Old or New

[Stormy]

When buying a car is it better to get something new or something second hand?

I may well need to buy my first car in the next few months dependant on getting a job or not but having never had to buy cars before not sure what the best thing to do is.

All I really care about is the car being cheap to run, diesel I would imagen being far cheaper in the long run. (would be around 100miles a day). It would also need to be something comfortable and cheap to insure.

Right now at the top of the list is a new ford fiesta zetec 1.4 diesel which is around £13,500 or around £140 a month on finance. Finance is prob the best option for me. I dont want to pay out a large lump sum.

The new VW polo looks pretty good too, a bit more expensive but nice german quality right there.

 

[<RJMC>]

get a horse

 

[Vegeta897]

Used cars are always a better choice.

 

[Yorick]

Cars are always, always a gamble. I bought my first car used for about $1600, dumped over $1000 into it in the first year of having it, then said "**** it" and sold the thing to my uncle - who has had literally no problems with it since. And that was like 6 years ago. You just never know.

For your first car, I would say that you should definitely NOT get something new. Since you're (presumably) a first time driver, I don't think you'll be able to find much that's cheap to insure, though that is in part based on where you live.

 

[Maestro]

If you want cheap, used VW diesels are probably the best choice. They get crazy mileage and they're cheap.

 

[Stormy]

I am a first time driver but passed my test when I was 18. But I'm 26 now and have not driven since passing my test. Again I dont really know how they calculate insurance costs but Thought perhaps being older would help bring the price down some what.

also If i do buy second hand it wont be an old car. I dont want to have to fork out for things going wrong with it weeks after buying!

 

[Krynn72]

Bang-for-Buck is best when buying used. Some cars drastically lose value just from being driven out of the dealer's lot. If you dont plan on selling it to upgrade in the not-to-distant future, it probably wont matter for you as much if you buy new and have it lose value in that fashion, since you wont be selling it, but you'd still be paying a premium for buying new. Find a car model that you like which has been around for awhile. Don't buy a car that is a new or newish line, as they can have lots of problems, while long-running lines have had time to work out all the kinks of the original design.

 

[Raziaar]

Your biggest problem will be a loan.

 

[Stormy]

I dont think I would need any kind of bank loan. A finace option from the car dealer would be the first port of call paying back a monthly flat fee which was around £150 a month for the fiesta (new) and that was with putting down an initial £4,000 deposit.

The contract role would be paying pretty well as well and will easily cover any re-payments along with them paying money towards the travel at 42p a mile for 10k miles then 22p after that. I'm hoping these payments would help towards the car as fuel has to be cheaper then 42p a mile right?!

Well interview is tomorrow afternoon so this thread may well be a massive waste of time! Hoping for the best

 

[FrostedxB]

If you should go used, just be careful with HOW used it is. I've owned 3 used cars so far, all relatively new (2005,2007,2008 respectively) with the 2005 having the least amount of miles and only one owner. However that owner had a dog and used it as a work truck so the interior was pretty shot. Plus there was one incident where the car fell off a jack because the jack point had been warped (dunno how that happens). Make sure you take whatever you settle on for a test drive too, my father had interest in a Mazda van up until they tried to pull it out of the lot and the steering didn't work, resulting in the car only moving straight.

Basically inspect the car choices carefully and take it for a test drive (that van was brand new, embarrassing for that dealer).

 

[Bad^Hat]

Red one.

 

[Raziaar]

I dont think I would need any kind of bank loan. A finace option from the car dealer would be the first port of call paying back a monthly flat fee which was around £150 a month for the fiesta (new) and that was with putting down an initial £4,000 deposit.

The contract role would be paying pretty well as well and will easily cover any re-payments along with them paying money towards the travel at 42p a mile for 10k miles then 22p after that. I'm hoping these payments would help towards the car as fuel has to be cheaper then 42p a mile right?!

Well interview is tomorrow afternoon so this thread may well be a massive waste of time! Hoping for the best

Will they even let you lease? My brother was unable to lease a car because he had no credit history.

 

[Stormy]

To be honest before I go and talk to anyone about it I really don't know how the system works. Weather you buy it with a loan from them which you pay back or if you are in fact leasing the car and paying it off. Really dont know.

 

[Raziaar]

Also keep in mind I'm in the United States, whereas you're not. Could have some impact.

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

Buy used pay full in cash. Don't get hustled for a dealer warranty, aftermarket warranties are cheaper if you feel you need one.

To be honest before I go and talk to anyone about it I really don't know how the system works. Weather you buy it with a loan from them which you pay back or if you are in fact leasing the car and paying it off. Really dont know.

If you're leasing the car there's mileage limits and it's not 'yours.' It's 'yours' as much as a leased apartment is yours. If you take a loan to buy the car, the car is yours, but the loan is backed by your car as collateral. So if you don't pay a loan, expect the lender/bank to send the repo man to take the car and they will auction it per your contract to recover the money, since you put the car up as collateral. Keep in mind it's hard to get a loan for a car over 6 years old or in bad shape/mileage. Also hard if you have no or terrible credit (well you still can, but expect a high interest rate)

 

[Stormy]

Sounds like the interview went pretty well and had the agent fellow on the phone around 30mins after the interview saying they where interested they needed to know my avalibility + wage expectations etc..

So this car thing is becoming more of a possiblity. You do seem to get a lot for your money when it comes to second hand, particulay ones that are only a year or so old and even with low mileage. I've also just looked at the train costs and it's going to be £535.70 a month. Pretty damn steep. Car is going to be a lot cheaper then that to run?!

 

[Raziaar]

Make sure you never let the seller on to the fact that you need the car. That's when they start to play games.

 

[Maestro]

Sounds like the interview went pretty well and had the agent fellow on the phone around 30mins after the interview saying they where interested they needed to know my avalibility + wage expectations etc..

So this car thing is becoming more of a possiblity. You do seem to get a lot for your money when it comes to second hand, particulay ones that are only a year or so old and even with low mileage. I've also just looked at the train costs and it's going to be £535.70 a month. Pretty damn steep. Car is going to be a lot cheaper then that to run?!

Not to mention the independence of having an auto. But seriously listen to Raz, do not tell the dealer anything about you needing this car. They are trained to ask you personal questions that reveal information about you so they can sell you on more shit and higher prices. They are not your friends, they are salesmen bent on making a commission. No matter how friendly they are, they are used-car salesmen first and foremost.

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

Sounds like the interview went pretty well and had the agent fellow on the phone around 30mins after the interview saying they where interested they needed to know my avalibility + wage expectations etc..

So this car thing is becoming more of a possiblity. You do seem to get a lot for your money when it comes to second hand, particulay ones that are only a year or so old and even with low mileage. I've also just looked at the train costs and it's going to be £535.70 a month. Pretty damn steep. Car is going to be a lot cheaper then that to run?!

The first 10,000 miles are the most expensive.

If this is your first car why don't you buy from a private seller on craigslist or something? Get your feet wet before you commit to a loan on what could be a lemon. I highly suggest that you pay this car off in full. Don't become a debt slave like the rest of us.

Also in your monthly calculations make sure to include maintenance (oil, filters, TIRES, fluids) as well as the cost of gas, and also the cost of INSURANCE. Get an insurance quote and check what you're actually getting covered for (not all plans include theft, etc)

 

[PvtRyan]

Lease car, bitches.

Also, I was surprised to see that diesel in the US is more expensive than gasoline.

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

Lease car, bitches.

Also, I was surprised to see that diesel in the US is more expensive than gasoline.

For a while in 2008 diesel was cheaper. But that was when gasoline prices spiked dramatically.

 

[Ren.182]

Second hand would definitely be the way to go I feel. I'd also agree that paying for the car in one go would be the best thing to do, but I feel the same way about everything, I don't like owing people anything

I'm currently in search of a car, looking for a 06 or newer Honda Civic.

How confident do you feel driving? Have you seriously not drove since you passed all of those years ago? Maybe it would be an idea to get a cheap car for now, just to get back into the swing of things. I know it's kinda like riding a bike, you never forget, but even after you pass your test you're still learning, especially in a different car as they all feel different to drive!

 

[Stormy]

Yea the last time I drove was 8-9 years ago! Its amazing how damn fast the time has shot by! Of course before I get anywhere near a car, having not driven for that length of time, I'll be booking in a good few hours of refresher lessons and my dad said he is happy to come out with he for ages too just to get back into the swing of things.

My local road full of car garages is open on saturday and sunday so will head down there and have a chat with them. If i can get a new car super cheap then maybe I'll do that. If not a used car thats not old. With them really pushing for car sales at the moment there might be some room for a good deal on something new.

 

[Raziaar]

Second hand would definitely be the way to go I feel. I'd also agree that paying for the car in one go would be the best thing to do, but I feel the same way about everything, I don't like owing people anything

I'm currently in search of a car, looking for a 06 or newer Honda Civic.

How confident do you feel driving? Have you seriously not drove since you passed all of those years ago? Maybe it would be an idea to get a cheap car for now, just to get back into the swing of things. I know it's kinda like riding a bike, you never forget, but even after you pass your test you're still learning, especially in a different car as they all feel different to drive!

The more people drive, the more they actually do forget how to drive. Not literally, but they become more complacent, they start slacking off on the laws. They speed more, they make careless maneuvers... they degrade their driving abilities.

I intend to prevent that from happening for myself. I make everything a habit, a ritual... like checking checking both directions before passing an intersection, etc. Can't tell you how many people blow through an intersection just assuming it's going to be safe... staring straight ahead.

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

The more people drive, the more they actually do forget how to drive. Not literally, but they become more complacent, they start slacking off on the laws. They speed more, they make careless maneuvers... they degrade their driving abilities.

I intend to prevent that from happening for myself. I make everything a habit, a ritual... like checking checking both directions before passing an intersection, etc. Can't tell you how many people blow through an intersection just assuming it's going to be safe... staring straight ahead.

It's not your driving that's gonna make you get into a huge wreck it's someone ramming into you while you're briefly in their blindspot, they blow through that intersection etc.

 

[Raziaar]

It's not your driving that's gonna make you get into a huge wreck it's someone ramming into you while you're briefly in their blindspot, they blow through that intersection etc.

You didn't even read my post!

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

Yeah I did you said you're a safe driver and you see people do stupid things all the time. No matter how safe you are you can't stop their idiocy from killing you is what I said. Wasnt trying to dispute what you said just adding to it.

 

[Ren.182]

The more people drive, the more they actually do forget how to drive. Not literally, but they become more complacent, they start slacking off on the laws. They speed more, they make careless maneuvers... they degrade their driving abilities.

I intend to prevent that from happening for myself. I make everything a habit, a ritual... like checking checking both directions before passing an intersection, etc. Can't tell you how many people blow through an intersection just assuming it's going to be safe... staring straight ahead.

That is true. But having not drove for 8-9 years he's going to be a little rusty!

I'd say I'm a pretty safe driver. I never speed, I always check my mirrors and blind spots and I always indicate when turning off etc. I also see a LOT of stupid people on the road! The amount of people that pull out in front of buses that I'm on is crazy. The bus had to make two or three emergency stops the other day. It's time like that I wish I was a cop in a cop car so I could just switch on my lights, pull them over and just say to them "What the f*** are you doing?"

 

[Maestro]

Yeah I did you said you're a safe driver and you see people do stupid things all the time. No matter how safe you are you can't stop their idiocy from killing you is what I said. Wasnt trying to dispute what you said just adding to it.

The biggest threat to the average driver is other drivers. The two crashes I've been in were other peoples' fault: one of them pulled into us on an off-ramp, the other one rear-ended me in traffic.

 

[Stormy]

Just bought this

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

Just bought this

what the hell car is that

 

[Krynn72]

Its a poorly parked car is what. GO BACK TO DRIVING SCHOOL BEFORE YOU GET SOMEONE KILLED!

 

[Ren.182]

Nice. How're you finding it after such a long break from driving?

I got this:

Loving every minute in it.

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

whats with the tiny cars?

 

[DEATHMASTER]

How else do you get good mpg? Mobile coffinity!

 

[Stormy]

I can't pick it up until saturday! Ehg. I've booked 4 hours of "refresher" lessons for tomorrow with some motorway time included. Then, well we find out on saturday how well ive picked it up again!

Its a ford fiesta

 

[Ren.182]

whats with the tiny cars?

I have no need for a huge 4x4.

Besides my car is quite specious for its size, the backs seats fold down if I ever need to transport anything. They even fold up so you can walk straight through the back of the car if you wished.

Good luck with the refresher lessons, Stormy!

 

[Dynasty]

People in Europe favour small cars. Here are the 4 most popular cars bought in the UK today:







And the number 1 car in the UK right now:



I have one rule with cars: As long as there is nothing wrong with the car, ALWAYS buy used.

Dont fall for an of that salesman crap.

Simple fact is that is the money you save by buying a used car, is MORE than the money you'd LOSE buying a new car. One word; DEPRECIATION. Take the new 2011 Ford Focus here in the uk. Yours new and shiny for about 15 grand (my pound sign is bust on my keyboard). But oh wait. You can get the 2011 Ford Focus with 15k miles on it for, lets see, 9.5 grand FROM A DEALER (so its safe to say they are completely overcharging and you can save a grand or more going private). Thats a loss of about 5 grand IN LESS THAN A YEAR. When you can get the 2010 Ford Focus with less than 60k on the clock for around 7 grand, a year older.

Buying new is just illogical.

In the UK, you lose literally THOUSANDS of pounds the second you drive away in that new car. The only reason I personally would buy a new car is if I win the lottery, or when the MPG pushes 100 as standard, and fuel prices are like 'zomgwtf'. So...never, lets face it.

I've got a 2004 Mazda 3. She runs sweet. Yeah a few problems here and there. She's still solid and her MPG rarely fluctuates. Yeah its not great, 39MPG back and forth from work each day, I'd prefer 50+MPG but I can still sell her for 3 grand if I wanted and get a not-married-man's-car like a Citroen C2 and get 50+ MPG.

My brother-in-law just got the new Scoda Octavia pimped out with all the bells and whistles. How? Bought for him by the company he works for. It gets 80+MPG.

Who cares about MPG? Err, the rest of the world does when you're paying ***king $8-10 a gallon. You think it's tough in the US? HAH!