Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Money matters

Find financial and money-saving discussions including debt and pension chat on our Money forum. If you're looking for ways to make your money to go further, sign up to our Moneysaver emails here.

Original poster

What car does everyone have and how much do you pay a month?

110 replies

greyfox82 · 28/01/2023 07:59

I have a second hand Fiat 500 X and pay £165 a month. I've had quite a few problems with it and am looking to get something else this month. I'm well aware my budget isn't great £200 per month, but just wondered what cars everyone has for this budget and if they are happy with them. I have a toddler, so would need to be four doors. Thanks in advance

OP posts:
pompomdaisy · 28/01/2023 08:01

I've got a new 2019 i10 and pay £190 on lease a month

LyingDogsLie1 · 28/01/2023 08:02

A 2015 kuga and pay £0. I don’t understand the obsession with brand new cars. Finance seems like a chain round your neck!

OnceRuralNowUrbanbliss · 28/01/2023 08:04

I also have a Fiat 500 (2016) but bought it outright second hand a couple of years ago so nothing to pay apart from the £1.30 car tax per month and I put aside £50 for inevitable repairs

I would never lease a car

MintJulia · 28/01/2023 08:07

A four year old Volvo V40 and like @LyingDogsLie1 I paid cash, a year ago. I don't like debt if I can avoid it, and I've never bought a new car.

So no car payment but I put £100 a month in a savings account to renew the car when it is about 10 years old.

I find it much less expensive that way.

QueSyrahSyrah · 28/01/2023 08:07

Well it depends on the term surely? Someone who is paying £200 a month over 12 months will be driving a very different car to someone paying £200 a month over 5 years.

I just did a calculator and based on APR of about 19% if you had £200 a month to spend over 3 years you could buy a car up to about £5200 (plus value of your current car if you're part-exchanging).

Probably better to work out the total car value you can afford and ask what people who paid around that recently are driving?

RobinRobinMouse · 28/01/2023 08:10

My Fiat 500 is 12 years old and still going well, it is 3 doors though, but I've had it since dd was born and have managed fine. She's 5 now and can climb in herself which is handy. I think I paid about 4.5k at the time. My cousin has a Toyota yaris 4 door, which she has been happy with and I think would be in budget for you depending upon spec and age. What sort of size would you prefer? Might also be an idea to go and test drive some to see which feel comfortable to sit and drive and have the right space etc.

xyzandabc · 28/01/2023 08:10

2017 VW Touran. Bought outright 3 yrs ago. Only usual running costs, fuel, servicing, insurance, MOT.

Expect to run it for at least another 5-7 years. Then will buy another 3 yr old car and run that for 7-10 years. Works out cheaper than leasing and we're never committed to keeping a car for any length of time or having any large payments at the end of a lease etc

RewildingAmbridge · 28/01/2023 08:14

Citroen c4, great boot space bought outright for £6.5k about 4 years ago. I don't do finance for a depreciating asset. I previously had smaller cars Suzuki swift, polo etc never paid more than about 4k for those. Worst case is get an industry free credit card, use that and pay it off over the interest free period

TinyArsePhone · 28/01/2023 08:16

12 year old Skoda Fabia that I own outright (bought 2nd hand for £2k last year).

Pay £260 a year for insurance, again I pay that outright.

Tax is £11 a month though.

neighboursmustliveon · 28/01/2023 08:16

We just got a new MG ZS and think we pay just over £200 a month.

We love it as a car, my brother picks up his one next week 😀

CrapBucket · 28/01/2023 08:19

I wouldn't lease a car as they are so expensive to return. If you have gone over on the mileage or any marks on the bodywork then you get charged an absolute fortune. Plus you don't own them!

BooCrew · 28/01/2023 08:21

I have a Ford Focus (2014) bought outright. I'm horrified by car finance, it's such a huge amount of money every month. I know I'm fortunate to have had the savings, but that doesn't seem to by why people use finance.

Anyway, the Focus is good with a small child. Comfy, drives well, it's a perfectly good expensive tin can with wheels.

OxanaVorontsova · 28/01/2023 08:23

We have a bmw and a mini, both paid for outright. No intention of replacing either until we can get something electric with a decent range at a reasonable price.

Pootle40 · 28/01/2023 08:23

Got a brand new Skoda Octavia 2 years ago and pay £240 but had a Skoda to hand back to them towards the cost of the new PCP.

MavisFlump · 28/01/2023 08:23

Ford Focus Active, 3 years old, bought outright.
I’d never lease, I scrimped and saved to buy all my cars.

Original poster
greyfox82 · 28/01/2023 08:24

@neighboursmustliveon thanks so much for your helpful reply. I've been looking into these and am glad you're happy with them. How long have you had yours?

OP posts:
Original poster
greyfox82 · 28/01/2023 08:26

Thank you for everyone replying telling me they would never get a car on finance, unfortunately I don't have savings so can't pay a lump out. I'm looking for responses from people who do pay a car on finance, as per the original question.

OP posts:
HaroldTheStallion · 28/01/2023 08:27

We have a 2012 Nissan Qashqai that we paid outright for around 6 years ago. We chose it due to its reliability ratings among other things and it's still going strong having had very few issues.

Original poster
greyfox82 · 28/01/2023 08:27

@Pootle40 thanks for this. Yes thinking of getting another fiat 500x so I can hand it back to them and get some money of the new (not so new) car

OP posts:
Onehappymam · 28/01/2023 08:28

After years of buying cars outright (and worrying about the cost of the yearly MOT and when’s a good time to trade it in) we went HP. Suits us much better, for now.

I worked out how much our last car cost to buy outright, how much we spent on it over the years and how much we sold it for (next to nothing! and by that time it was costing so much money to keep it on the road is gladly have given it away!). I realised I could pay the same monthly amount to be driving around in a new car stress free! I realise this doesn’t appeal to everyone though.

Original poster
greyfox82 · 28/01/2023 08:28

@BooCrew thanks. Will look into Ford focus. If I had a lump sum, I wouldn't be looking at car finance but sadly don't have other options.

OP posts:
SweetSakura · 28/01/2023 08:28

I bought outright but I love my Kia Picanto.(4 doors). If you can cope with a small car I would definitely recommend it.

hihihibye · 28/01/2023 08:29

QueSyrahSyrah · 28/01/2023 08:07

Well it depends on the term surely? Someone who is paying £200 a month over 12 months will be driving a very different car to someone paying £200 a month over 5 years.

I just did a calculator and based on APR of about 19% if you had £200 a month to spend over 3 years you could buy a car up to about £5200 (plus value of your current car if you're part-exchanging).

Probably better to work out the total car value you can afford and ask what people who paid around that recently are driving?

This

Badbudgeter · 28/01/2023 08:31

I have a Toyota alphard that I’m paying £205 a month for over 5 years. 8 seater also a camper van.

Magenta65 · 28/01/2023 08:31

So many unhelpful replies, I have been looking in the same budget and considering a 2017 or newer Clio, fiesta, Renault Captur. Of course there’s the usual corsas etc but these 3 are what I’m drawn towards and tend to have a few nice extras on the close one hand car market, wish people realised we all don’t have £10k sat around. For £200 a month you’d be looking at a max car price of £9k to £10k from my research.