Recommendations on used cars! | Motoring discussion | Back Room Forum

Thu 22 Aug 2013 09:17

Recommendations on used cars! - thorney86

Hi there,

I'm considering getting rid of the Mk II Ford Focus (1.6 petrol, 2004). It's served me well but after 6 years it's time for a change. I've been looking on the standard car selling sites and nothing seems to be catching my eye. As I'm racking up 12-15k miles a year I was considering a diesel but reading reviews it seems that they're great but when something goes wrong, it goes wrong in a big (and expensive!!) way.

Most of the cars I've seen for sale in my price bracket (up to about £7-8k) seem to be at the 60k miles mark (for diesels anyway) so it makes me think that people are shopping them as they are coming up to needing lots of work doing. What sort of things should I be looking for in used diesels?

And could anyone recommend reliable, reasonably fuel efficient (or more efficient than my current focus) cars which have sensible servicing costs? Ideally after a car which isn't smaller than the focus!

Thanks in advance.

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Thu 22 Aug 2013 09:56

Recommendations on used cars! - Chris79

Seems to be a good case for a Hyundai i30 or a Kia ceed. 1.6 petrol. Long warranty same size as a focus. At 12-15k I can't see diesel making sense.

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Thu 22 Aug 2013 11:24

Recommendations on used cars! - Andrew-T

Seems to me that if you run scared of unexpected big repair bills, you should look for something over 5 years old which has been carefully maintained. Pressures in the car market have gradually made new cars cheap but more complex, so repairs get more expensive - makers get income from expensive parts, and buyers sell cars on before those parts become necessary, possibly skimping on servicing after the warranty expires.

Well maintained diesels should tolerate high mileage better than petrols, so if you don't mind not driving the latest model, that's what I would do. Each model will have its own Achilles heel, and this website will tell you what to be wary of.

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Thu 22 Aug 2013 12:06

Recommendations on used cars! - madf

If you want reliability and low repairs, Buy Honda, Toyota of Kia/Hyundai.

Anything else is significantly worse.

Despending on size , a Toyota Avensis takes some beating - 1.8 Valvematic petrol.

My experience of Toyota /Honda servicing is sub £200 a time.

Edited by madf on 22/08/2013 at 12:07

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Thu 22 Aug 2013 23:48

Recommendations on used cars! - coopshere

If you buy a secondhand car that is not covered by a genuine manufacturers warranty and a major item becomes defective then it will cost loads whether its a petrol or diesel.

You need to research the car you are interested in to know what it's likely faults will be. Almost everyone will tell you that their car is the best. Some cars are better than others but it all depends on what you want the car for and what you are expecting from it. If you want reliability buy a car that the manufacturer, not the dealer, gives a long warranty period, some give a five or seven year warranty. If you want piece of mind buy one of these with a full dealer service history and not one that only warrants its products for one or two years.

Of course any car can have problems but do your research first and you should not have too many disappointments.

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Sat 24 Aug 2013 14:50

Recommendations on used cars! - Bobbin Threadbare

OP, what do you need your car to do for you? I.e, carry kids, dogs, shopping, canoes, golf clubs, bikes, passengers, just for you....?

The world is your oyster with £7-8k and you currently have one of the nicest handling hatches (I used to have one) - I wouldn't want to go for something uninvolved and with a sloppy gearbox.

You'll probably find that mpg would be better than your current car from most newer vehicles - I get better mpg from a 5 year old sporty convertible than I got from other cars I have had, due to age (technological advances!)

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