Ford Fiesta / Hyundai - Buying used: Is 20k less miles worth £1k more? | Motoring discussion | Back Room Forum

Wed 22 Jan 2020 09:34

Ford Fiesta / Hyundai - Buying used: Is 20k less miles worth £1k more? - jonnyjjbean

Hi - we suddenly lost our car and find ourselves in a pickle trying to find a new one.
Usage is 40 miles a day, urban fairly windy roads 4 times per week.

Family of 4 so we need 5 doors and will be adding child seats, but this car is mainly used by 1 person to and from work.

Budget £5-6.5k

We have narrowed our search down to a Petrol Fiesta or i20 and any help would be great.

You seem to get an older Fiesta for the same money which makes the i20 more attractive, but I keep reading it's much better to drive around corners etc.

Where we are confused is there are many fiestas around 5k - 2013 - 60-70k miles and around £6k there doesn't seem to be much difference apart from maybe 1 year newer and 10-20k less miles. All seem to have 2-3 owners at that age and 3 months warranty from used garages.

With the i20 there are some that still have a hyundai warranty and under 30k miles - so on paper seems more for our money.

My fear with the fiesta is around the age were looking at, the cambelt etc are going to need doing - Haynes apparently recommend 65k but ford 150k or 10 years.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Wed 22 Jan 2020 09:55

Ford Fiesta / Hyundai - Buying used: Is 20k less miles worth £1k more? - galileo

Given the general reliability scores in surveys, I would take a Hyundai over a Ford, especially one with remaining manufacturer's warranty.( Check that all services were done on time at Hyundai dealers to ensure it is still valid).

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Wed 22 Jan 2020 11:14

Ford Fiesta / Hyundai - Buying used: Is 20k less miles worth £1k more? - Terry W

Just reflect on the fact that pretty much all normal cars will depreciate by around 20% pa - only exception is first year (30-40%) and after they are over 12-15 years old where condition is more important than age. So a £6k car after another year will be worth around £5k.

Also note that if the average car does around 12k pa that depreciation works out at around 10p per mile. Fairly normal!

So no real surprise on the price/mileage difference (unless I have misunderstood). Personally would go for the Hyundai for the benefit of the warranty but check it has the service history to support it.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Wed 22 Jan 2020 11:18

Ford Fiesta / Hyundai - Buying used: Is 20k less miles worth £1k more? - SLO76

The Fiesta is a nicer thing to drive and look at plus it’ll hold its money better but you’ve got to be picky about engines. The 1.0 Ecoboost has a poor reputation and is best avoided although dealers will tell you the opposite. The older Yamaha designed 1.25,1.4 and 1.6 petrols are great, with Japanese levels of reliability combined with Ford’s excellent driving dynamics. It’s a hard thing to beat.

That said, if reliability is your number one requirement then the newer Hyundai is a very sensible choice. They’re a bit bland but little goes wrong other than water leaks so check carefully for damp carpets and don’t listen to excuses such as “it’s just been valeted” as they’re likely lies. They’re hard to sell on once the warranty is up so drive a hard bargain, they won’t have a list of willing buyers waiting but the unfashionable often make for the best used buys if you intend on longtermbownership.

I’d also widen the search a bit by including the Mazda 2, Toyota Yaris and possibly the Suzuki Swift if it’s big enough for you. All are reliable and cheap to run and the Mazda and Swift are a joy to drive.

Let me know roughly where you are and I’ll shortlist a few local cars.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Wed 22 Jan 2020 11:36

Ford Fiesta / Hyundai - Buying used: Is 20k less miles worth £1k more? - daveyjp

i20 was one of our car mistakes. Admittedly it was the earlier model, but it was poor. Hyundai warranty may sound good on paper, but dealers can be slippery when you try and claim for repairs.

Agree that Yaris, Mazda and Suzuki’s shouldn’t be disregarded. They were our shortlist a couple of years ago and we opted for the Yaris.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Wed 22 Jan 2020 11:55

Ford Fiesta / Hyundai - Buying used: Is 20k less miles worth £1k more? - nellyjak

Another vote for the Yaris here....we have just bought our 4th consecutive Yaris...if you want reliability and a decent chance of holding value then, for me, they are hard to beat.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Wed 22 Jan 2020 11:59

Ford Fiesta / Hyundai - Buying used: Is 20k less miles worth £1k more? - jonnyjjbean

Thanks we are in Oxford though looking to buy online with delivery so location not critical.

We have had one offer from a local Hyundai dealer for a car that is coming on soon - still under manufacturer warranty until mid 2021 (16 plate) but 45k miles. Cost is 6.5k

Seems ok?

There are others which are 1 or 2 years older but with less miles, but these have 3 months versus 18 months warranty.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Wed 22 Jan 2020 13:32

Ford Fiesta / Hyundai - Buying used: Is 20k less miles worth £1k more? - SLO76

I’d favour any of these three first. As approved used examples they should all come with 6-12mths worth of warranty too. All are nicer to drive than the Hyundai and will hold their value much better (above av miles on the Hyundai won’t help) so although a few hundred quid dearer (before negotiation) they’ll ultimately be cheaper to own. You’ll smile from ear to ear driving the Fiesta or Mazda too while the Hyundai will just be transport.

I just found a great car on Auto Trader:

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20191022358...4

I just found a great car on Auto Trader:

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20190927266...8

I just found a great car on Auto Trader:

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20191204503...4

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Wed 22 Jan 2020 13:34

Ford Fiesta / Hyundai - Buying used: Is 20k less miles worth £1k more? - jonnyjjbean

Thanks, I like them all but our budget is £6500 absolute max :(

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Wed 22 Jan 2020 16:50

Ford Fiesta / Hyundai - Buying used: Is 20k less miles worth £1k more? - SLO76

Thanks, I like them all but our budget is £6500 absolute max :(

Is this from savings or are you basing this figure on a loan?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Wed 22 Jan 2020 13:33

Ford Fiesta / Hyundai - Buying used: Is 20k less miles worth £1k more? - jonnyjjbean

Tried to buy one at full asking price (£6500) but they wanted £240 quid to deliver 90 miles away, and won't budge.

Really hate buying cars!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Wed 22 Jan 2020 13:36

Ford Fiesta / Hyundai - Buying used: Is 20k less miles worth £1k more? - jonnyjjbean

I like the Mazda, we have a Mazda 6 already.

Does this look OK?

https://www.bristolstreet.co.uk/used-car/2337044/mazda-2-1.5-75-se-5dr-petrol-hatchback/

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Wed 22 Jan 2020 16:53

Ford Fiesta / Hyundai - Buying used: Is 20k less miles worth £1k more? - SLO76

I like the Mazda, we have a Mazda 6 already.

Does this look OK?

https://www.bristolstreet.co.uk/used-car/2337044/mazda-2-1.5-75-se-5dr-petrol-hatchback/

It does and it’s an approved used car too. But superminis drop hard with above average mileages up so much depends on your intended usage. If you’re doing a limited mileage then fine but if you’re doing 10k p/a plus then this will be reading almost 100k in 4yrs and will be worth very little. I’d rather spend a bit more to get a low mileage example but there’s no reason why it won’t be perfectly reliable. It’s a far far better car than a Hyundai i20. Why not try your luck with that 11,000 mile Mazda 2 I listed above at £6995? It’s barely run in. They’ll usually come down by £200-£300 but you don’t get if you don’t ask. Even if it was £6,700 with a years warranty it’s a great buy and worth finding £200 for.

Edited by SLO76 on 22/01/2020 at 16:59

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Wed 22 Jan 2020 14:02

Ford Fiesta / Hyundai - Buying used: Is 20k less miles worth £1k more? - catsdad

Buying online with delivery? Please do not buy a car unseen unless you have an absolute right to reject it and don't put down a deposit .Also should the car later need remedial work that the dealer is responsible for the cost of getting it back to them falls on you. Having a manufacturer warranty will largely offset that risk if there is a local franchise but not entirely. For example if you find a fault after delivery that is outside warranty (e,g, car not as advertised, poor previous repair, later detected accident damage) then your only recourse is the supplying dealer.

As for three month warranty that's a subject in its own right covered many times in this forum. They are essentially worthless unless backed by a manufacturer which a 3 month one won't be. Your legal protection under the Sale of Goods Act is six months. Its worth googling it or looking at HJ guidance in FAQ.

Best is to buy locally and manufacturer approved if you can afford the premium. Hopefully nothing will go wrong but it does it makes it a lot easier.

Edited by catsdad on 22/01/2020 at 14:04

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Wed 22 Jan 2020 14:41

Ford Fiesta / Hyundai - Buying used: Is 20k less miles worth £1k more? - sammy1

Best is to buy locally and manufacturer approved if you can afford the premium. Hopefully nothing will go wrong but it does it makes it a lot easier.

Best bit of advice so far!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Wed 22 Jan 2020 14:51

Ford Fiesta / Hyundai - Buying used: Is 20k less miles worth £1k more? - jonnyjjbean

The issue is, what's the good of looking in person if you have no idea what to look for :)

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Wed 22 Jan 2020 15:12

Ford Fiesta / Hyundai - Buying used: Is 20k less miles worth £1k more? - FiestaOwner

The issue is, what's the good of looking in person if you have no idea what to look for :)

Bodywork damage often doesn't show up on photographs, but can be very obvious when looking at it in daylight.

Very important to get a test drive to. Even if you don't know much about cars, you'll still feel if it drives ok and you can listen for any noises which sound wrong.

Trust your instinct, If something doesn't seem right then walk away. Don't fall for the salesman saying we can fix that. If they were going to fix it, it would have been fixed before it went on the forecourt.

You can also make sure that you can get a comfortable driving position. I've had a shot of a Dacia Sandero and I couldn't get the right driving position to lift my foot off the clutch easily (couldn't slide my foot to the left as the transmission tunnel was in the way). Others will have no problem with that, but I did! I wouldn't have found out without driving it.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Wed 22 Jan 2020 18:07

Ford Fiesta / Hyundai - Buying used: Is 20k less miles worth £1k more? - Andrew-T

<< If they were going to fix it, it would have been fixed before it went on the forecourt. >>

I'm not sure about that. I think cars are mostly given a good valet and then put on display. Unsuspecting buyers may well be sold on a smart (lower case) car and a short test drive. If no-one asks for anything to be fixed, why fix anything? Wait for a complaint to come in, and keep fingers crossed.

Unless perhaps it's an Approved Used, when it should have had a 100-point check, or whatever it may be called.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Wed 22 Jan 2020 18:38

Ford Fiesta / Hyundai - Buying used: Is 20k less miles worth £1k more? - FiestaOwner

<< If they were going to fix it, it would have been fixed before it went on the forecourt. >>

I'm not sure about that. I think cars are mostly given a good valet and then put on display. Unsuspecting buyers may well be sold on a smart (lower case) car and a short test drive. If no-one asks for anything to be fixed, why fix anything? Wait for a complaint to come in, and keep fingers crossed.

Unless perhaps it's an Approved Used, when it should have had a 100-point check, or whatever it may be called.

Andrew-T, Why have you taken my quote out of context??? You've changed the meaning of what I've said!

I actually said:

"Trust your instinct, If something doesn't seem right then walk away. Don't fall for the salesman saying we can fix that. If they were going to fix it, it would have been fixed before it went on the forecourt."

You said: "If no-one asks for anything to be fixed, why fix anything? Wait for a complaint to come in, and keep fingers crossed."

Which it makes it sound as if a dealer would rather get a complaint than fix a car. Which is quite similar to what I posted.

In any case your post isn't helpful to the OP, who is looking to buy a used car online without seeing or test driving it. I was explaining why he should see and test drive it.

Edited by FiestaOwner on 22/01/2020 at 18:46

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Wed 22 Jan 2020 18:47

Ford Fiesta / Hyundai - Buying used: Is 20k less miles worth £1k more? - Andrew-T

<< Andrew-T, Why have you taken my quote out of context??? You've changed the meaning of what I've said! >>

Sorry, I don't find your meaning comes across from your original post, I have to insert absent quotation marks. But we agree about what we are both trying to get across.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Wed 22 Jan 2020 15:30

Ford Fiesta / Hyundai - Buying used: Is 20k less miles worth £1k more? - FiestaOwner

Have previously owned a 2012 1.25 (82 PS) Fiesta, a 2018 Hyundai i20 1.2 (84 PS) and a 2019 1.5 Toyota Yaris.

The Fiesta was fault free for the 6 years I owned it. It drives and handles the best of these 3 cars. The i20 and the Yaris wandered about the road, Fiesta went where you pointed it.

Fiesta and i20 are both very spacious for this class of car. Both it terms of rear legroom and boot space. Road testers often criticise the Fiesta for being cramped in the back, I certainly didn't find that.

Sure the Timing belt interval is 8 years (100,000 miles) for the 1.25 Fiesta (Used to be higher, but Ford revised the figure downwards).

Hyundai had the clutch replaced TWICE in the 10 months I owned it (known problem and dealer fitted modified clutch kits, but still suffered from a horrendous judder). Got rid as the 5 year warranty means nothing if the dealers can't fix the thing!

Yaris engine would die when pulling away, leading to a Kangaroo start! Also had a poor gear change from 1st to 2nd.

I know Hyundai's and Toyota's are highly regarded in this forum, but my experience is different.

So, of these 3, I would go for the 1.25 Fiesta, if you can find a good one.

Edited by FiestaOwner on 22/01/2020 at 16:20

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Wed 22 Jan 2020 16:21

Ford Fiesta / Hyundai - Buying used: Is 20k less miles worth £1k more? - catsdad

Jonny don't do yourself down, you would be surprised how much you will get from looking at a car in the metal. You don't need much mechanical knowledge.

For example take a tyre gauge and check the treads and makes. Having to shell out say £300 for four tyres on a 6k car you have just bought is the same as paying 5% more.

Physically check the service book and make sure its complete. Receipts are good too as books can be faked. Dealers are very economical with the truth over the phone and use terms like "service history present" or "x" stamps.. There is no substitute for going through the history and checking it lines up. It may not be perfect at this age but you can negotiate the price if its not too bad. Or walk away if its not acceptable.

As said above you can check the bodywork too. I advertised our old Corsa last week and the faded wing and hit and run dent were not really visible in the pictures. I listed these in the description because I have a conscience. But would a dealer?

These are not rare cars so you needn't look far from home. Do not buy unseen, you will avoid a lot of potential issues by seeing the car you buy before you do the deal. You know more than you think.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Ask Honest John

Sell Your Car

Real MPG

Fuel Calculator