Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to want a brand new car?

82 replies

ValiantMouse · 07/11/2015 18:16

I've always driven older, used cars. Current car is 13 years old and is coming up on 80k miles. It's not running well and there's a chance that the repair could cost up to £1000.

I want a new car. I want something that I don't have to worry about, that doesn't suck down a gallon of oil every month. Something that I can go where I want in, when I want. (To be fair, my current car is very reliable.)

I'm not on a great wage- just under £7 an hour. The car I've been looking at is around £14k. It would be about £150 a month- I could afford that. I just feel guilty because I'm used to watching every penny I spend. AIBU?

OP posts:
SixtyFootDoll · 07/11/2015 21:31

YANBU if you can afford it.
I just bought myself a brand new Suzuki vitara.
I love it and I know it's frivolous but I work hard and it doesn't hurt anyone!

WMittens · 07/11/2015 21:36

Car is a 14 plate top of the range estate.

Ford Focus, 2007 (57 reg) Estate 48,032 miles, Manual 1.6L Petrol, £5K on AT right now - knock a couple of hundred off the asking price with a bit of negotiation.

For £13k (before haggling) you can get a Merc E250 CDI with 61k on the clock and air suspension.

Seriously, on minimum wage there are better ways of spending £14k (and I say that as a car nut).

MrBennOfFestivalRoad · 07/11/2015 21:38

You can save a lot of money if you buy new but get a model that is abour to be discontinued, we did this with both of our cars. The other advantage is that any problems with the model have already been ironed out if it's been around for a couple of years.

nannyl · 07/11/2015 21:50

I got a brand new S Max about 2 1/2 years ago (cant wait to get rid of it at 3 years)

So far it has done 13000 miles ish and spent over 11 weeks in the garage

earlier this year it was in for one month (went in for 1 hour)

Honestly this brand new car has cause me far more problems than all of my old cars in over 15 years of driving put together

I have had the AA out 4 times, including at 9pm at night with a 16 day old baby with me.

A simplified short list of issues we have had (ie 1 sentance to describe a problem) is more than an A4 sheet long!

I am so well known by the garage i can call and say "hi its me" OR if its not been for more than a few weeks i say "Hi its me with the nightmare S Max" and they know who i am from that!!!!

New cars are not always trouble free!

I have driven almost the whole fleet of my garages courtesy cars (and have 1 particular car 3 times so far!!!!!)
The manager has also been to pay our car a home visit twice, and also senior technician has been to our house. (because it was only faulty ON our drive!!!) My car has also spent 2 nights (a year apart) with the manager at his house!!!

Hulababy · 07/11/2015 21:55

If you want one and can afford one - then go for it; it's fine to want one and it's fine to get one.

Fwiw I always get brand new cars, as does Dh. I love going to choose my new car, and it coming all lovely and sparkling and new.

I've had second hand cars in the past. It wasn't the same; I didn't get the same buzz.

For me, a brand new car feels more special.

Oliversmumsarmy · 07/11/2015 22:09

The only time we bought a new car it broke down before we had driven it off the forecourt. We have had new company cars in the past and have had gear boxes. exhausts and cylinder heads go. Friend bought a brand new car a couple of years ago. It would bunny hop down the road at random intervals. It spent more time in the garage than the old banger they had traded in had ever done. They eventually sold it back to the garage and bought another old banger.

Not all new cars are maintenance free.

I am really cheap. The car I am driving cost £920 off Ebay in 2007. I viewed it before and had a test drive. It passed its MOT in August with not a hitch. Currently it has done about 150000 miles, friend has the exact same car and hers has done 257000 and is now just about showing its age.

safestdriverever · 07/11/2015 22:11

Yabu.

Its a total waste of money. Maybe if you had oayed of your mortgage , had a pension saved up and money to burn then and only then go for it.

Boomingmarvellous · 07/11/2015 22:14

I bought myself a brand new small car. I went in intending to look for a 1 year old car and walked out having ordered the new one! So be warned.

I love my little car. Its paid of now and was relatively painless as I was in a well paid job at the time BUT I would not do it again as they shove on some horrendous extra costs (stopped counting at £13 K) and I know a low mileage one year old car would have been a better (and much cheaper) buy.

Just driving out the forecourt for the first time drops £1000 off the value.

Boomingmarvellous · 07/11/2015 22:17

My new car has been maintenance free so far, but the rear door is now stuck shut but its 5 years old now. It has been a huge relief to sail through the MOT each time after years of duff old cars.

Original poster
ValiantMouse · 07/11/2015 22:17

Well actually my mortgage is paid off, so no worries there. I'm also sorted on the pension front. I don't really have any debt apart from a hundred quid on a credit card that will be paid off before the month ends.

I've decided that I'm going to pass on this car, but keep looking for something new (as in less than three years old). Thanks everyone. :)

OP posts:
AnotherDame · 07/11/2015 22:18

OP this might be a daft question but are you eligible for motability?

safestdriverever · 07/11/2015 22:19

Well girl, maybe you should get it if you really want it then.

Ive always had ones 5 years old for a grand, never cost much more than service and mot and I get rid when they do start to cost.

HarrietSchulenberg · 07/11/2015 22:24

Is your finance arranged by the dealership? If so you could find yourself with a large bill at the end of the agreed loan period - check the small print very carefully.

For a comparison, my wages sound quite similar to yours and I've just borrowed £6k over 3 years for £185 per month. That's just bought me an immaculate 07 plate very popular MPV (not SMax ;-) ) . Obviously loan rates offered vary according to circumstances but I found mine through MoneySupermarket and the car through Autotrader.
I also spent an extra £200 on an extended warranty that covers most repairs other than general wear and tear (tyres etc) for peace of mind.
If you really do want new, ex-demonstrators are the way to go, as others have said.

Redglitter · 07/11/2015 22:28

Go for pre registered. I bought a pre registered car last year. Saved around £6k on the new price. It arrived with 9 mlies on the clock.

PiperIsTerrysChoclateOrange · 07/11/2015 22:30

As your mortgage is paid off, I think £150 a month is easy affordable. That more than rent per week in most areas.

tanukiton · 07/11/2015 22:33

If you want one and can afford one, then go for it. i second this! I don't want or need brand new cars not my thing. If it is something you fancy then go for it. My husband bought a brand new car last month and keeps asking if i want to drive it. Nope, don't want the responsibility thank you. I am happy to be driven and use my car which is a slight shabby wreck (my fault ).

I will say the new hybrids are great. He has only put in one tank of petrol since the start of October, and has only used 10 percent of the fuel even though he drives to work everyday.

itsthecircleoflife · 07/11/2015 22:56

Look for an ex motability car. You could find yourself with a car that could be 3 years old but only has a couple of thousand if that on the clock.

itsthecircleoflife · 07/11/2015 22:58

And it isnt just new cars that come with warranty. When I got mine, it was 4 years old and had 18 months warranty with all servicing included with the option to extend for a further 3 years. I didnt in the end because I didnt have the cash lump sum to pay it, but it was a decent deal.

Original poster
ValiantMouse · 07/11/2015 23:08

I'm not eligible for Mobility. I'm not disabled myself, I care for someone who is. :)

I'm going to keep looking. I really don't want to get in such a large amount ot debt, but I do want a nice new(er) car for once!

OP posts:
BonnieF · 08/11/2015 01:11

The smart person does not buy a brand new car, which depreciates by several thousand pounds the moment you drive it out of the dealership.

The smart person buys 'nearly new' from a car supermarket, and shops around for the best available finance deal. This does not necessarily mean the deal with the lowest monthly repayments, but the deal which will cost the least amount of money overall.

Unreasonablebetty · 08/11/2015 01:38

Sorry I've not read the other posts, but DH and I have only had old crappy cars, where we've worried about MOTS, paid loads in Tax and had quite high insurance on.
There have been times these cars have broken down and cost us our last money to fix.
And they cost a lot in petrol!

3 months ago I was fed up of not having anything to drive, so went and got a newish car (a year old)
It's only a fiesta, but let me tell you. It was £9000 (apparently 17000 when new with extras etc)
It doesn't cost us tax- £250ish was what we were paying on the last
No MOT for the next two years-£60+ saving per year.
The petrol is also about 1/3 of what it was
Insurance is also much cheaper, I'm newly passed my driving test and DH has no no claims bonuses. He's never had an accident but moved his nCB onto the van..., insurance is £20 cheaper a month.
We've saved the money we spend out on finance payments.

But please don't buy a brand new car, we saved £8000 on ours, and it was in perfect Nick with only 10000 on the clock when we got it.
It's lovely.

HelenF35 · 08/11/2015 01:42

What about something like a Dacia Logan?

fruitandbarley · 08/11/2015 02:05

UABU to assume that a new car means less hassle. Despite my repeated warnings my MIL got rid of her very reliable, only needed a few general maintenance things in the last few years, for a newer couple of years old car, which broke down on her first trip to Scotland. I'd advise against commiting yourself to so much money a month, try and find someone with no vested interest to tell you the realistic state of your current car, and if needs be change to something known to be reliable, and learn how to do basic car maintenance and servicing, is easy and saves lots of money.

NoodleNuts · 08/11/2015 02:06

I've got a new car. It's now nearly 13 years old but I've had it since it came out of the dealership. I know the mileage is genuine and I know every repair and problem that there had ever been.

One day I'll get another new one, probably when this one falls apart.

Mmmmcake123 · 08/11/2015 02:22

I think you need to be careful when stretching yourself financially based on you believing you won't have any issues with a newer car. Often newer cars have manufacturing issues that new owners never manage to get rectified within the warranty period and just end up deciding to sell. Please ensure the car is going checked also. Good luck! If I were you I would maybe go for a 5 to 7 year old car.