Is this fiesta ST worth it?

[jamesters]

The Cardinal said:

If you followed the general public narrative, you'd think that Britain is a terrible place to live - (too) full of people with ever-lower standards of behaviour, social problems, general economic malaise etc etc.

But, pause for a moment, there are actually a whole heap of good things that by-and-large go under the radar. Two of these are apparent right here in this thread: 1) the enormous choice of cheap second hand cars and 2) general goodwill to strangers, particularly when based around shared interests.

Hopefully no.1 is obvious and, although it may not feel like it to the OP on reading all the posts, no.2 is too.

It seems, OP, that you were recently also considering buying a classic car. I do wonder whether you might feel the pressure to "do something" about changing your car? Speaking to a seller, going to a dealer, taking test drives, talking figures etc does all build towards this...but, as evidenced by this very thread, it seems you're not sure. Unless you are a serial ditherer, perhaps the best thing to do is precisely nothing.

god what country you living in? A good place to live with crime on the rise, people in this forum are miserable, bitter and not up for a discussion...they talk to you like some old grandad moaning at his kids. As for the 2nd hand car market don't even get me started on that. People selling there old cars for way to much money and they hide all the issues as much as they can :/ The only reason i am looking at a new car deal or at least used approved. I bought my first car 7yrs ago its served me well but in the first year i had it i got conned by the guy I bought it off with all the repairs the needed doing, luckily I only bought it for £900 at the time it lasted me long time so i got lucky at least but id never want to risk a 2nd hand car again not from a private seller anyway. i'm not a serial ditherer either I just like to think things through and make the right choice and not do something stupid. The fact i came to this forum and asked for advise would prove I am not an idiot who just goes OOO SHINEY NEW CAR BUY NOW

Edited by jamesters on Wednesday 1st August 01:00

[funkyrobot]

jamesters said:

god what country you living in? A good place to live with crime on the rise, people in this forum are miserable, bitter and not up for a discussion...they talk to you like some old grandad moaning at his kids. As for the 2nd hand car market don't even get me started on that. People selling there old cars for way to much money and they hide all the issues as much as they can :/ The only reason i am looking at a new car deal or at least used approved. I bought my first car 7yrs ago its served me well but in the first year i had it i got conned by the guy I bought it off with all the repairs the needed doing, luckily I only bought it for £900 at the time it lasted me long time so i got lucky at least but id never want to risk a 2nd hand car again not from a private seller anyway. i'm not a serial ditherer either I just like to think things through and make the right choice and not do something stupid. The fact i came to this forum and asked for advise would prove I am not an idiot who just goes OOO SHINEY NEW CAR BUY NOW

Edited by jamesters on Wednesday 1st August 01:00

If everyone on this forum is so bad, why are you still posting on here?

You do realise the Fiesta you have been gushing over is used, don't you?

Of course, all dealerships are really trustworthy.

Let's face it. You didn't like the responses you were given so you had a hissy fit.

[johnnyBv8]

jamesters said:

people in this forum are miserable, bitter and not up for a discussion...

You're coming over as a bit of an idiot! You posted here asking for advice, not a discussion. Lots of people gave up their own time to offer advice and help someone they'd never met – all trying to be helpful by suggesting that perhaps it wasn't worth spunking £13k on a used 1.0 Fiesta, especially when you don't have £13k and weren’t sure if you could comfortably afford repayments. Nobody is being bitter (I can't even imagine what you think people are bitter about in relation to your question!) or miserable. You have behaved poorly on this thread, not those replying.

jamesters said:

As for the 2nd hand car market don't even get me started on that. People selling there old cars for way to much money and they hide all the issues as much as they can :/

Used cars in the UK are far cheaper than many other countries, and we benefit from relatively low tax in relation to car use. Obviously there are people that will rip you off if you're not sharp/knowledgeable enough, as they will the world over. If you're upset by used car prices, are you going to be advertising your old car at less than its market value, to do your bit to correct the situation? No, of course you're not.

[SloppyClock]

The used car market at the moment, and to be honest has been for a while, is saturated with good quality, low cost cars. Of course there are lemons and rust buckets, but it's ignorant to think all used cars are like this, especially when numerous people over the last 4 pages of this thread have suggested you can get a cracking car for 5-6k.

Remember that a new car does not equal a reliable car, and an old or high milage car does not equal an unreliable car. Use your head and your eyes to review the potential purchase and judge it on the sum of its parts, not on its age, or milage, or engine size alone. This is how a well rounded adult buys a car.

This is a forum of people that know and love cars and are happy to provide advice on purchases, hence the number of responses you had. You are of course an adult and free to make your own mistakes but when the majority of people are providing the same advice, I'd give it some serious thought. They may be right.

Also my partner is from a 'poor' family and is nagging me for a previous generation Hyundai i20. Sounds like you need to guide your wife on how she views cars. Where you come from in life doesn't dictate how sensible you are.

[ilikejam]

Are we all just ignoring the fact that the insurance on the 1.0l Fiesta was going to be £74/month?

Regardless of anything else, I'd forget about it for that reason alone.

[jamesters]

insurance was high as didn;t want to transfer no claims bonus from my other car as i want to keep it which is annoying as currently only pay £25 a month.

dealer got back to me another offer now of £161 a month for 4yrs with 1k deposit and a 4k pay off at the end. looking at used cars but a lot seem to be high milage, when i got my fiesta 7yrs ago it was on 72k on the clock within 12 months had to repair clutch, exhaust, shocks absorbers a few other minor bits, at least past 6yrs been running not to much issue...however i do not want to repeat that again because even then i had two mechanics check car over and said all looked good yet i still got caught out quite few repair costs, only good thing is car was only £900 back then and over 7 years been cheap motoring even with the repairs back then but do i want to repeat that again with another 2nd hand car? noooo. while i get checking for new parts you can never tell what going to go next on an older car. i always told best to look for lowest milage you can. even that car i started this thread on regardless of the stupid deal they offer me it still had 22k on the clock for a 1 year car seems extremely high as well

Edited by jamesters on Wednesday 1st August 11:33

[pidsy]

James,

At risk of repeating what others have already said -

Just cos it’s newer (it’s still a used car) does not mean it will be reliable. It can still chuck bills at you.

The new offer from the dealer might seem more palatable but it’s still a whole lot of money. There are better deals to be had. That dealer thinks he’s on to a good deal. They will hound you in the hope you give in. Dropping a few quid on the deal every few days might make it seem like they’re looking after your best interests but they aren’t. They’ve got to make money and as it stands they’ll be making plenty out of you.

The insurance shouldn’t be an issue - lots of company’s will mirror your no claims bonus across both cars if they are insured with the same company. It’s commonplace so don’t write that off until you have spoken with your insurance company.

This is a great forum - yes there are idiots about but that’s the same on the street. From what I’ve read so far on this thread - no one wants to see you burdened with this finance deal as it’s clearly not the best way for you to proceed.
If, you read the advice given, avoiding the piss taking, and you still can’t see that it’s gonna be a lot of money over a long time with no certainty of trouble free motoring - go and sign yourself up. Pay the money and enjoy it.

If you see sense, start looking at different options - get stuck in with the standard PH mentality and have some fun.

You are stressing out way too much over a 1 litre fiesta. There are more important and way more exciting things to spend your money on.

[jamesters]

pidsy said:

James,

At risk of repeating what others have already said -

Just cos it’s newer (it’s still a used car) does not mean it will be reliable. It can still chuck bills at you.

The new offer from the dealer might seem more palatable but it’s still a whole lot of money. There are better deals to be had. That dealer thinks he’s on to a good deal. They will hound you in the hope you give in. Dropping a few quid on the deal every few days might make it seem like they’re looking after your best interests but they aren’t. They’ve got to make money and as it stands they’ll be making plenty out of you.

The insurance shouldn’t be an issue - lots of company’s will mirror your no claims bonus across both cars if they are insured with the same company. It’s commonplace so don’t write that off until you have spoken with your insurance company.

This is a great forum - yes there are idiots about but that’s the same on the street. From what I’ve read so far on this thread - no one wants to see you burdened with this finance deal as it’s clearly not the best way for you to proceed.
If, you read the advice given, avoiding the piss taking, and you still can’t see that it’s gonna be a lot of money over a long time with no certainty of trouble free motoring - go and sign yourself up. Pay the money and enjoy it.

If you see sense, start looking at different options - get stuck in with the standard PH mentality and have some fun.

You are stressing out way too much over a 1 litre fiesta. There are more important and way more exciting things to spend your money on.

sadly that was quote i got from my current insurer with a mirrored bonus which shocked me as its extremely high and was not happy as it means any 2nd car i get will be high insurance for the first year it seems which is a joke as surely its me has no claims bonus but no its the car in the insurance companies eyes....dumb but there you go. and yeah putting pcp deal to one side while attractive did work out 2k a year which god could just get another car and own it for 2k but also its 22k on the clock if it was brand new id been more keen but my mate pointed out important point if owned by a petrol head for 1 year and down 22k on the car its prob been ragged and that little ecoboost engine will pop any moment he said to me

[pidsy]

The insurance cost surprised me - maybe look elsewhere for a provider.

There are some great cars out there for a couple of grand. As long as you dont aim for something that was silly expensive new - you can have years of trouble free driving and relatively cheap parts.

[doncarlyon]

Probably not what you are after, but I recently bought a 1 owner from new 2005 Fiesta ST with 66k miles for £1600. Full MOT, approx 75% service history. Loads of reciepts and even the original order form.

So there are some decent cheap cars out there if you look around.

Best bet in your situation (in my opinion) would be to get a 2year personal lease car. Brand new, just pay to insure it and off you go. You shouldnt need any tyres/brakes in that time and probably service it once. You'll have 2 years of trouble free motoring.

[jamesters]

nice deal but still getting old now 2005 mine 2001 and be 17yrs old this year, mental but also impressive my little old fiesta lasting as long as it is on 114k miles now. thing is i was told cars not designed to really last more then 10-13 years obv they do last longer but what ive been told by various mechanics over the years.....not sure if true but i am told the air bags not guaranteed after 15years either? light on my car says they still work....hope i never have to find out if thats true

[mcg_]

I think you should buy the fiesta on pcp, it's a really good idea. treat yourself.

/thread.

[jamesters]

when i bought my 2001 fiesta after my test i was like wow this car easier to drive then the car i learned in cars def getting more strange these days, that new ford when i test drove it i felt further away from road but i put my car next to it and bonnet of new fiesta tiny to old ones so technically im closer to road in new fiesta then my old one :/ very odd

[SloppyClock]

jamesters said:

nice deal but still getting old now 2005 mine 2001 and be 17yrs old this year, mental but also impressive my little old fiesta lasting as long as it is on 114k miles now. thing is i was told cars not designed to really last more then 10-13 years obv they do last longer but what ive been told by various mechanics over the years.....not sure if true but i am told the air bags not guaranteed after 15years either? light on my car says they still work....hope i never have to find out if thats true

A car will last as long as the owner is willing to maintain it. Mechanically this normally means replacing what goes bad, and staying on-top of the required maintenance. Cars have moving components, and of course things wear out. But will careful maintenance and reasonable usage, there is no reason they shouldn't last many, many years. The problem is that society is based on throwing things away rather than making good. Being in something new makes people feel better than fixing some up and continuing to use it.

The problem is that whilst a few people are prepared to do the require maintenance, and some are prepared to pay for others to do it, this doesn't normally extend beyond the mechanical maintenance, leaving bodywork/metal work free to rot away. As you can imagine, in this country that presents somewhat of a terminal killer of cars.

So yes, cars are designed to last more than 13 years, but the vast majority of people are to damn stupid and lazy to maintain their car properly so that it lasts that long.

Does this mean that you shouldnt buy a used car? Of course not. It's easier to buy a new car, but the value for money proposition is much poorer than buying a well maintained used car. Again, buy with your brain, not with your heart.

[Deep Thought]

SloppyClock said:

A car will last as long as the owner is willing to maintain it. Mechanically this normally means replacing what goes bad, and staying on-top of the required maintenance. Cars have moving components, and of course things wear out. But will careful maintenance and reasonable usage, there is no reason they shouldn't last many, many years. The problem is that society is based on throwing things away rather than making good. Being in something new makes people feel better than fixing some up and continuing to use it.

The problem is that whilst a few people are prepared to do the require maintenance, and some are prepared to pay for others to do it, this doesn't normally extend beyond the mechanical maintenance, leaving bodywork/metal work free to rot away. As you can imagine, in this country that presents somewhat of a terminal killer of cars.

So yes, cars are designed to last more than 13 years, but the vast majority of people are to damn stupid and lazy to maintain their car properly so that it lasts that long.

Does this mean that you shouldnt buy a used car? Of course not. It's easier to buy a new car, but the value for money proposition is much poorer than buying a well maintained used car. Again, buy with your brain, not with your heart.

Plus as the car reaches end of life you run the risk of a disproportionate big bill making the car financially unviable to repair.

So a blown turbot @ £1,000 repair cost would usually put a £750 car off the road...

Similar with a gearbox fault, etc, etc.

[funkyrobot]

Deep Thought said:

SloppyClock said:

A car will last as long as the owner is willing to maintain it. Mechanically this normally means replacing what goes bad, and staying on-top of the required maintenance. Cars have moving components, and of course things wear out. But will careful maintenance and reasonable usage, there is no reason they shouldn't last many, many years. The problem is that society is based on throwing things away rather than making good. Being in something new makes people feel better than fixing some up and continuing to use it.

The problem is that whilst a few people are prepared to do the require maintenance, and some are prepared to pay for others to do it, this doesn't normally extend beyond the mechanical maintenance, leaving bodywork/metal work free to rot away. As you can imagine, in this country that presents somewhat of a terminal killer of cars.

So yes, cars are designed to last more than 13 years, but the vast majority of people are to damn stupid and lazy to maintain their car properly so that it lasts that long.

Does this mean that you shouldnt buy a used car? Of course not. It's easier to buy a new car, but the value for money proposition is much poorer than buying a well maintained used car. Again, buy with your brain, not with your heart.

Plus as the car reaches end of life you run the risk of a disproportionate big bill making the car financially unviable to repair.

So a blown turbot @ £1,000 repair cost would usually put a £750 car off the road...

Similar with a gearbox fault, etc, etc.

I didn't realise the common turbot was so expensive to please.

[jamesters]

yeah for my little old fiesta its going be body work rusting away that will kill it i did have a good quote a year ago to fix rusty arches and sills for £1000 compared to anywhere else but the car market value is £195 so it makes it not worth the repair i spend 1k repair that and someone rams me i only get 200quid back for the write off. as you explained thats when the car on death row

[Deep Thought]

funkyrobot said:

I didn't realise the common turbot was so expensive to please.

They make an awful mess when they blow.

[jamesters]

so if a new car done 22k in 1 year that turbo would be at risk?

[Deep Thought]

jamesters said:

so if a new car done 22k in 1 year that turbo would be at risk?

Who said that?