Can anyone wise offer advice on buying a used car??

[rolvus]

I'm losing the will to live whilst trying to choose a used car. I'm indecisive at the best of times, but this is the biggest purchase of my life besides my house. It felt easier buying a house, as whatever house we bought we knew would increase in value due to the area we bought in.

This car will take up most of my savings & be part loan. I can't afford for it to then be in the garage all the time. I will be putting money aside each month into a maintenance fund though, obviously.

I'd like it to last me 15 years and to be run into the ground.

Small-medium size, with a big enough boot for a few small suitcases. And able to fit 3 tweens/teens in the back.

Reliable, reliable, reliable.

I thought best to buy 3-5 years old at around £8-11k...is it better to spend more (i.e 11k to have a newer car with full service history? Or £8k and be £3k better off to be able to better afford maintenance?)

Models I've considered so far:
Renault Captur
Hyundai i30
Toyota Yaris
Hyundai Kona - people have reported an engine problem in the circa 2018 model

Any help GREATLY appreciated!

I just need something that runs without hassle or expense that'll last and last. What's my best bet?

Or do I forget this idea and lease? But I really loved the idea of having no car payments after my initial loan is paid off.

Toyota make many cars, the Avensis (the one we had) was rated 89th in an autoexpress survey, running costs consider very high, in the same survey, 38th for reliability.

Wasn’t a diesel with a DPF was it? I know they were an issue. You’ll always get lemons from any manufacturer, you’ll even get JLR cars that have been completely trouble free. The joy of reliability surveys/indices is that we can see patterns in millions of cars over the years and those patterns are quite consistent, you can predict from year to year which brands will come near the top and which will be languishing at the bottom.

Whatever you buy make sure it's got a full service history. Have a look at Which? and other car review sites for how they rate the car - most cars are reviewed when new and the info is still available on-line. If it was shite when new, it's going to be even worse now. And narrow it down. Be really specific on what you need the car to do - approx yearly mileage, fuel consumption, space in the boot, if you travel with a dog, etc etc.

It is hard because it is a large investment to make, and you can't just write it off if it turns out to be a turkey because the money is too much.

Petrol engines are cheaper than diesel generally. They are less prone to go wrong, less complicated and less expensive to fix. Also diesel you do not want to be doing lots of short runs in, because it wrecks the DPF. Diesel is more fuel efficient, but not really much more. So only worth it if you are doing huge mileage, or are buying something horrendous like a huge engined SUV.

You can buy a car that is cheap to repair, like say a Ford. I have a Ford and the parts are as cheap as chips. Get a popular model like a Fiesta or a Focus, there will always be a market for parts and every mechanic knows how to repair them. They are also relatively simple cars to repair.

You can get a car that is more expensive to repair, but very reliable. Say a Honda.

What you don't want is something that is expensive to repair, complex and unreliable. IME most German cars fall into this catagory. To be avoided if you want cheap motoring.

Don't buy cars that are needlessly complex if you want cheap motoring. Automatics are hugely expensive to repair if the gearbox fails. SUVs have massive beefed up suspension that not only is unnecessary but expensive to fix. Look at how much the tyres cost.

Don't buy the first model/design of a type. Mark 2 or Mark 3s are generally better because they fix the design flaws that are not known in the first version.

Don't listen to anecdotes on reliability. Everyone has them, the Honda that turned out to be crap, the Range Rover that lasted forever. Go by the statistics on the websites for reliability, not any one persons opinion.

Think about the Euro cat you are buying. Because they will upgrade the emissions zones in the future to ban later Euro cats.

Reliability survey Here
yaris would be good, or slightly bigger auris.
I would suggest not diesel as the penalties and restrictions may increase.

Forgot to add, I asked my mechanic last year which cars he hardly ever sees in for repairs and he said the Yaris and Hondas.

Wonderful advice, thank you!

Yes, 11k more realistic!

I have a 12 year old Hyundai i10. Had it since new. Can't bear to part with it.

Japanese, so Toyota, but you'll struggle sizewise with a Yaris.
Honest John often reviews cars and will identify commonly occuring issues. It's also worth checking if there have been any recalls and make sure they have been done on the car you buy.

This really isn't true.

I'm going to say avoid the i30 like the plague! I've had them twice as hire cars, driving back from Liverpool to Newcastle and Cardiff to Newcastle. They're awful to drive and extremely bad on fuel.

Honest John is a great website to do your research down your the exact model.

Personally if you're looking for that longevity I'd go Diesel.

I have a now 9 year old ford focus 1.5 tdci with 160000 miles on the clock, all of which I've driven. This is a fabulous car. Well maintained, which has so far paid me back in kind. I love this car. Great size, powerful engine, outstanding mpg. Zero road tax pretty cheap to service and repair.

Make sure it has regular, ideally manufacturer garage servicing. Every year as a minimum, or 12,500 miles if does more per year.

Only get a diesel if you’re going to be doing long journeys. For mainly town driving, a petrol is recommended. Diesels need a good long run especially if they have a DPF ☺️ I’m a mechanic and most of the people we see with DPF issues are diesel owners who only use the car for things like school run and supermarket shops ☺️

Yaris has proven really reliable in this house ran a 2004 for 14 yrs then I gave it to my son when he passed his test he ran it for a couple of yrs then when I had a crash he loaned it back to me .He sold it for £450 2021 .it was like a family member had left we were all so sad .
I'm a large lady and no problems in the back .
Currently driving a yaris
We always service our cars and I do think that it's false economy not to

Have never regretted buying a toyota!

Toyota every time ,10 year warranty as long as you get it serviced

I have a Toyota and it is 35 years old and still running.

I think it is probably out of warranty though 😂