Do you drive this car?

[CopperBrompton]

I like to see it and generally can find a few faults to get the price down a bit

When I found my car, it was already a good price but it seemed wrong on principle to pay the asking price, so I phoned and offered £1000 less. The dealer said it was mint, and if I could find a single fault or mark on the car, he'd agree. I looked very hard and didn't find a thing. Eventually ummed and aahed enough to get £500 off - an absolute bargain.

 

[Piemaster]

I like to see it and generally can find a few faults to get the price down a bit. Not sure I would want to get it unseen.
Autotrader seems fine and you can search just in the local area with lots of choice.

Some cars do seem to have faults but they do seem to crop up as much in newer cars as well as older ones so I really don't think age is the main factor.

I got my car last year with 115k on the clock and I think it will be good for the same again. We run two cars and in the last 15 years all we have had in parts for any car has been - couple of diesel jets, couple of brake callipers, one exhaust (first one lasted 14 years), a few rubber bushes. That is on cars mainly 8-12 years old and all French! I really don't think they go wrong now and cars are still looked at as being something that lasts 10 years and 100k when they will easily do that twice over.

Absolutely!
There is a greater expectation from cars now and as manufacturers have upped quality and reliability we seem to treat the things more like fridges and expect them never to go wrong. I've seen owners reviews that slate cars because they had a fault once in 5 years of ownership and several thousand miles. They are hugely complicated systems that have to all integrate and work for the thing to move. My wife is one of them. I'm an engineer (not motor) and she forgets that my job depends on machines needing maintenance and repair.
My first car was a very used Vauxhall Viva HC, back in the days when your arrival at a destination when you wanted to be there was as dependent on the car as it was on traffic levels and congestion.

 

[MarkF]

Ebay cars:- I just look for FSH and an owner that has had it many years, then I just buy what cars I've always fancied owning, I only avoid diesels & turbos. In 12 years I doubt whether residuals have cost me £2k! Within those 12 years I bought a 1988 Volvo 740 GL for £215 and it was mint! It was in Sleaford (I was in Leeds) and I just wanted to own a good one before they all disappeared. I loved that car, it was the comfiest vehicle that I've ever owned, only my wife and neighbours persistence made me sell it. It's still going strong locally.

 

[tyred]

My mid 90s Peugeot 205 cost me €360 almost 9 years ago, I've put over 100,000 miles on it. It did once leave me stranded when the clutch release bearing gave up the ghost without warning, otherwise nothing out of the ordinary has been spent on it - a few suspension bushes, brake pads etc. It easily exceeds 50 mpg, unlike a lot of the more modern cars, it's simple enough for the DIY mechanic with basic tools. I'd be confident of getting my €360 back if I went to sell it. I think this is cost effective motoring.

My sister on the other hand who likes to tell me I should buy a decent car which will be cheaper to run suffers thousands in depreciation every few years, seems to end up with a garage bill in hundreds every turn round (although she really should look at either her driving style or the garage she uses as no car should give so many problems in normal use).

 

[Over The Hill]

Ebay cars:- I just look for FSH and an owner that has had it many years, then I just buy what cars I've always fancied owning, I only avoid diesels & turbos. In 12 years I doubt whether residuals have cost me £2k! Within those 12 years I bought a 1988 Volvo 740 GL for £215 and it was mint! It was in Sleaford (I was in Leeds) and I just wanted to own a good one before they all disappeared. I loved that car, it was the comfiest vehicle that I've ever owned, only my wife and neighbours persistence made me sell it. It's still going strong locally.

Which just proves there is not accounting for taste! I think of all there cars around this would be on the bottom of my list.
Does it not look like someone has photoshopped three cars together?

A friend of mine ran old Volvos for years but got caught out with bills and of course most are petrol and so very thirsty.He does highish miles. I sold him my old Pug 406 estate which is a very economic turbo diesel (not sure why you avoid both), and he is amazed at how much it saves him on fuel.

 

[Piemaster]

A friend of mine ran old Volvos for years but got caught out with bills and of course most are petrol and so very thirsty.He does highish miles. I sold him my old Pug 406 estate which is a very economic turbo diesel (not sure why you avoid both), and he is amazed at how much it saves him on fuel.

These are things that go together well.
Boundaries blur when you do low mileages and take the premium for a diesel car car purchase into account. Sure I've seen a motoring organisation quote around 10,000 miles/annum as a break even point between petrol and diesel with new cars. Low mileage city use doesn't sit well with a diesel DPF either, so a potential bill there.
It's the reason why I looked for a petrol not a diesel with present car.

 

[MarkF]

Which just proves there is not accounting for taste! I think of all there cars around this would be on the bottom of my list.
Does it not look like someone has photoshopped three cars together?

A friend of mine ran old Volvos for years but got caught out with bills and of course most are petrol and so very thirsty.He does highish miles. I sold him my old Pug 406 estate which is a very economic turbo diesel (not sure why you avoid both), and he is amazed at how much it saves him on fuel.

Yep, no accounting for taste, I'd rather walk that drive a diesel.

 

[skudupnorth]

no real interest in cars other than them being able to start and stop

Same here

 

[screenman]

Why is that then Mark, must admit I like diesels myself.

 

[brand]

I do indeed have one and I reckon they are great value for money had no problems at all with it in 14 months......

The higher trim levels and better engines can push the price up but get the Ambience spec with the 1.2 and its still under 7K.... Central locking, leccie front windows bluetooth head unit with usb connection far better value than the access model with non of them for £600 less..... I would recommend it to anyone..... open the bonnet and all the parts say either Renualt or Nissan on them.....

IT'S A CAR a cars a f*cking car. It gets you from A to B

 

[tyred]

IT'S A CAR a cars a f*cking car. It gets you from A to B

True but some do it in a more enjoyable manner than others.

 

[brand]

True but some do it in a more enjoyable manner than others.

"but get the Ambience spec" ??
Only had one car ever. A Reliant Kitten Estate it got me from A to B just as any other car would. The only difference was the paint came off when I washed it.

 

[Over The Hill]

These are things that go together well.
Boundaries blur when you do low mileages and take the premium for a diesel car car purchase into account. Sure I've seen a motoring organisation quote around 10,000 miles/annum as a break even point between petrol and diesel with new cars. Low mileage city use doesn't sit well with a diesel DPF either, so a potential bill there.
It's the reason why I looked for a petrol not a diesel with present car.

I think diesel works for the right car and right use. The benefit is lost on low miles city driving and also they are not much good in small cars.
There were some truly awful diesels around a decade or so back. Astras were horrid with diesel engines. Peugeot make great diesels as do Mercedes. I tend to stick with them. Petrol cars feel like you are thrashing them after you are used to the low revs and torque of a diesel.

 

[Over The Hill]

"but get the Ambience spec" ??
Only had one car ever. A Reliant Kitten Estate it got me from A to B just as any other car would. The only difference was the paint came off when I washed it.

I don't think that counts.

 

[brand]

I don't think that counts.

Snob! It had 4 wheels and I am not including the steering wheel or the spare wheel.