Moving to UK...what a different market
Discussion
Hello fellow PHs,
I'll be moving to UK (Midlands) in October, and will need a car.
As I'm from Brazil and down here things are expensive as hell, I am quite lost on what car to buy in UK, and above all, how much to spend.
My soon to be boss told me that he never spend more than £3000 in a car, and I can easily find cars I like under £3000, but the cars that I really like are around (£8000). I'm targeting 520d, E-Class, S80/V70, but sometimes I find myself looking at Golfs, Focus and Astra as options. (fyi I'm married and have a 2yo bloke)
I'm already prepared for expensive insurance, as I have a foreign driving license, but in gocompare i've seen quotations from £1000 to £2500, depending on the car. I'll hurry to get an UK driving license as soon as possible.
Not sure how much % of salary people spend in buying/leasing a car, and I really to not want to make a move that I'll financially regret later.
Any advice?
Thanks in advance
Victor
I'll be moving to UK (Midlands) in October, and will need a car.
As I'm from Brazil and down here things are expensive as hell, I am quite lost on what car to buy in UK, and above all, how much to spend.
My soon to be boss told me that he never spend more than £3000 in a car, and I can easily find cars I like under £3000, but the cars that I really like are around (£8000). I'm targeting 520d, E-Class, S80/V70, but sometimes I find myself looking at Golfs, Focus and Astra as options. (fyi I'm married and have a 2yo bloke)
I'm already prepared for expensive insurance, as I have a foreign driving license, but in gocompare i've seen quotations from £1000 to £2500, depending on the car. I'll hurry to get an UK driving license as soon as possible.
Not sure how much % of salary people spend in buying/leasing a car, and I really to not want to make a move that I'll financially regret later.
Any advice?
Thanks in advance
Victor
Modern German stuff (s
t) has huge opportunity to throw up huge and unexpected bills, mainly over about 6 years old, so avoid those. Fords are pretty good, and Japanese still has a good quality engineering / reliability that is entirely justified.
Most of the French stuff post 2010 is decently engineered, and quite comfy / quiet / safe, prob not as good as the Jap stuff.
As ever, generalisations hide some exceptions, so do your research and decide what's important.
I'd look hard at a Focus personally, cheap, decent drive, hugely available, with a wide range of engines. Bound to be at the bottom of the insurance pile too.
All my opinion, but as I repair these things every day, I get to see and drive a huge pile of cars, sometimes 4 or 5 different ones every day.
t) has huge opportunity to throw up huge and unexpected bills, mainly over about 6 years old, so avoid those. Fords are pretty good, and Japanese still has a good quality engineering / reliability that is entirely justified.Most of the French stuff post 2010 is decently engineered, and quite comfy / quiet / safe, prob not as good as the Jap stuff.
As ever, generalisations hide some exceptions, so do your research and decide what's important.
I'd look hard at a Focus personally, cheap, decent drive, hugely available, with a wide range of engines. Bound to be at the bottom of the insurance pile too.
All my opinion, but as I repair these things every day, I get to see and drive a huge pile of cars, sometimes 4 or 5 different ones every day.
I own three vehicles and spend 0% of my income on loans/ leasing/ PCP on a car.
Asking PH will give a very warped view as either
a) we don't believe in leasing so like me spend 0% of salary on cars.
b) we love cars, spend 50% of salary on leased Golf Rs and live at home with our parents.
Just find what you are comfortable with......
Asking PH will give a very warped view as either
a) we don't believe in leasing so like me spend 0% of salary on cars.
b) we love cars, spend 50% of salary on leased Golf Rs and live at home with our parents.
Just find what you are comfortable with......
If most of your 10,000 miles a year is around town rather than on longer drives then I'd say you'll actually be better off with a petrol.
With a sensible budget of 4k you can get a good car for your cash:
Ford Mondeo Titanium X
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
2.5T Titanium X (insurance may be an issue)
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Ford Focus Titanium
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Insignia SRI
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Mazda6 2.5 Sport (these are a very reliable car)
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
2.4 Honda Accord EX
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
With a sensible budget of 4k you can get a good car for your cash:
Ford Mondeo Titanium X
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
2.5T Titanium X (insurance may be an issue)
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Ford Focus Titanium
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Insignia SRI
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Mazda6 2.5 Sport (these are a very reliable car)
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
2.4 Honda Accord EX
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Welcome! Our cars are cheap so fill your boots. Note, however, that both fuel and garage labour costs are very high so unless you're going to be maintaining and repairing the car yourself, don't be tempted to buy something super complicated and ambitious.
Whatever you buy, have an HPI check done and if necessary pay for a mechanic to thoroughly inspect the car.
Whatever you buy, have an HPI check done and if necessary pay for a mechanic to thoroughly inspect the car.
Oh and when you buy the car, the seller keeps the 'V5C' registration certificate and gives you a small green slip torn from the second page. The seller sends the document away for the change in ownership. Note that when you buy and insure a car you will immediately have to start paying 'Road Fund Licence' (car tax). This changed a couple of years ago and still causes some confusion.
VPXavier said:
My soon to be boss told me that he never spend more than £3000 in a car....
VPXavier said:
Not sure how much % of salary people spend in buying/leasing a car, and I really to not want to make a move that I'll financially regret later.
Are we sure this isn't Audemars undercover? 
Regarding the petrol/diesel choice remember that the powers that be here have now suddenly decided that diesel is the Devil's work and is killing everyone several times over. Expect higher road tax and fuel duty on diesel to salve their consciences. Whatever the problem tax is always the answer! 
Thank you for all the answers!
Just to make a more clear figure of the situation, the car I just sold here in Brazil was valued at £3700 (a 2002 Astra*). Cars here depreciate a lot slower than in UK, but are a lot more expensive.
I figured out that something used in the £8000 range could be the optimum choice, but I've been very tempted to buy something new and financed, knowing that I'll have a enormous depreciation but minimizing the tax, fuel and maintenance costs. Time to read more and more and maturate the thoughts about this.
Just to make a more clear figure of the situation, the car I just sold here in Brazil was valued at £3700 (a 2002 Astra*). Cars here depreciate a lot slower than in UK, but are a lot more expensive.
I figured out that something used in the £8000 range could be the optimum choice, but I've been very tempted to buy something new and financed, knowing that I'll have a enormous depreciation but minimizing the tax, fuel and maintenance costs. Time to read more and more and maturate the thoughts about this.
- for those interested, here is a link to a similar Astra. It's 4 door, which I believe wasn't sold in UK. http://www.encontracarros.com/upload/chevrolet/ast...
I just entered the very same market at the same budgets. I tried getting something German, big and as risk free for £3-4k but couldn't find anything without moon miles which would be worth nothing after 12 months and then I upped the budget to £8k. It brought a lot of German options at that price point but with a large element of risk around dual mass flywheels , DPFs and Clutch packs. Repair bills can be very high. It's a big risk to take something on like that, and I found for every good car there were about 5 bad ones.
I think there is a chance your insurance costs could be high given that you will (I presume) have zero no claims bonus and will have held a uk licence for a short period of time?
This is not very PH but I'd sink your money into something Japanese, petrol and slow until you get settled in the UK.
This is not very PH but I'd sink your money into something Japanese, petrol and slow until you get settled in the UK.
Yeah, after hearing you and making researches I'm kinda letting big toys aside for a while. Better to play the safe game at least in the very beginning. Probably a ford or hyundai. Let the interesting things for later...
Some really good leasings out there, really fitting my budget... I must confess i am not willing to wrench, as a international moving should give me a lot of personal challenges aside cars...
Some really good leasings out there, really fitting my budget... I must confess i am not willing to wrench, as a international moving should give me a lot of personal challenges aside cars...
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