Gotta make a decision. Argh.

[ollyhammond]

Went to view and test drive a Hyundai i40 tourer yesterday. Love the model, spec, the way it drove and the condition, which is immaculate inside and out.

I slept on it but haven't woken up feeling 'it', though - not because of the model and spec, but because of a few reservations:

a/ It's priced £2k below market value according to loads of sources including the seller, who is a builder who has begun selling cars on the side to maybe switch professions in due course. He specialises in small, sub-£1k cars, so just wants to get shot of the large Hyundai estate after a family friend tasked him with selling it. His friend even said the too-cheap price may be why he's not had loads of enquiries, people thinking it's too cheap to be true/any good, so he may increase the price if I don't want it.

b/ It's a 62-plate and still has a year left on the manufacturer's warranty, but it's down as 3 owners, which to me seems concerning in a 4-year-old car. I thought Hyundai owners were loyal and kept their cars longer than a year each.

c/ In its favour, the four services have all been done by the same Hyundai dealer and it passed its 2nd MoT last week with flying colours, no advisories.

d/ The nearside alloys are badly kerbed, which I kind of expected as it was a retired person who previously owned it. With 50k on the clock, 12.5k miles per year is reasonable, so it's not been "just sat there", but what worries me is the coolant was so low it was more or less empty. The chap offered to top it up, but am I within my rights to start farting around asking him to get it mechanically checked or even serviced for the asking price (that we must remember is £2k below market value)?

So, it's a car that drives well, has been looked after and is in good condition, with low mileage for the age and a FSH, but it's had one owner per year of its life, the coolant is nearly empty and the wheels are kerbed. My current car cost me £2k three months after I bought it, so I guess I'm worried the same will happen here, so just wanted folks' thoughts kindly.

[ollyhammond]

Thanks for the reply. Yes, it's HPI clear.

[ollyhammond]

I used to be a V8 barge kind of guy but have had my fingers burnt in many areas of life in recent years, hence liking to see good ol' "one owner" cars.

I'll research to see if Hyundai's warranty covers the radiator, for example, as I know certain components are only covered for some of that time. I'm also led to believe that Hyundai doesn't allow the warranty to be extended after 5 years, unlike some other firms.

[ollyhammond]

This is the car, by the way:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

I guess paying £2k more at a dealer is a bit steep if it just means I get correspondence and invoices on a letterhead, etc.

PS - forgot to mention the tyres are all budget Three-A P606, but have good tread and wear left on them.

Edited by ollyhammond on Tuesday 27th September 08:01

[ollyhammond]

Thanks, caelite - reassuring comments.

[ollyhammond]

Phoned Hyundai UK and they said getting leather seats professionally fitted or the current seat faces re-trimmed could invalidate any future warranty claims. Leather was one of my criteria you see.

[ollyhammond]

Contacted the dealer who has done all the services to date and it's had a new EGR valve after shuddering and loss of power, which other forums indicate is often linked to coolant, so could be an ongoing issue.

[ollyhammond]

Most 2012 plate i40 tourer Style trim cars with automatic gearboxes and less than 50k on the clock a are £10,000 or more...