Cars cars carsy cars.

[Saxondale]

How about a nissan primera?  Fancy a mazda 6 but they're quite scarce for that price.

[Gnasher]

German or Jap is the way to go.

Get a diesel if you do alot of miles.

I'd go along with this. I've had plenty of VWs, Hondas and Toyotas and they've all been great. I'd recommend Volvo but doubt you'd get much for 2.5k.

Avoid anything French.

[Samdy Gray]

You can have my Vectra for £2.5k.

[jimmy_onions]

Can anyone give any feed back on Renault Lagunas?  Ive seen a couple under 40k miles, 5 years old or slightly more, in between 2k and 3k.  Is there any reason why?  Rather than just the prejudice of don't buy french?  Remembering Im going to just do 30k a year for a couple of years and then scrap it.

Apalling reliablility...particularly on electrics

[walrus]

Do people not find that buying a second car is more expensive in the long run with MOTs, repair bills etc.?  Don't want to sound like a pretentious prick, but I've always bought new - I say bought, my latest car is on Hire Purchase (PCP - rent for three years, then pay off the balance or hand back).  Being a petrolhead and young and carefree, I've been quite happy to devote a larger preportion of my wages to my wheels, but then if you look at the cost of some PCP deals they must compare very favourably to a second hand motor - e.g.: a Renault Twingo - low deposit and about £100 / month.  OK it's a Renault Twingo, but it's new, and you know for three years with almost certainty that you won't break down.

Shirley, by the time you've pushed her through the MOT, replaced that headgasket, sorted the leaking window sill, you might as well have just PCP'ed a car.  I suppose there is the drawback of the financial commitment for three years, but can be done with a lower initial outlay and the costs are a known quantity.  I'm interested as it may be that after 3 yrs I will consider buying my car as my circumstances are soon to change...

[nevillew]

I have bought brand new in the past, but now realise that it's a mug's game. Far better to go for a nearly new (eg ex demonstrator) from a dealer, and avoid the huge depreciation as you drive away from the salesman.

Only problems with PCP as I see it are the uncertainty of future income stream to service the commitment, plus the wrangling if you exceed agreed mileage or don't meet the requirements for the condition of the vehicle at the end of the contract.

[Saxondale]

For me, never any point in getting a new car.  Second hand car Im going to have a look at will come in at about £2.5k.  New would cost about £20k.  Ill do 30k a year on mileage, hopefully it will be reliable (its japanese) and get me through 2 and a half years with a couple of services and not too much on repairs.    No depreciation as Im going to run it into the ground, its £2.5k lost at the end of 2 and a half to 3 years, whereas if I bought new Id be able to sell for maybe £2.5k.  £17.5k loss.

Lets face it, its just different people have different motoring needs and buying new would be senseless for me.

[Chubbs]

Do people not find that buying a second car is more expensive in the long run with MOTs, repair bills etc.?  Don't want to sound like a pretentious prick, but I've always bought new - I say bought, my latest car is on Hire Purchase (PCP - rent for three years, then pay off the balance or hand back).  Being a petrolhead and young and carefree, I've been quite happy to devote a larger preportion of my wages to my wheels, but then if you look at the cost of some PCP deals they must compare very favourably to a second hand motor - e.g.: a Renault Twingo - low deposit and about £100 / month.  OK it's a Renault Twingo, but it's new, and you know for three years with almost certainty that you won't break down.

Shirley, by the time you've pushed her through the MOT, replaced that headgasket, sorted the leaking window sill, you might as well have just PCP'ed a car.  I suppose there is the drawback of the financial commitment for three years, but can be done with a lower initial outlay and the costs are a known quantity.  I'm interested as it may be that after 3 yrs I will consider buying my car as my circumstances are soon to change...

Do you have a mortgage?

[Peacocks-Lucky-Coat]

I cannot see how buying new is cheaper in the long run, unless of course you buy an absolute heap of shit 2nd hand car which breaks down every ten minutes (like mine). There are lots of 2nd hand cars around that are still under a mileage warranty or a 6 year warranty.

[@MacPhlea]

The biggest issue with cars, besides the ever increasing running costs, is the depreciation. Its a fucking killer.  I have a crappy Subaru forester which I have been contemplating changing for about six years now (cue Grubby with some satirical comment) but every time info the calculations it ends up making me depressed.

The forester is paid for and costs me about £2000 a year to run (fuel, maintenance, tax, insurance, MOT etc).  I have looked at every car going and at the last attempt to buy something was going to go for a Audi Q5 £550 a month then £250 a month on fuel and £1000 a year on insurance and maintenance... £10,000 a year for a car that will spend most of it's life sat doing fuck all...

Instead I am opting for membership to a supercar hire company (http://www.dreamcarhire.com/blackwhite/premium/)- I get the choice of 30 different supercars for 30 days a year which covers all my hi days  and holidays for the same amount and I carry in using the crappy forester for walking the dogs.

If youre going to burn money on a car, burn it on something a little bit special and drive a shit heap for the rest of the year

[stfcinbmth]

The biggest issue with cars, besides the ever increasing running costs, is the depreciation. Its a fucking killer.  I have a crappy Subaru forester which I have been contemplating changing for about six years now (cue Grubby with some satirical comment) but every time info the calculations it ends up making me depressed.

The forester is paid for and costs me about £2000 a year to run (fuel, maintenance, tax, insurance, MOT etc).  I have looked at every car going and at the last attempt to buy something was going to go for a Audi Q5 £550 a month then £250 a month on fuel and £1000 a year on insurance and maintenance... £10,000 a year for a car that will spend most of it's life sat doing fuck all...

Instead I am opting for membership to a supercar hire company (http://www.dreamcarhire.com/blackwhite/premium/)- I get the choice of 30 different supercars for 30 days a year which covers all my hi days  and holidays for the same amount and I carry in using the crappy forester for walking the dogs.

If youre going to burn money on a car, burn it on something a little bit special and drive a shit heap for the rest of the year

Make mine a GTR please

[walrus]

Do you have a mortgage?

Are you psychic?

That's my change in circumstances.  But at the moment I pay rent which per month works out about the same, so the PCP is affordable but does cut down on my spare cash.

@MacPhlea - I like that idea, and certainly there are probably only around 30 days when you actually get to enjoy driving - most of the time I spend sitting behind traffic or navigating treacherous, windy wet roads.  Mind you, at 25 I doubt I'd qualify for Supercar Club!! 

The depreciation is a fucker, but I've yet to have experience (friends, family etc.) of a second hand car that hasn't cost much more than the owner initially thought with repairs and MOT failures.  Granted, that doesn't include the "nearly new" market, but then if you're going to spend all the money on nearly new, it seems to me worthwhile to pay a fraction extra for seats that haven't been farted in.  That said, @Macphlea's post has made me want to go and top myself.

[@MacPhlea]

Are you psychic?

That's my change in circumstances.  But at the moment I pay rent which per month works out about the same, so the PCP is affordable but does cut down on my spare cash.

@MacPhlea - I like that idea, and certainly thPere are probably only around 30 days when you actually get to enjoy driving - most of the time I spend sitting behind traffic or navigating treacherous, windy wet roads.  Mind you, at 25 I doubt I'd qualify for Supercar Club!! 

The depreciation is a fucker, but I've yet to have experience (friends, family etc.) of a second hand car that hasn't cost much more than the owner initially thought with repairs and MOT failures.  Granted, that doesn't include the "nearly new" market, but then if you're going to spend all the money on nearly new, it seems to me worthwhile to pay a fraction extra for seats that haven't been farted in.  That said, @Macphlea's post has made me want to go and top myself.

I think 28 is the lower limit for insurance - in 3 years you'll be sorted!

[walrus]

I had an unsavoury motoring conviction five year's to the day, so for most prestige car companies it's another five!!

If you've owned the car since new then you know it's history, but then I guess the fact my first car broke down a week after I collected, and then the engine expired seven year's later after I'd passed it onto my sister sort of undermine's my own argument!  The initial breakdown was only due to a loose battery connector, but still....

[Chubbs]

Are you psychic?

That's my change in circumstances.  But at the moment I pay rent which per month works out about the same, so the PCP is affordable but does cut down on my spare cash.

@MacPhlea - I like that idea, and certainly there are probably only around 30 days when you actually get to enjoy driving - most of the time I spend sitting behind traffic or navigating treacherous, windy wet roads.  Mind you, at 25 I doubt I'd qualify for Supercar Club!! 

The depreciation is a fucker, but I've yet to have experience (friends, family etc.) of a second hand car that hasn't cost much more than the owner initially thought with repairs and MOT failures.  Granted, that doesn't include the "nearly new" market, but then if you're going to spend all the money on nearly new, it seems to me worthwhile to pay a fraction extra for seats that haven't been farted in.  That said, @Macphlea's post has made me want to go and top myself.

if i was, i wouldnt have needed to ask :-)