Your 'Looking for a new car' ritual...
Discussion
Hi all.
Looking for a new car to buy is always exciting, especially for us who have this interest. But what's your ritual? Do you buy on impulse? Or set your parameters and wait for that perfect car?
I'm certainly in the latter camp (although on occasion, I have bought snotters on a whim). I'm looking for a new car to add to the fleet at the moment, and it hadn't struck me what a rigorous procedure I put myself through before even beginning to look at vehicles.
To start with I go through vehicles that have been sold on eBay - usually a couple of months worth - and collect the data in a spreadsheet, with the various specifications, mileage, other vehicle details and prices. I can then see from there what sort of budget I should set myself, and what sort of condition I can expect for that. For this data, I only include cars with a current MOT with more than 3 months left, cars from traders AND I do not include data from cars being advertised as 'spares or repairs'.
The next step is beginning to look for vehicles. I tend to look nationally - the right car is always worth travelling for. And living close to Hull we don't perhaps have the best examples easily available. I always look for cars outside of my budget too - there can be some real gems with easy-to-fix faults that you can use as a bargaining tool. I can then shortlist the vehicles I want to ask some more questions on, and then ring the sellers. This step will usually eliminate a few vehicles, based on various criteria.
The next step is viewing the vehicles. This is the point where I have to discount any on their location. Sometimes I have had to do this, when it just isn't practical at that time to travel a long way to see a car.
Once I've viewed them all (I NEVER buy the first one I see without looking at the others) I then make a decision whether to buy one of them, or go back to step two.
Having written this down it seems incredibly drawn out, but it can easily be done in spare time over the course of a week or so - and has seen me right every time so far
So, what's your ritual?
Looking for a new car to buy is always exciting, especially for us who have this interest. But what's your ritual? Do you buy on impulse? Or set your parameters and wait for that perfect car?
I'm certainly in the latter camp (although on occasion, I have bought snotters on a whim). I'm looking for a new car to add to the fleet at the moment, and it hadn't struck me what a rigorous procedure I put myself through before even beginning to look at vehicles.
To start with I go through vehicles that have been sold on eBay - usually a couple of months worth - and collect the data in a spreadsheet, with the various specifications, mileage, other vehicle details and prices. I can then see from there what sort of budget I should set myself, and what sort of condition I can expect for that. For this data, I only include cars with a current MOT with more than 3 months left, cars from traders AND I do not include data from cars being advertised as 'spares or repairs'.
The next step is beginning to look for vehicles. I tend to look nationally - the right car is always worth travelling for. And living close to Hull we don't perhaps have the best examples easily available. I always look for cars outside of my budget too - there can be some real gems with easy-to-fix faults that you can use as a bargaining tool. I can then shortlist the vehicles I want to ask some more questions on, and then ring the sellers. This step will usually eliminate a few vehicles, based on various criteria.
The next step is viewing the vehicles. This is the point where I have to discount any on their location. Sometimes I have had to do this, when it just isn't practical at that time to travel a long way to see a car.
Once I've viewed them all (I NEVER buy the first one I see without looking at the others) I then make a decision whether to buy one of them, or go back to step two.
Having written this down it seems incredibly drawn out, but it can easily be done in spare time over the course of a week or so - and has seen me right every time so far
So, what's your ritual?
EdBarrett said:
See a car I like, want it for a little while, buy on impulse, drive for a bit get bored, restart the cycle... Hence why I always end up getting a banger. Might have to take heed of your ''ritual''.
To be honest, when I buy a car I tend to look for one I'd be happy to 'keep for life'.Settle on a shed purchase.
Set an absolute cash limit not to be exceeded undr any circumstances.
View a few cars - only to find they are all on ditchfinders and likely to break the bank licking them into shape.
Increase the financial limit and narrow it down to certain makes and models but ensure this is an absolute limit.
View some cars and realise they are all on ditchfinders and likely to break the bank licking them into shape.
Realise I never wanted these cars anyway and they are all so dull that I will never be enthusiastic nor maintain them properly and apply some man-maths to elimiate them.
Increase the financial limit and settle on the one car I believe I can afford, actually want and which has at least a selection within 20 miles.
View cars - only to find they are all on ditchfinders and likely to break the bank licking them into shape.
Find the best one I can and negotiate the price down to take that into account so I won't be kicking myself for the next 12 months.
Set an absolute cash limit not to be exceeded undr any circumstances.
View a few cars - only to find they are all on ditchfinders and likely to break the bank licking them into shape.
Increase the financial limit and narrow it down to certain makes and models but ensure this is an absolute limit.
View some cars and realise they are all on ditchfinders and likely to break the bank licking them into shape.
Realise I never wanted these cars anyway and they are all so dull that I will never be enthusiastic nor maintain them properly and apply some man-maths to elimiate them.
Increase the financial limit and settle on the one car I believe I can afford, actually want and which has at least a selection within 20 miles.
View cars - only to find they are all on ditchfinders and likely to break the bank licking them into shape.
Find the best one I can and negotiate the price down to take that into account so I won't be kicking myself for the next 12 months.
Last car I bought, I set out what I wanted on autotrader, trim level, automatic, my price range and distance I wanted to travel.
This ended up with a choice, which I reduced by interior/exterior colour. Wanted a black interior and didn't want a green, grey, gold or blue exterior.
This left 13 in silver/black and then I removed the ones with really high mileages.
So that left about 8, 3 had the privacy glass I wanted and I made contact with the seller of the one I liked best.
Asked about history, checked the mot history and asked what parts had been changed.
Got a couple of pricy parts changed by them and then drove 200 miles up to view it and drove it home the 200 miles.
Worked as I have a superb car that's gave me no issues so far.
This ended up with a choice, which I reduced by interior/exterior colour. Wanted a black interior and didn't want a green, grey, gold or blue exterior.
This left 13 in silver/black and then I removed the ones with really high mileages.
So that left about 8, 3 had the privacy glass I wanted and I made contact with the seller of the one I liked best.
Asked about history, checked the mot history and asked what parts had been changed.
Got a couple of pricy parts changed by them and then drove 200 miles up to view it and drove it home the 200 miles.
Worked as I have a superb car that's gave me no issues so far.
I normally pick 3 I like, then do my research on them all, (which normally involves putting a what car post on here 
) Once I've decided on a model I will then spend my days scouring as many sites as possible (PH, AT, Gumtree, ebay, etc.)
I've normally decided on a car before I see it, I'll go with an open mind but with an 80% view of buying.
) Once I've decided on a model I will then spend my days scouring as many sites as possible (PH, AT, Gumtree, ebay, etc.) I've normally decided on a car before I see it, I'll go with an open mind but with an 80% view of buying.
Last time I bought a car for me, I test drove something like 30 different models spanning two orders of magnitude of price, then several different examples of each of the ones that I liked best before deciding on a model. Once I'd finally picked the model and variant I wanted, I started looking around for a suitable car - eventually bought it though an ebay auction unseen.
Took me rather over a year in all, to decide what to buy and then buy it.
Took me rather over a year in all, to decide what to buy and then buy it.
Stumble across something someone said about some car that makes it vaguely interesting.
Fail to stop thinking about said car.
Browse classifieds/look out for cars on the road and subconciously settle on the exact spec and colour I want (I'm too picky for my own good).
Spend ages searching for said spec/colour, realising that theres loads of the said car in other specs but the only one in my spec is overpriced / 300 miles away / f
ked / not actually my spec but advertised as such / sold.
Look at 325i's instead and slowly get angrier and angrier about why I cant insure one.
Get frustrated, buy an absolute dog on impulse.
Repeat.
Fail to stop thinking about said car.
Browse classifieds/look out for cars on the road and subconciously settle on the exact spec and colour I want (I'm too picky for my own good).
Spend ages searching for said spec/colour, realising that theres loads of the said car in other specs but the only one in my spec is overpriced / 300 miles away / f
ked / not actually my spec but advertised as such / sold.Look at 325i's instead and slowly get angrier and angrier about why I cant insure one.
Get frustrated, buy an absolute dog on impulse.
Repeat.
kambites said:
Last time I bought a car for me, I test drove something like 30 different models spanning two orders of magnitude of price, then several different examples of each of the ones that I liked best before deciding on a model. Once I'd finally picked the model and variant I wanted, I started looking around for a suitable car - eventually bought it though an ebay auction unseen.
Took me rather over a year in all, to decide what to buy and then buy it.
I think you are an awful and selfish man.Took me rather over a year in all, to decide what to buy and then buy it.
You happily deliberately wasted the time of 30 people without a second thought and you think that is worth a
I really, really hope that next time you sell a car you get 30 people coming and test driving it without any intention of buying it.
I think the OP may have a touch of OCD. The first mention of the word "spreadsheet" had me shaking my head.
I decide what sort of car I need, then browse the classifieds/ebay. I will always know my budget in advance so no need to scour finished auctions to get an idea of what i will need to spend. I set me budget limits and find stuff I like within price, then send off emails to the ones that take my fancy. Go have a look, buy if its a good.
Sorted.
I decide what sort of car I need, then browse the classifieds/ebay. I will always know my budget in advance so no need to scour finished auctions to get an idea of what i will need to spend. I set me budget limits and find stuff I like within price, then send off emails to the ones that take my fancy. Go have a look, buy if its a good.
Sorted.
EdBarrett said:
Disastrous said:
That would suck the fun out of it for me; I'd feel like I was at work!
Decide what I want, buy the first one that I like impulsively and then fix whatever I didn't see wring with it. Buy fast; don't buy smart...
Glad there's another one out there like meDecide what I want, buy the first one that I like impulsively and then fix whatever I didn't see wring with it. Buy fast; don't buy smart...
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