen you'll understand the dealer's reasonable request to make sure you're a serious buyer!

james_gt3rs

4,816 posts

190 months

Thursday 22nd January 2015
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So far I haven't bothered going more than 50 miles or so. Been lucky so far.

Crusoe

4,068 posts

230 months

Thursday 22nd January 2015
quotequote all
you get a better deal if you work with the garage that has it already, won't be much if any chance of a discount or better trade in price if the car is moved for you to buy at the list price. Garage should give you details of the previous owner if you want to get in touch and see what they traded it in needing and if it was trouble free.

kambites

67,460 posts

220 months

Thursday 22nd January 2015
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I got the Elise from Birmingham (I live in Southampton). I was 99% certain I was going to buy it before I actually went to see it, though. All funds arranged, etc.

That was a private sale though, not a dealer.

Al U

2,311 posts

130 months

Thursday 22nd January 2015
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Furthest I've been is to Dumfries from North London on the train for a clio 182 that was worth the journey for how cheap it was, I even bought a single train ticket I was that sure I was going to take it.

I can't really explain how but 9 times out of 10 I can figure out if I'm going to buy a car from looking at it on the internet. When I get there I check everything I can't see in the pictures as well as the condition and if the test drive doesn't reveal anything and we can agree on a price then I usually buy the first car I see, I spend a lot of time deciding which is the first car I see though if that makes sense.

The exception to this was when I bought a Golf TDI and I viewed about 4 before the one I bought. With that car people were advertising them as immaculate and then when I got there I found things like dents/deep scratches etc. One particular dealer which was a 2 hour drive away lied to me on the phone when I asked him if there were any dents on the car, when I got there I found the front wing was dented quite badly. All of the cars I have bought have been private sales as well.

My girlfriend is the total opposite, if it isn't local and I mean really local she doesn't want to know. When we bought her cooper S she took a lot of persuading to go 25 miles away!

Edited by Al U on Thursday 22 January 15:03

addz86

1,439 posts

185 months

Thursday 22nd January 2015
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I've always bought the first car I've seen, I must get over excited or be too trusting of people..

Furthest I've gone is from Nottingham to Wales for a Clio V6 that I bought over the phone

B'stard Child

28,320 posts

245 months

Thursday 22nd January 2015
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On average about 100 miles

I view probably between 4 and 8 cars cars before I find the right one have a rule never to buy the first one I see (I only regret that once so I've stuck by it)

last dates of purchases

2000 - Still owned "Opel Monza 1"
2002 - Still owned "LC"
2003 - Sill owned "Opel Commodore"
2003 - Sold 2004 "VW Polo MKII 1.3 Coupe S
2004 - Sold 2008 "VW Polo MKIV 1.4 CL"
2006 - Still owned "BMW E38"
2007 - Still owned "Opel Monza 2"
2008 - Sold 2011 "VW Polo MKV GTi"
2011 - still owned "Merc SLK"


I don't change cars often (on reflection I change one type of car on a semi regular basis) so have no issue with distance traveled or number of cars viewed - if I did it more often I think I'd have to change my approach and limit the distance

AlexHat

1,327 posts

118 months

Thursday 22nd January 2015
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My current car..I've just looked it up on google maps, I did a round trip of over 300 miles twice in two weeks (once to view and test drive the car, then a week later to buy it having bought insurance and had a couple of niggly items fixed)...it was far better than the first car I viewed at only 40ish miles away

balls-out

3,586 posts

230 months

Thursday 22nd January 2015
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Depends on the sort of car.

When I set my heart on a TVR Tuscan V6, I travelled miles - they made 101 - so I couldn't turn anything down.
My Holden HSV was one of about 40 in the UK - so I travelled 300 miles and bought unseen.

When we were looking for a Polo for the Mrs, then 20 miles max.

travelling is expensive and time consuming - only do it when required