AIBU to buy a car on PCP???

[MoonbeamSprinkles]

I have never bought a car before and I'm totally confused about what's for the best.

I have just passed my test and am looking for a Kia Picanto 3, I'm not the most confident driver so I like the fact it has reversing cameras etc.
I have about 8.5K saved and earmarked for the car.

My options are

1. Buy a 3 year old car outright for about 8.5k.

2. Buy a nearly new car for around 12k and dip into rainy day savings.

3. Buy a new car on PCP put down a 5k deposit and keep the 3.5k for the monthly payments and hand the car back at the end.

The dealership offer very low rates on PCP but it looks too good to be true, I've never had a credit card or loans and I hate the thought of being in debt.
It would be nice to have a brand new car that I could 100% trust though.

If I have a PCP contract and I want to trade my car in would I need to put another cash deposit down when I give it back?

Any advice would be helpful, I'm a long time lurker of mumsnet and you always know whats what when it comes to cars.

@PurBal

Unless you have no other option stay clear of PCP.

Care to elaborate?

“ I don’t think so but, given that I haven’t got a daughter, I’m open to adoption!”

Haha, done. Bangs gavel. Officially adopted.

“ Also remember that because you just passed your test your insurance is going to be astronomical the first year.”

It’s not quite true that I just passed my test so this won’t be an issue.
Sorry if I’ve been misleading.

I past my test a couple of years ago and then just didn’t drive and lost confidence. I have just passed a pass plus which feels like just passing to me.
But technically I’ve been driving 4 years and had a car for two of those, I just never had the balls to drive it.
But insurance wise it still should bring it down a bit.
I’ve been quoted around £500 a year which is fine.

I have a car on PCP but to be honest, if I had had 8'5 k ear marked for a car I would have just bought a pretty newish one.

I have an Aygo on PCP. I have the service plan included so I don't have anything apart from the usual tax/insurance to pay out for, and you usually chop them in before they are due to have an MOT anyway. Swings and roundabouts really as once you've paid the monthly charge then there is very little you'll need to pay for. I don't regret it's I have the peace of mind knowing I'm driving a reliable car. The last car I owned (mini cooper) was fabulous and I miss it, but towards the end whenever I got in it, I either couldn't start it, or couldn't steer it.

Would you get another aygo dozy
Is the manual easy to drive?
I really like my mams but hers is automatic and for some reason I never really entertained getting an aygo myself.

It's a really easy car to drive @MoonbeamSprinkles, I'm on my second PCP Aygo. Its dead easy to drive and park, the only thing I don't like is that it's only a 1 litre and the horsepower isn't that great. It feels nippy once it's up to speed but it doesn't have a fast pull away. It's a great little car though, and Toyota are bullet proof, never had any problems with it at all.

Ooooooh I can get a 2019 one mid range for just under 8k

This might be a wild card.

I think the picanto will have the same issue regarding acceleration as it’s a 1 litre too

Warning, now you’ve driven an automatic, you may never want to drive a manual again. I definitely don’t. Why not test drive a manual Aygo and see how it goes? You can always default to an automatic if you hate it.

I was going to suggest a Renault Clio as a cheap and cheerful car but I can see you had one and hated it!

That’s true Blossom, I really love my mams automatic.
It’s just so easy.

It sometimes feels like a dodgem when accelerating down a slip road but to be honest I’m happy to sit in with the slower vehicles anyway.

@MoonbeamSprinkles

*This is me!!!! Thank you for posting this!

Which model did you get? Do you find the clutch easy? Is it easy to drive in general?*

Hi!
So I got the 2 model, but went for automatic rather than manual (part of my problem was panicking about gears and stalling, so driving an automatic is a game changer for me - wish I'd done it years ago).

It has parking sensors which I've found very helpful - I was originally looking for the 3 model with the camera, but it was just a bit too expensive with the auto gearbox as well - and I've found just the parking sensors ok, and will use my phone as a sat nav if needed. I also park as far away as possible from any other cars ;)

I find it really easy to drive :) And I love the look of it as well.

If you go to an official Kia dealer, it should still have the remainder of the 7 year warranty on it.

Good luck, hope it all goes well!

‘I was going to suggest a Renault Clio as a cheap and cheerful car but I can see you had one and hated it!’

Mine was about 15 years old and the clutch was hanging on by a thread. I’m sure a newer one would be much nicer.

@CharlieWorkCharlieSad

Relying on technology to make you a better a driver isn't the way to go.

Why not? I paid extra to have one fitted in my new car to make life easier for myself. I have no off road parking and find it easier to squeeze into tight spaces with a camera.

Fair enough I suppose. I just learnt to park better instead! But then again I'm not one for technology or wasting money on stuff I can learn to do myself!

I can park thank you very much, unfortunately some of my neighbours can't! The camera makes it easier to get into a space when they've parked badly and easier to get out when they haven't left me enough room. If I had a driveway I probably wouldn't have bothered.

Yes, that Yaris I looked at was also a 1 litre and was much bigger than the Aygo so I figured would be even slower to pull away.

Petrol consumption is great. I had an 18 plate which was nice and now I have the 70 plate which is great as it has the reverse camera and parking sensors etc. Give it a test drive. I found Toyota really good to deal with, were open to negotiation and did a great scrapage deal at the time for my old mini.

burtiebotts

Oooooh do you have an auto?? How do you find it?

I hadn’t realised that the 2 model came with parking sensors. That’s very interesting. That would knock a big chunk of money off right there if I could go down a model.

I might go down a model and get an automatic instead.

I test drove a Yaris hybrid. It was absolutely dreadful. I got it 500 yards up the road, turned round and took it back. Vile thing.

Apologies to anyone who’s got one and loves it. 💐

If you could choose between a reversing camera or the car being automatic which would you go for?

@MoonbeamSprinkles

If you could choose between a reversing camera or the car being automatic which would you go for?

Both.

I can get a 2018 automatic aygo with a reversing camera for straight 8k.

Going to ring the garage to go see it.

@MoonbeamSprinkles

I find the auto great! I'm only using it for local town driving at the moment, but I've had no issues with acceleration etc. We found my car on the Kia website online, and then DH test drove it for me (I was too scared!), and he was putting his foot down and it was responding fine.

Yes I think the newer 2 trims come with parking sensors, and I find that is enough for what I use it for. And the more I'm practising reversing, the more I understand how exactly the car is moving and what I need to do with the steering - and the sensors will tell me if I'm too close to anything - hope that makes sense!

With option 1 you’ve got the car and it’s yours.

We’ve got a cat on PCP, at the beginning we had a service package ours included two services for free, we haven’t had to do an MOT yet as the car was new and we don’t need one till it’s three years old.
Our package had an agreed yearly mileage.

We’re currently way under the mileage and will probably get back the deposit we paid when we return the car end of the year.
If we went over the mileage we’d have had to buy more mileage.

If the car is worth less that’s a gamble the company takes, you only pay the agreed price. On the other hand you’d have to pay the higher price when the agreed term ends if you choose to keep the car.

@MoonbeamSprinkles

I can get a 2018 automatic aygo with a reversing camera for straight 8k.

Going to ring the garage to go see it.

Bet you buy it! Do report back.

Car not cat. Ours cats aren’t going anywhere and we pay for their MOT’s

I’m test driving the automatic and the manual tomorrow so I’ll see how I get on.

It’s great to hear that you got over your fear and you like the picanto though it gives me hope.

A balloon payment of 30 thousand dreamies for a cat 🤣🤣