Buying a used car

[Iloverupertp]

Just looking for some advice.
I’ve got a final settlement figure for my pcp car and I should break even selling it due to v low mileage and excellent condition.
I want to buy a car outright and budget is about £8000.
What’s the best way of doing it ?
Part exchange or sell car separately?
Also can you recommend any of the car sales place or should I look at specific dealerships?Thinking maybe a fiesta or something similar
Really nervous about buying a used car in case I get ripped off or buy something that’s faulty as soon as I drive off the forecourt.Is warranty standard and for how long?
I think probably buying privately is better value but I know absolutely nothing about cars.
Any suggestions or advice would be really appreciated.TIA

Ugh. I've worked in the motor trade all my life and without trying to worry you I think my two top points are these:
1, If you're buying off a Used Car pitch/ sales place PLEASE PLEASE ask for recommendations. SO MANY (seemingly) clean & impressive used car pitches have the 'as long as it drives off the forecourt, I'm not bothered' attitude. Used car warranties often fall sort of anything adequate and getting them honoured can be a huge task. A caveat to this is that they're not all like that and there's some really decent people and cars out there too. Ask around, check reviews online.

1. Service history. Service history. Service history.

Is it full? Is it reasonable for the age and mileage of car? What were the MOT advisories going back to the last test? And most, most importantly of all- when is the cambelt due and has it been done? It could be 4yrs 40,000 miles, could be 6yrs/60,000, could be 8/80. It could have a chain, they're not maintenance free either. It's a relatively expensive job to have done, horrendous carnage if it's missed and 100% something you need to know about if you're going from new to used. Does the clutch feel ok? Don't buy it if you can't drive it.

Everything else comes down to the eye and ear. Does it look sound? Does it sound....err....sound.

The MOT's will track the mileage of the vehicle throughout the years. This should be consistent and tally with the vehicle when view it.

There are ways to see if a vehicle has been in a bump but only to a keen eye, really.

At that sort of price you should be able to get something relatively “new” from a chain type dealer with a good warranty. We got a Renault Captur from a mainstream dealer for that much with a 2 year warranty. Yes if you buy and sell privately you’ll make more money but then it’s more hassle / bigger risks too. It’s very much a personal thing.

I agree with the poster above if you're feeling in a vulnerable position as a used buyer. Sticking to a dealership will give you some protection in terms of come back. They are measured quite stringently on customer satisfaction and are more likely to properly prep a car to be sold on.

Wow
Thank you for the advice.
Should I look at part exchange or sell it to one of the online companies(bestcarbuyer?) and buy from a recommended dealership?
Never even heard of a cambelt Need to try and find someone that knows something about cars and come with me !
Thank you

Where are you based OP? I'm moving country Sunday so I desperately need to sell my car. It's valued at £10k but I'll sell within your budget.

It's a BMW 1 series sport, white, 40,000 miles, full service history, manual, 65 plate, diesel, trying to think what else ... 5 door! It's a lovely car xx

Thanks but I need something pretty basic as I have teenagers that will be learning to drive in it
Good luck with the move

If you buy a car privately you had next to no comeback. If I sell you my car and it breaks down one mile away and a specialist looks at it and tells you it needs £1,000 spending on it it's basically tough look, sold as seen

If you buy from a Trader or even better a dealership you will have some comeback. A Trader will usually only offer 1-3 months and there will be limitations. A dealership could be 12 months

I've never bought from a car supermarket Evans Halshaw type place but I'd imagine they're somewhere between what a Trader and a Dealership offer

Buying Private is cheaper but comes with more hidden risks. I would advise not buying Private after reading your post

Try and get a car with some manufacturers warranty left on it if you can. Buying from a dealership is best because you’ve got a lot more come back.

We picked up a used car last week from a main dealership, it was dark so we couldn’t see that hey hadn’t fixed a tear on one of the seats. They’re getting to sorted no problem. All very easy.

Another area of success is if you know someone elderly who wants to upgrade their car. Normally low mileage, serviced through the dealership and kept in good nick.

We’ve always sold our existing car privately too. The last day one the dealership said we could pay them £100 for them to crush it. Nothing wrong with it just quite an old plate, we’ve sold it to a friend of a friend for £1,000.

Thank you for all your advice.
Ive found a Dealership has that has excellent reviews so going to contact them.
Unless I can find an elderly person who wants to sell their car :))

Ok
I’ve been in touch with a dealership and I can part exchange my car and they have a Renault Clio which ticks all the boxes ?
Don’t know anything about them so any info would be helpful ?
I was initially thinking a fiesta but a Hyundai i20 has been suggested ??
Any other suggestions?
I just want a car that’s good for kids to learn in and reliable for the next 5 plus yeara.I do minimal motorway driving and less than 6000 miles a year
Thanks again

Hmmm.
If it was me I would first decide what car I wanted by reading whatcar used car reviews and test driving a couple.
For an £8k budget I would be looking at a nearly new car (or at least less than 3 years old with low mileage) from a dealership.
I would find out how much they'd offer for my current car as a part exchange. Then compare it to prices for similar cars (model, age and mileage) listed on Autotrader, Gumtree and FB marketplace.
I bought a nearly new Skoda Octavia from a Skoda dealer and sold my ancient Ford Focus privately, listed in all three of the websites listed above and sold it to someone who contacted me via Gumtree IIRC.

It sounds like you want a smallish car? In which case look at the Skoda Fabia: www.whatcar.com/skoda/fabia/hatchback/used-review/n808
I would advise against a Renault Clio. I'd look at the Fabia or Fiesta.

Avoid French & German (including VAG). The Far East is your friend here. Kia and Hyundai are both well made with long warranties, your £8k will get you into a 3 year old Kia Ceed with 4 years warranty remaining.

Kia and Hyundai are amazing cars. They have really good warranties on them - particularly Kia so if you can find one with some warranty left on it I would go for that.

If you have teens and are hoping they will be able to drive then insurance group is absolutely key. I researched cars for DC a few years ago and found there is quite a big difference in insurance groups depending not only on the make and model but also the model year. I don't know if you've ever had the misfortune of driving an underpowered car which won't go up a hill or have the power to overtake on a lane but it's not fun and can also be dangerous so simply opting for a small engine is also not the answer.

You get a lot more break horse power (i.e power) for a lower insurance group in a Fiesta than you do a VW polo for example. Have a look at a 1 litre Fiesta Eco sport and I guarantee you (and your DC) will not be disappointed. I've never even been a Ford fan but it's a really good car.

I used to sell cars many moons ago so know a little about good vs not worth the paper it's written on warranty. If there's an independent dealer with a good reputation locally to you that also has a half decent warranty then that's a good option - ignore anyone who doesn't offer 1 year as a minimum.

You get a lot more break horse power (i.e power) for a lower insurance group in a Fiesta than you do a VW polo for example.

A 1.0 litre Polo has a lower insurance group than a 1.0 litre Fiesta so not sure where you get that from. That’s exactly what you’d expect from the significantly more powerful turbocharged Fiesta. Insurance group isn’t the only factor that affects premiums, it’s quite common to get a cheaper premium on one car with a much higher insurance group than another.

The consumer rights act 2015 is your friend. But it only applies to dealers, not private sellers. If there is an issue in the first 6 months, the act means that the fault is presumed to have existed when you bought the used car and you can give the dealer an opportunity to put it right. I know about this because we just bought (in June) a 2 year old i30 estate (Hyundai) for £9k. In the last few weeks the gears started slipping. I researched it and it seemed a new clutch was in order. I argued it, and the dealer agreed to pay half, the my actually came back and said although the clutch would be considered wear and tear so not covered by the Hyundai 5 year warranty, on stripping it down they had found an oil leak which had exacerbated the clutch wearing and they had lobbied Hyundai because they felt that the faulty seal was a warranty issue. Whole thing dealt with on warranty.

BUT my point is that the new consumer rights act does give you far more cover than a simple caveat emptor, if you buy from a dealer. Not a private seller.

Thanks again
I’ve done a quick insurance check and the Renault comes in slightly more expensive then my current seat Leon
They’ve offered me slightly more than my settlement figure but I’m still thinking I would prefer a fiesta
Will defo look at Kia and Toyota though
Thanks again

Another issue is you can’t test drive atm but I can hand it back after 14 days if I don’t like it .

If you want reliable motoring for the next few years don’t buy a Clio!

Just to confirm, you want something smaller than the Leon you're driving atm? As you are going down a size category in the cars you're considering.

If you've got teens needing insurance and a budget, look at the Kia Venga. They have 7 years manufacture warranty and are very good on insurance - get a quote from insure the box

used-uk.kia.com/used-car-details/used-kia-venga-14-crdi-2-hatchback-planet-blue-manual-diesel/id-7202/

I've had several clios and repairs are fairly expensive on them & last one was a horrible drive!

I want a similar or slightly smaller than a Leon.i want it to last for 5 years plus
Think I’m going off the Clio due to all your feedback
So within my budget of £8000 I think I could get a decent fiesta ( focus prob would need to go above that )so I think it’s between
Fiesta , Kia Ceed ,hyudundai i20
Vw polo
Not sure about Skoda
Vauxhall Astra ?
Any other suggestions?
Your replies are all really helpful
Thank you

I’ll have a look at the Venga
Thanks