Anyone got any suggestions for a first car ?


the driver in question is in her late 20's (so insurance shouldn't be too bad) and she has a pretty healthy upto 8k budget too
but she's nervous about buying and older car so is looking for something only 2 - 3 years old and she intends to keep it for a good few years.
she's also at the other end of the country so I won't be able to go and look at any cars with her either...

given that my newest ever car is a 57 plate and I've never spent more than half that much on any car (except the kit ) - I'm feeling a little out of my depth offering my advice.



Also what are your best tips for her dealing with the sales muppets on her own ?

and has anyone got any dealers near Hartford they can recommend or that should be avoided ?

Need some more clues here.
Is this a town car? Longer trips? needs to be cheap to run?

Obvious choices (assumption she is not after anything flash, but wants easy to drive etc) would be Honda jazz, Toyota yaris or auris. As a curveball, if a small, cheap towncar the 107/c1 etc are little diamonds. Not so great on a motorway, but cheap (we bought a 3 year old one with 11K on it for £3700 from a dealer) and actually fun little cars (not in the fast way, but more cheeky)

Jap stuff is just so reliable compared to most others, though the Koreans are now doing well.

I bought a hyundai I20 cos it was cheap and had good reviews,2 years in and i have had to replace the number plate bulbs and the battery.
it drives really well and because it lacks the "badge" shouldnt be high on insurance.
got mine from a main dealer who are checked upon by the importer,they rang me after i bought him and after i had an air con repair done under warranty to check all was well.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201611079544366?price-from=7000&make=FIAT&advertising-location=at_cars&model=500&onesear chad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&radius=1500&postcode=bn124xf&sort=price-asc&price-to=8000&year-from=201 6&annual-tax-cars=TO_100&maximum-mileage=5000&page=1

Fiat 500 seems to be a popular choice for new drivers. Looks like you can get an almost new (2016 with less than 5k miles) in the budget.

As for where to buy, I'll probably get shot for this, but car supermarkets (Fords of Winsford, available car, car giant etc.) are actually a good place to buy, no haggling, if you don't like the car or the price then just walk away but you do noeed to be direct and strong willed with the sales man/woman. These are particularly good if you have cash or no trade in as that is where they usually sting you with a silly low trade in to ensure their margins.

Also, is it Hartford Cheshire or Cambridgeshire ? If Cheshire Fords of Winsford is close, if Cambridgeshire then Peterborough has a couple of car supermarkets.

[Edited on 30/1/17 by Ugg10]

I've been looking to replace our second car and it looks like delivery mileage Clios are available for just over £8k.

I haven't driven one yet but they look pretty good and get fairly decent reviews.

Ford Fiesta /kia rio / Hyundai i20/polo/seat Ibiza in that order petrol
Fiesta 1.25 zetec 1 year old for 8k are available
Toyota aygo new shape or Toyota Yaris
Mazda2


[Edited on 30/1/17 by ian locostzx9rc2]

she's been looking at fiesta's and corsa's (never much like corsa's myself)

the zetec SE engine in the 1.25 fiesta was never my favourite (give me the cast iron zetec E engine any day), but given that she's probably going to lots of short trips it may be a better choice than ecoboost - but I'm I just being overly paranoid about the long term effects of short trips on these newer turbo engines ?

quote:

---

Originally posted by SJ
I've been looking to replace our second car and it looks like delivery mileage Clios are available for just over £8k.

---

quote:

---

she's been looking at fiesta's and corsa's (never much like corsa's myself)

the zetec SE engine in the 1.25 fiesta was never my favourite (give me the cast iron zetec E engine any day), but given that she's probably going to lots of short trips it may be a better choice than ecoboost - but I'm I just being overly paranoid about the long term effects of short trips on these newer turbo engines ?


quote:
Originally posted by SJ
I've been looking to replace our second car and it looks like delivery mileage Clios are available for just over £8k.
I wouldn't wish a Renault on my worst enemy....

[Edited on 30/1/2017 by mcerd1]

---

I have the view that pretty much all new/newish cars these days are pretty reliable if they are looked after i.e. serviced as per the schedule and not driven within an inch of their life. As proof, of my last five cars the most reliable is the one I have at the moment (I do 25k miles per year of mixed roads) -

Megane original shape - alternator went after 80k miles
Alfa 156 - several electrical niggles
Megane big bum shape - written off (so does not count)
Ford Focus - DMF broke at 85k miles costing £1200 to repair
Currnet car Fiat Bravo - 145k miles and nothing has been failed yet (still on the original clutch!), serviced on the dot and only replaced pads/discs/tyres when required.

Who would have thought my most reliable car would be a Fiat !!!

Therefore, I would suggest that it would now come down to taste/bells and whistles/personal preference so just get out there for an afternoon and have a look around the local dealers and see what she like, then hit the net to find the car/deal she likes.

Doesn't have to be nearly new to be reliable.

MX5, she will just love it to bits.


My D in L even used hers as the wedding car.


Eric


[Edited on 30/1/17 by 907]

£8K buys a lot of MX-5 and that is certainly where my money would go.

Tell her to look at the Dacia range, they may not be fashionable, but she can buy a brand new one with that budget with a 3 year warranty & good residuals - they are all Renault based, but built in Romania. I have now had mine, a top of the range diesel Logan for around 2 & 1/2 years, 25,000 miles, does 60mpg on the motorway & around 54 round town & has zero road tax, it cost £11k, but the Sandero range starts at £5995. I've not had a scrap of bother with the car & have had it main dealer serviced whilst within warranty, around £160 a year servicing, no worries about old tyres/brakes/steering/batteries etc etc & no MoT test to worry about - for someone who knows nothing about cars this sort of thing is ideal.

I understand where people are coming from with the MX5, but it's a whole different ball game when you don't know your crankshaft from your accelerator cable!

I was going to suggest looking at a new car from the likes of Dacia.

Don't underestimate what insurance will cost and how it can vary from car to car for someone in there 20's. If the 8K includes insurance it would be worth seeing how that works out.

Kia are worth looking at - they have almost identical mechanicals to the equivalents from Hyundai (the parent company) and come with a 7-year guarantee (even some selected 2nd-hand ones).

I'd be looking at an older cheaper, but low mileage, good condition model, until she's confident lesss stress for minor damages

Mazda 2 or an MX5

Tell her to get insurance quotes before making a decision too. Fiestas are loads more expensive to insure than a 207 for example.

wife just bought a two year old kia picanto.

nice enough little thing that is a doddle to drive and park (especially after a Volvo v70)

one owner 20k miles and the 4 + years of warranty

bought from a main dealer so no hassle.