Indecisive man seeks advice on buying his next car...

[gtwilliams]

So, I've sold my car and need a replacement. The only problem is, I have no idea what to get or how to pay for it. This is my situation:

- I need a car (public transport, cycling or walking is not an option)
- I have £1000 cash
- I've budgeted up to £400/month for a car (inc. petrol, tax, insurance and servicing/maintenance)
- I live in a city where traffic is often poor
- I mainly need a car to commute to and from work (~16 miles/day)
- I sometimes (once or twice monthly) drive up to to 150 miles on a weekend
- I am looking to reduce my insurance (currently £450/annum), car tax (£220/annum), and petrol costs (~130/month)

I would consider a number of options - buying a cheap, used car; buying a nearly-new car using a loan; hire purchase and anything else that is available to me. Basically, whatever makes the best financial sense. I don't necessarily wish to own a car outright. I'm open-minded about essentially renting a car. I mean, what're the benefits of buying a car outright anyway? Just because that was popular in the past doesn't make it the best option now, does it?

Basically, I'm incredibly indecisive and, therefore, open to any advice you knowledgeable people can put my way. Whatever you POV, I look forward to your advice! Let me know if you need more information and thanks in advance.

[matthias73]

Go on autotrader-set to the criteria you want, scoot around a see what you like. Check consumption and insurance groups. Avoid things that are too fancy, or the obvious ones which are known to be unreliable. Come back here with a shortlist perhaps, we can't do your homework for you..

But as I'm nice and was once in a similar postion, I would reccomend this: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...

There is a reason why taxi drivers like them. I used to have a 1.8 rapier and for a commuter, motorway muncher and first car, it was brilliant. It cost me a new clutch in three years.

They aren't seen as cool, and they have no sense of occasion whatsoever, but they do the job of being a comfortable car very well.

[gtwilliams]

matthias73 said:

Go on autotrader-set to the criteria you want, scoot around a see what you like. Check consumption and insurance groups. Avoid things that are too fancy, or the obvious ones which are known to be unreliable. Come back here with a shortlist perhaps, we can't do your homework for you..

But as I'm nice and was once in a similar postion, I would reccomend this: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...

There is a reason why taxi drivers like them. I used to have a 1.8 rapier and for a commuter, motorway muncher and first car, it was brilliant. It cost me a new clutch in three years.

They aren't seen as cool, and they have no sense of occasion whatsoever, but they do the job of being a comfortable car very well.

Believe me, I've done plenty of "scooting" around mate! The reason I'm here is because, even after months of research and deliberation, I still can't decide what the best option is! Maybe I should just buy a car for £1000, but surely such a cheap vehicle is only going to cause me more grief in the long run?

[AJS-]

It's not like you're doing huge miles. I'd get a nice dull, sensible little car for £1,000 that will last you a couple of years while you save up for something more fun and enjoyable.

[Pentoman]

Such a cheap vehicle does have potential to cause grief, I agree. But that's no reason not to try it - plenty of people happily driving cheap cars like that. They keep building new cars and that means there are plentyof cheap cars that work perfectly well yet cost nothing. The key is getting hold of a good one and not being stumped with something that is at the end of its life. You have to be open about the make/model, you definitely cant be picky about colour, and condition is everything. I would strongly favour putting the word out to all friends and family that you are looking for a £1000 car. Someone may have something that will do the job. This is far more reliable and less time consuming than visiting countless cars that are advertised.

[CampDavid]

Smart car and rent something interesting when you head out for the weekend?

[Rollcage]

There is an element of luck involved for sure, but there is generally no reason at all why a £1000 car won't give a good few years of reliable, low expense motoring these days.

[excel monkey]

gtwilliams said:

I would consider a number of options. Basically, whatever makes the best financial sense.

If you just want cheapness and reliability, then something small and Japanese is probably the way to go. Micra, Almera, Corolla, Civic etc etc...

[v8250]

If possible never borrow money for a car. The overall costs/losses are too high. Go for a simple reliable and comfortable car with good parts availability, simple maintenance, straight forward insurance. What about these?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...

The A4 looks like good VFM and at only £794 will go some way to paying insurance within your budget.

[Arthur Daley]

PCP something small but of decent quality on whatevers the best deal, with a bag down you should get into a reasonable Fiat 500 or VW Up for around £150-200 per month, tax will be 30 quid, 2yr service schedule, a service may cost £200 max, rotate the wheels if you can be bothered and you should be able to make the tyres last..

Or if you want to go poverty spec you can get a peugeot 107 access for £109 down, £109 a month...

You could buy something outright but cars for a grand are hit and miss, it only takes an mot failure with 3 tyres, discs and pads etc and its scrap. Obviously if you can do the work yourself then bangernomics is great but most people havent got the time.

[a311]

I've had a Vauxhall Sigum for a month now, bought for the princely sum of £1000. You can pick them up for peanuts. My commute is a measly 20-30 miles a day but I travel around allot on business up and down the motorway where I have the option of a hire car, or use my own car with a generous mileage allowance.

So far it’s been awesome and I’ve clocked up a few miles. It’s the 3.2V6 so isn’t great on fuel around town, my commute is mostly A roads and dual carriage way and I get about 30mpg if I try hard, about 35mpg cruising on the motorway. It’s a superb cruiser though and comfortable place to be and touch wood it will continue to be the best bargain car I’ve had.

Massive overkill for a short commute but great for long journeys, I don't do enough miles that the fuel bothers me.

[Gizmoish]

a311 said:

I've had a Vauxhall Sigum for a month now, bought for the princely sum of £1000. You can pick them up for peanuts. My commute is a measly 20-30 miles a day but I travel around allot on business up and down the motorway where I have the option of a hire car, or use my own car with a generous mileage allowance.

So far it’s been awesome and I’ve clocked up a few miles. It’s the 3.2V6 so isn’t great on fuel around town, my commute is mostly A roads and dual carriage way and I get about 30mpg if I try hard, about 35mpg cruising on the motorway. It’s a superb cruiser though and comfortable place to be and touch wood it will continue to be the best bargain car I’ve had.

Massive overkill for a short commute but great for long journeys, I don't do enough miles that the fuel bothers me.

Wow, I didn't realise they were so cheap now...

[a311]

Gizmoish said:

a311 said:

I've had a Vauxhall Sigum for a month now, bought for the princely sum of £1000. You can pick them up for peanuts. My commute is a measly 20-30 miles a day but I travel around allot on business up and down the motorway where I have the option of a hire car, or use my own car with a generous mileage allowance.

So far it’s been awesome and I’ve clocked up a few miles. It’s the 3.2V6 so isn’t great on fuel around town, my commute is mostly A roads and dual carriage way and I get about 30mpg if I try hard, about 35mpg cruising on the motorway. It’s a superb cruiser though and comfortable place to be and touch wood it will continue to be the best bargain car I’ve had.

Massive overkill for a short commute but great for long journeys, I don't do enough miles that the fuel bothers me.

Wow, I didn't realise they were so cheap now...

Ebay auction won after no other interested parties, not many non-PHers want big engined cars these days it seems or even less a posh Vectra.

I actually love the thing, it's wafty as hell and goes pretty well given the size/weight.

Readers car thread if you're interested. http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[gtwilliams]

Thanks for your advice so far, but can I just point out that I have not specified £1000 as my maximum budget. That's just what I've allocated as the cash portion of whatever deal I settle for. The grand could act as a small deposit, for example, whilst the rest of the cars value is paid off on finance or whatever. I've owned plenty of cheap cars. I've never spent more than £2500 on a car. The reason for this post is to establish whether I should continue to do the same or try something different? This might sound silly but I'm not particularly good at saving money. I put money into a savings account but it never stays there for long. However, if I committed myself to, let's say, a HP scheme I'd HAVE to make those payments and wouldn't have the choice of pulling my cash out. Yes, I could work on my self-control. Yes, the car's going to depreciate but ALL cars depreciate. In just a year I lost over £800 on my last car - a Toyota that cost me just £2500. This is why I'm not so sure cheap cars are necessarily the best option for me anymore.

[a311]

gtwilliams said:

Stuff

I can sort of see where you’re coming from OP. Just remember an expensive/new car is not necessarily more reliable than a cheaper car. If you want full piece of mind you could factor in a comprehensive warranty, a lease deal that has a full maintained option etc but these will cost you, in fact allot of people like to buy/run cars on this basis for that very reason but it’s up to you to decide whether you can or want to afford it.

For me at around 1k your in disposable car territory i.e. run it until it becomes too expensive to fix.

Depends how much your piece of mind is worth to you.

[matthias73]

I can't say that peace of mind has ever been an issue for me. I do regular checks, so wear and tear items shouldn't fail. I can't say I expect something catastrophic like the floorpan to fly off to happen, but I do realise that if an electric window stops working then I have to pay for it myself, and some of the routine maintenance can be quite expensive, but thats why you need to avoid a 999 pound ferrari and buy something with known reliability and isn't too hard to fix.



Having said that, my current steed sprang a 120 pound coolant leak on me, but it didn't leave me stranded by the side of the road.

[surveyor]

Do the ebay lottery.

GO to motors all car.
Select time ending soonest.
Limit to £1,000. - Auction.
Go bidding...

Worked for me... (Maybe!).