To not buy a second hand car.

[JacktomyDaniel]

Does anyone “know” cars or has been in this position before?
We’ve decided to get a second car. We have enough spare cash a month to fund finance of around £190/200 and so could afford a small new car on pcp. This would need no MOT and would have warranty.
Husband thinks we should buy an older car around £4000 and take a loan.
I’m also toying with buying a much older car around £1000 and running it into the ground. My question really is which is the sensible option. I know people who have had bangers and driven them for years with no issues and yet our other 5 year old car has already cost us 1k in repairs! We could have a bigger, older, higher spec car with the risk of repairs or buy a small, new, low spec with warranty.
Any advice?

I have always bought old (8-11yrs) cars but the best quality I can get. I think cars with bigger, better engines and higher specs last longer. I don't care too much about mileage ( honestly, with a great engine overy 100 k is no big deal).
I look at the MOT history closely. If advisories have been fixed, if the same faults keep coming up again and again, that sort of thing.
I check if the timing belt has been replaced etc. I only buy with a decent service history.
Never spent more than 1500, never had a car loan, and have never spent anything much on a car after buying it ( save servicing).
I might have been lucky but I have never had any problems, and either driven them years or sold on and broken even.
I think people who spend thousand on cars are nuts!

@bluetongue you might want to check your insurance prices. Fully comp has consistently been cheaper for me over the last few years.

Go German or Japanese, can't really go wrong then

It's a myth that that German cars are particularly reliable. On an American forum I'm on anyone who buys a German car is regarded as as having more money than sense, in part because they are so much less reliable than a Japanese or Korean one and in part because they are so much more expensive to fix.

Interesting to hear all the bad press for French cars on here - I bought my Peugeot when it was 12 months old 17years ago - still going strong and reliable and as far as I can tell only ever had standard wear and tear parts replaced - will be sad when it finally dies as not convinced cars built today will last as long

Questionable Mouse I’m not in the UK and the insurance I have (third party property) is definitely cheaper. Only $16 Australian dollars a month. I guess I just assumed it would be the same everywhere.

Oh and my old banger is Japanese. A 2003 Mitsubishi. I’ve only had one cheap repair on it so far.

I don’t know anything about cars and I had a bad experience with my first car, which was used from a reputable dealer that friends and family had used for years, so for me the extra money for a new car is worth it for the peace of mind. Have you looked at the cheaper makes of car, you might get something a bit bigger or higher spec for your money if you’re not too fussy about the badge on the front.