Honda Civic - Quick questions re Motorpoint

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Fri 9 May 2014 11:10
Honda Civic - Quick questions re Motorpoint - Stearman

Hi

I'm a bit out the loop buying new cars.

I fancy a newish Honda Civic 1.8 but the dealers seem quite expensive.

Motorpoint have a good selection of SE and ES models c 13 reg with 10-14k on the clock. Would I be right in thinking these are probably ex rentals ? That would seem a good to me, are motorpoint generally well regarded and would this seem a low risk venture wrt this model and their probable origin ?

Cheers

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Fri 9 May 2014 12:31
Honda Civic - Quick questions re Motorpoint - catsdad
I think it's likely they are ex rental but that wouldn't put me off. Note service is yearly or 12500 miles so factor that in the price if they are due. I was looking for a Civic last year and considered MP but they are not local to me and at that time had very few cars. In the end I bought an ex-Honda employee car from the local main dealer. I guess it cost me an extra 500 or so but I was able to buy 4 years Honda servicing at 500 odd quid which sweetened the deal. I love the car but have had a few minor issues (seat belt warnings, stop start being erratic, magic seat not locking in place , and paint problems on the bonnet from the original transit delivery film protection ). All these issues were resolved and of course Honda warranty would cover wherever you bought the car but I liked the security of having no quibble resolution by having bought from a main dealer. Finally as to your main query my dealer told me that some dealers sell ex-rental too as Honda Approved cars. Good luck and hope you enjoy as much as I do.
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Fri 9 May 2014 12:39
Honda Civic - Quick questions re Motorpoint - RobJP

Ask - as clear as day, and whether main agent or car supermarket : Is this car an ex-rental car / ex-fleet car ? If they say no, then write up a form which asks that question, and get the reply signed to that extent by the sales manager. It is now an offence for a dealer to misrepresent a car in such a way.

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Fri 9 May 2014 23:34
Honda Civic - Quick questions re Motorpoint - Ian_SW

Pretty much every secondhand car with 12-14k on the clock will be an ex hire car. That's not necessarily a bad thing.

The majority of hire car use is occasional company drivers (who don't have a permanent company car) doing a long motorway run. Yes, a few cars get abused or damaged when driven by incompetent tourists, but it's usually possible to spot these ones with a good look over the car. Damaged interior trim, scratches around the door handle or an awkward feeling gearbox are good examples. Also have a good look underneath the car to check it's not been grounded or taken off road. The hire car companies tend to keep the better spec / nicer cars for the regular customers they know will look after the car, so it's less of a risk buying say a BMW 3 series with this mileage than it is a Chevrolet Cruze. I'd put the Civic in the "better than average" category for a hire car so you're probably ok with that.

I'd far rather buy an ex hire car with this mileage than one which has been privately owned. There aren't many good reasons why a private owner would take a huge hit on depreciation by trading in a car which is a year or so old. True, they may have run out of money, been given a company car etc, but it's more likely that there is some intermittent problem with the car which the dealer can't find/fix.

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Sat 10 May 2014 20:22
Honda Civic - Quick questions re Motorpoint - daveyK_UK

BTW,

Refuse to pay the motor point admin fee, they will waive it your serious about the threat to walk away.

Be prepared to walk away when dealing with motor point, some of their staff do have a strange idea that the customer needs the car more than they need a sale.

Motor point like cargiant use to be competitive on price, but know I find their prices to be only slightly better than dealer. Dealers generally will negotiate, motor points negotiations are a long slog but you can beat them provided ur happy to walk if they won't budge.

Edited by daveyK_UK on 10/05/2014 at 20:25

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Sat 10 May 2014 20:59
Honda Civic - Quick questions re Motorpoint - gordonbennet

Yes i would buy an ex renter at the right price, but not a Diesel, chances of misfuelling too high for me, fragile enough anyway without someone running unleaded through the system.

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Sun 11 May 2014 10:18
Honda Civic - Quick questions re Motorpoint - catsdad
Re misfuel risk it is a valid concern for many cars but the laest Civic in fact has a prevention system to avoid this.
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Sun 11 May 2014 10:52
Honda Civic - Quick questions re Motorpoint - oldroverboy.

Yes i would buy an ex renter at the right price, but not a Diesel.

I have had no problems with buying any ex-rental car in the past at up to a year old. If it has a dealer service stamp and manufactueres warranty, absolutely fine.

If buying from a non franchised dealer negotiate for the car to be serviced by a main dealer or get an appropriate contribution towards it and get is done within a month of purchase.

Most of my cars have been bought via main dealers since retirement, always being at the right price for me, and not afraid to travel.

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