2nd car for 6-10k

[Dsdans]

Hello car experts!!
I'll start of with a disclaimer that I'm honestly not a car guy, until the last few weeks my car enthuisasm has gone as far as the odd "that looks alright" when something nice pulls up at the lights next to me, or a firm nod when people start talking about cars in the pub..
I'm currently looking to buy a 2nd car as I'm fed up of sharing the KA with the other half. I've spent the last week or so scouring autotrader looking for cars that seem alright and adding them to my saved list, aswell as disapointing umpteen car salesman with my astute tactic of test driving absolutely anything they have to offer and telling them I'll "go away and have a think".
Out of the few I've test driven, the new 1.4 Astra's are nice and comfortable and I've really enjoyed this golf here
https://www.arnoldclark.com/used-cars/search?make%...

After much talking with the other half I think we've settled on the new astra but I just want to see if I'm overlooking anything?

I want a mid sized car (focus', fiestas, 1 series' etc) with some tech inside (sat nav mainly) and a nice bit of oomph under foot. Want it to feel smooth and comfortable too. Anyone else got any suggestions?
I have seen this one posted here that interests me..
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
I want something that's reliable and isn't going to cost an arm and leg after I've bought it, but I'm coming to the conclusion it's basically a lottery

Also sorry but budget is 6-8k!!

[Carl-hbhuh]

I can’t comment on the Astra itself but I will say now my experience with Vauxhall as a company is shocking.

With countless calls to head office 5 times in total without a resolution.

I have a van it went for warranty work to be done, I was left without a courtesy van I had to hire one out of my own pocket.
I called the dealer 4 days after dropping my van off under the impression it was going to be ready as they told me 4 days!

It turns out the ramp packed up with my van on it and they was awaiting an engineer.

I was forced to rent a van for a further week.
No compensation No contributions given in any form.

They are a joke.

[Dsdans]

Carl-hbhuh said:

I can’t comment on the Astra itself but I will say now my experience with Vauxhall as a company is shocking.

With countless calls to head office 5 times in total without a resolution.

I have a van it went for warranty work to be done, I was left without a courtesy van I had to hire one out of my own pocket.
I called the dealer 4 days after dropping my van off under the impression it was going to be ready as they told me 4 days!

It turns out the ramp packed up with my van on it and they was awaiting an engineer.

I was forced to rent a van for a further week.
No compensation No contributions given in any form.

They are a joke.

Hmm, thanks for the heads up..

The new shape started in 2015 from memory, so I think any I buy will be out if warranty, or just about to. Cant really see myself having to deal much with them

[Jamescrs]

I wouldn't get hung up on having built in sat nav, they are quickly out of date and even new are rarely as good as using youyr smart phone with Google maps or Waze.

My last three cars (Ford, Audi, Volvo) have all had built in sat nav and I rarely used it in any of them because the smart phone option is nearly always better.

Just adding my thoughts as I wouldn't discount an otherwise good car due to its lack of satnav

[Terzo123]

You could get into a seat leon 1.4 FR.

They are far better than the Astras

[Dsdans]

Jamescrs said:

I wouldn't get hung up on having built in sat nav, they are quickly out of date and even new are rarely as good as using youyr smart phone with Google maps or Waze.

My last three cars (Ford, Audi, Volvo) have all had built in sat nav and I rarely used it in any of them because the smart phone option is nearly always better.

Just adding my thoughts as I wouldn't discount an otherwise good car due to its lack of satnav

I suppose, the car we use at the minute has nothing built in so we have tried various devices and they're always breaking/falling off so it's a bit of a faff.
The Vauxhall's entertainment system allows you to cast google maps, so that would probably be the best option. I'm not sure if theres any other models that can do it but I was told you cant in the fords and Volkswagens

[ZX10R NIN]

The Astra is a decent car in terms of reliability but there are a few cars I'd be looking at first.

Kia Pro Ceed GT Tech

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Giulietta Veloce

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Ford Focus Zetec S

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Astra GTC Limited Edition

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Civic Type S GT

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

EX GT

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[anonymous-user]

ZX10R NIN said:

The Astra is a decent car in terms of reliability but there are a few cars I'd be looking at first.

Kia Pro Ceed GT Tech

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Giulietta Veloce

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Ford Focus Zetec S

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Astra GTC Limited Edition

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Civic Type S GT

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

EX GT

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Out of that lot my money would go on the Ford. Great cars, solidly built, reliable, mostly good service from dealers and cheap to run.

Ours little 1.6 diesel is on 130k miles and still going strong. 52mpg average and £25 road tax each year.

Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 26th August 08:47

[Jimi.K.]

Dsdans said:

I suppose, the car we use at the minute has nothing built in so we have tried various devices and they're always breaking/falling off so it's a bit of a faff.
The Vauxhall's entertainment system allows you to cast google maps, so that would probably be the best option. I'm not sure if theres any other models that can do it but I was told you cant in the fords and Volkswagens

Look out for cars that have "Apple Carplay" or "Android Auto" as this is what lets you cast Google maps to the cars screen.

As another poster said, using your smartphone directly is usually a better option, just invest in a good windscreen or dash mount.

I'd also recommend looking at slightly older and larger cars - there are some bargains out there and depreciation will be much less. I currently drive a 2010 Audi A5 3.0TDI sportback that only cost me £6750. It's comfortable, fast and generally lovely to drive (especially with the 7 speed auto gearbox) and most non-car people would mistake it for a car 3x the price (if keeping up with the Jones' matters to you!).

Prior to that I had a 2005 Lexus GS300 which was really luxurious, packed full of tech (Bluetooth, electrically adjustable everything, auto dimming mirrors, keyless entry, full leather ventilated seats etc) and was faultlessly reliable - you can pick reasonable examples of these up from £3k these days.

Unless you're doing lots of miles I wouldn't get too hung up on MPG as depreciation on a newer car will usually be larger than a few extra MPG here or there.

[ZX10R NIN]

I agree the Fords are great but for me it's the Alfa then the Ford & finally the Kia.

[Dsdans]

Thanks for all the advice and suggestions, I've narrowed it down to this shortlist of 3

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Okay, I lied, 4...

Does any 1 of these cars stand out from the rest or are they all fairly safe options?
Also should I be too hung up on mileage? From what I've been reading on here it's the age of the car that's more important, along as certain things have been done at certain mileage.
Anything I should be wary of on any of these?

Once again appreciate all the help

[ZX10R NIN]

The Mazda2 would be last due to it being the smallest & you have to work the engine a bit harder than you would the other three for me it would be a pick out of the Alfa or Ford both are very reliable good cars with the Ford being the better steer but the Alfa has a bit more about it but you really won't go wrong with either, the Astra is a good car but the other two edge it down to third.

[bennno]

Suzuki Swift sport, full Suzuki history, 41k miles, 2014 reg, £5250?

My sons car on autotrader....

[Dsdans]

So I'm still pondering on this one...
I like the Alfa's but the feedback from people I've spoken to is that at some point they're likely to have a big issue which will cost a lot of money. My GF is dead set against then fir this reason and she doesnt like the look of then either.
I've pretty much decided on an astra (1.4T 16v 150 in elite trim) but just wanted to give one last call to see if theres anything else I've missed/should consider? This is a big purchase for me so I really want to make sure this is the right one.
I maintain that the golf is the nicest car I've driven, but its tough to get my gf to look past the Astra fancy interior and mod cons

Also does anyone have any advice on car finance? I was looking at a personal loan as this then wouldn't be attached to the car and I would be free to do as I please with it however I've applied with two different places and the APR has varied massively between the two and neither have been the advertised rate. I have a good credit score and I'm a homeowner with no later payments etc to my name.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

Get the best VW Golf you can afford.

[ZX10R NIN]

Find the Bank/dealer that offers the lowest interest rate & go from there. I have quite a few customers with Giulietta's & they don't throw up any bigger bills than any other car in this segment but the Astra is a good pick.

[Dsdans]

Thanks, this is what I've done as both Hitachi and Santander are advertising at 3%. Theyve come back at 7.9% and a staggering 18.9% respectively.

My worry is every application is a search which will lower my credit score, theoretically producing worse rates each time

[anonymous-user]

You can use the Martin Lewis MSE site to do a 'soft search' on your credit file (the search won't show up to other potential lenders). It will give you an indication as to which lenders are likely to give you their best rates.

And if you want to minimise the maintenance costs it might be worth checking cars with belts that the change isn't due for some time.

Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 31st August 21:50

[Dsdans]

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2019...

I'm going to have a look at this today. In ref to the comment above googling around tells me timing belt should be every 5 years/75000 miles. I wont do the mileage so that's probably a job for 3 years time.
It's a relatively new car, is there anything I should be looking out for/be careful of?

I get the basics, make sure it's been serviced, check no damage/rust to paintwork and see if it looks like it's been well looked after but any advice is appreciated

[Dsdans]

Is it normal for a car I'm about to buy to be registered SORN?