September 2022
Following a divorce I need to purchase a car for the first time. I've only ever been a named driver on my ex's car, he took care of all those sides of things so I'm feeling very clueless and vulnerable! I have two kids (one a rapidly growing ten year old) so was looking for five door hatchback, and I'm thinking of a Honda Jazz as I know they have a reputation as being reliable. My absolute maximum is £4500 but would prefer to keep under £4000. I've identified three locally (around Manchester) on Auto Trader:
2009 model with 50,000 miles priced at £4000
2012 model with 94,000 miles priced at £4000
2014 model with 97,000 miles priced at £4,400... Read more
Travelling to France and back weekly via the ferries on the Dover Straits, I have noticed that recently there has been a surge of UK right hand drive cars coming to the UK with Romanian number plates.
I am not sure why it is necessary to drive these cars all the way to Romania and then bring them back, rather than just leaving them as UK registered cars, except that now the cars would be impervious to speed cameras and parking fines. A lot of the cars seemed to be poorly maintained. You would also wonder if you had an accident with one of these Romanian registered cars and it was the other drivers fault, what your chance of claiming to repair your own car would be? Non existent I would guess.... Read more
I worked in Romania a few years ago and many of my colleagues would buy secondhand cars in Germany, ex-company Audis, BMWs and so on, at three years old and 100km on the clock. They were cheap to buy and still had a lot of life in them.
The people were professional engineers and could have afforded a new one, but they chose these cars as they could seel them on again in Romania after a few years with very little depreciation....
Just read in the Times that 8 million vehicles are kept for an average of 13 years by their owners and potentially causing a threat to other drivers due to age, poor maintenance and what have you.
Apparently the average time an owner keeps a vehicle is 8 years. I believe the report emerged from a well known large motorists retail chain that we’ve all for sure visited over the years for car wax, oil, wipers , car radios etc.
Surely a car will easily last 13 years if it is properly looked after with services,MOTs, etc?….
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OK, if we are having another "my obvious point is more obvious than your obvious point" competition...
Veteran cars in the London Brighton run built before 1905 DO prove that all cars if properly maintained will run for 117 years or more....
Hi. I am buying a new car and ordered it some months ago when the APR on the Personal Contract Plan (PCP) finance package was 4.9%. That was locked in and will be the rate I pay for the next 3 years if I go ahead with the finance option when the car arrives in a few weeks after the long delivery lead time. Obviously 4.9% is less than the rate of.inflation is at the moment and for the foreseeable future. My alternative is paying cash and buying the car outright when it arrives. With inflation reducing the real value of payments is it a no brainer that I should borrow at 4.9% because inflation will reduce the real value of payments, which are set out at the outset, more than if I paid interest at 4.9% over and above the cash price? Read more
If you have got the money in savings and are earning more than 4.9% which is highly unlikely then keep the finance.
If you don't have the cash and expect your income to rise by more than 4.9% for the term of the loan then keep the finance
Just read that most EVs come with a level 1 charger which for someone with a 40 mile or less need is fine....takes some time to charge though. If you want faster a level 2 type is needed but seems costly to set up or you can visit a commercial fast charger which is much quicker but will obviously cost to use. Anyone have reliable information on this? Read more
I had a conversation with a colleague yesterday who told me he once worked with someone who drove with no shoes on because the discomfort kept him alert...
IIRC, my brother-in-law did this about 50 years ago, not because of any discomfort, but because he thought it made his throttle-foot more sensitive, thereby helping his fuel consumption. Disbelievers used to suggest that combustible vapours might have helped ....
Hi all,
Need some advice. We are looking at buying a 2012 Skoda Roomster 1.2 TSI. It has 107k miles on the clock and has a full service history.... Read more
Our 2014 Roomie is a 1.2TSI 105 with DSG, so asking for it really.
It's been no bother, although it only has 35,000 miles on.
I wouldn't buy a second hand DSG. Too easy to abuse by holding on the accelerator, which a lot of auto drivers do habitually.
It's surprisingly agile and does 40mpg on average. It will do that even on short journeys as it warms up very quickly.
So I'm looking to get a car - budget around £8k, I'm basically looking for the smoothest ride possible because I've got a head nerve problem. Are there any smallish/medium size cars models that have decent suspension?
I'm in love with the old MK1 Ford fiestas and VW Golfs but I'm not sure they'll be that smooth, is modding the suspension an option in these cars at all?
Any input to either question is incredibly welcome,
Ellie Read more
I can confirm both Skidpan's and BBD's observations by virtue of my own (old) 2005 build Mazda3 originally having 205/55 R16s fitted and changing the tyres and alloy wheels 4 years ago (due to replace the tyres anyway + corrosion/leakage issues with the then 12yo alloys) to 15in with 195/65 R15 tyres fitted.
I already knew that the ride was a good deal softer (but seemingly without noticeable penalty on handling) because a former workplace pool car was the same model but a lower-spec TS to my TS2 fitted with the same 15in tyres mine now has....
A new series of Bangers and Cash! Started last night on Yesterday and will no doubt be repeated endlessly. Slightly different format in that more cars were featured in the episode. And Derek celebrates his 70th birthday.
I love that, they way they turn the cars around is miraculious. A friend of mine wanted to do it, and I pointed out to him,it takes months sometimes years, you have to have the time, expertise, the space and the money. Not just for the car itself but the specialist tools you need that can only be bought by trade. I saw a program once and the guy said that 1 piece of equipment cost him £50k, and was not available to the public.
I recently got caught out by a nice little earner run by one of the leading car hire firms. I knew in advance that the standard limited mileage might not be quite enough to cover my three days' hire, but it was likely to be roughly the same as paying the extra for a flat rate. So far so good.
I also knew that amongst the hundreds of add-ons, there would be a "Premium Location Fee" for the privilege of picking up the car from an airport, rather than miles away in a muddy field, and with the home comforts of a freezing Portakabin to sign all the forms in.... Read more
Thanks. Curiosity quelled!
It's too late to edit now, so I'll leave it!
Hi, I'd really appreciate any advice on the following situation...
I'm looking at a (petrol) 2013 Mazda 2 with 95,000 on the clock, £3000 which I will really struggle to find (mostly borrow) but my own 2004 Mazda 2 is now taking more money than is sensible to spend on it at its age. The new car has not been MOTd since July 2021 - it seems to have been traded in and then bought from the dealer by the independent garage I am now thinking of buying it from, so their guess is it's been 'in trade' meanwhile. ... Read more
For 3000 you would be much better looking for a private seller who is not factoring in a profit. That car would have been bought from an auction for a lot less. Also you should also consider other similar size cars such as the Toyota Yaris which also has a very good reputation.
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Quite right on the Mazda re: its suspension 'issue' - I've had similar advisories over my Mazda3's 16+ years of ownership as it aged, due to wear and tear. It then gets repaired as necessary, depending upon the severity of the fault / likelihood it getting worse quickly (I don't do high mileage), though normally before the next MOT, and mostly within a month or two of the original one.
Common issues on most cars really as they age. Certainly not expensive. The best way to avoid such bills is to avoid potholes and speedhumps where practical and safe and where not, to drive smoothly and as slowly as practicable over them....