How far would you travel for a car?

[GMac1]

How far would you travel for a car?
I always seem to travel around the country for the right car, as I can be picky with spec.
Sometimes for me it makes sense. The last car I picked up only cost me 96 quid in travel costs, cheap flight from Glasgow to East Midlands, got picked up by the dealer & he had put a full tank of fuel in the car for the journey home. Car was 18 grand.
I'm now considering going over to Belfast for a 5k daily runner, it's the perfect model & spec for my needs. Would be 75 for flight & 175 to ferry it home.
Not sure if i'm being a sensible this time, would be just my luck someone puts one up for sale close to home after I bought it.
How far is to far for a daily?

Edited by GMac1 on Tuesday 5th January 20:54

[The Mad Monk]

GMac1 said:

How far would you travel for a car?
I always seem to travel around the country for the right, as I can be picky with spec.
Sometimes for me it makes sense. The last car I picked up only cost me 96 quid in travel costs, cheap flight from Glasgow to East Midlands, got picked up by the dealer & he had put a full tank of fuel in the car for the journey home. Car was 18 grand.
I'm now considering going over to Belfast for a 5k daily runner, it's the perfect model & spec for my needs. Would be 75 for flight & 175 to ferry it home.
Not sure if i'm being a sensible this time, would be just my luck someone puts one up for sale close to home after I bought it.
How far is to far for a daily?

Perhaps 50 miles?

[Rob_125]

Furthest I've travelled is 40 miles, however average distance would be under 5 miles. The guy who bought my e36 for £1250, travelled from Northern Ireland to Plymouth. Which was hellish keen for a low value vehicle.

[GMac1]

I've travelled to Leeds twice, Birmingham, Liverpool, East Midlands, all from Glasgow but they have all been higher priced cars.
Daily driver for 5k maybe not worth the travel, however I'm planning on using it for at least 3 years which means I want it to be the right car.

[plenty]

Distance no object. I relish the journey to collect a new car and the drive home. And no matter what the car at what price point I want to ensure I’ve picked the very best example.

[GMac1]

plenty said:

Distance no object. I relish the journey to collect a new car and the drive home. And no matter what the car at what price point I want to ensure I’ve picked the very best example.

That's the way i've always felt. Can't beat looking at your pride & joy when you get it home.
Lockdowns & restrictions is making it a bit tricker, don't mind anywhere mainland but Ireland is maybe more difficult.

[magpie215]

Farthest approx 300 miles.

Now its about 10 miles max.....because shed

[CoolHands]

Furthest I’ve been is London to Scotland. Also went London to York on 1-way train ticket, didn’t buy as car poorly described and had to get the train back! Cost a lot.

[galtezza]

1000 miles by train to germany for our Maserati, very accurate description by dealer, wanted LHD in certain colour combo and knew all costs were covered by re-sale in own country.

Its brilliant if planning & due diligence is done correctly (inc. contingency cars) proper adventure and will do again once restrictions are lifted, since sold said car which made 4k after costs and 12 mth service were removed, so very happy with that.

[GMac1]

CoolHands said:

Furthest I’ve been is London to Scotland. Also went London to York on 1-way train ticket, didn’t buy as car poorly described and had to get the train back! Cost a lot.

That's painful!

[GMac1]

Car I was looking at had only been advertised for 2 days.
Guy has now just put the price up by a grand!
What's that all about?
Maybe getting low ball offers.

[griffter]

It’s not the cost of travel, but the inevitable disappointment that puts me off.
That said I enjoy nothing more than planning a day of viewing two or three cars with a view to doing a deal on the one that’s least misdescribed. If I’m making a day of it I’ll happily do a round trip of several hundred miles.
Most of the cars I’ve bought have been local (within 40 miles or so). The distance doesn’t influence the decision to buy, but it certainly influences the decision to view.

[TheDrownedApe]

Back in my Army days I used to drive from southern or northern Germany to Coventry to collect my new car. That was every 6 months too when swapping it over (until they changed the rules to 12 months min :/

Still getting a new car and a cheque (around 500) just for handing over my old car was well worth it

[PositronicRay]

I used to work for a midlands dealer, we'd regularly pick customers up from Birmingham Airport to collect cars.

Eire was popular, but the furthest I recall was Malta.

[Ratae]

Furthest was Leicester to the Isle of Wight!

[andyalan10]

When I lived in Egham my last two cars purchased came from the Suffolk/Norfolk border (about 100 miles)and SE London (about 30 miles). Both took about 2 hours to get to. Both fairly unusual spec, but not expensive.

[ReverendCounter]

290 miles is the longest so far but I'd only do that for something out of the ordinary.

[Fessia fancier]

Japan for me but it was combined with a work trip
Essex to Wales was the longest where I didn’t buy.

[C. Grimsley]

350 miles, September for this, only one dealer was doing the deals.




Carl

[ZX10R NIN]

I live near Brands Hatch & have traveled to NI & Scotland to buy cars for myself, to me distance isn't an issue once I'm spending over 6k because flights are sensible as are Ferry crossings if you're bringing a car back NI.