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

"Not sure about Skoda"
Why not? Outdated ideas about their reputation? Skoda have consistently won awards for their cars in recent years (particularly the Octavia and Fabia). If you search for mumsnet threads with Skoda in the title you'll find lots of Skoda owners raving about them

Another car you could consider is the Seat Ibiza
www.autoexpress.co.uk/seat/ibiza/84690/best-used-superminis

Buy Jap
dont buy a diesel
dont buy from small car pitches

Out of your list the Kia and Hyundai will give the most reliable service.

@Elai1978

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.

A 1.0 fiesta ecoboost 99bhp is a lower insurance group than a vw polo with the same or lower bhp.

Actually, if you look at the rankings of the cars mentioned on this thread in the whatcar reliability survey, the Hyundai i20 is the best, followed by the Skoda Fabia, and the Kia Picanto is quite a bit further down the list.

It's probably too small for the OP but the Skoda Citigo is actually in joint first place with the Toyota Aygo. (I'm a fan of Skoda can you tell )

www.whatcar.com/news/2020-what-car-reliability-survey/n20042

A 1.0 fiesta ecoboost 99bhp is a lower insurance group than a vw polo with the same or lower bhp.

Ah, I see what you’re saying now. Still, it’s no guarantee that it’ll be cheaper to insure.

The whatcar reliability survey also looks at brands overall (as well as specific models) and Skoda is ranked above Kia and Hyundai
www.whatcar.com/news/2020-what-car-reliability-survey-brands/n20069

I'll stop now

Aren't Skodas basically Volkswagens? Not that that's a bad thing!

Call me a coward but I've always part exchanged my cars with a dealer. I don't want someone coming back at me after the event saying something has gone wrong.

The whatcar reliability survey also looks at brands overall (as well as specific models) and Skoda is ranked above Kia and Hyundai

Fractionally, in that particular survey. The difference is, when your 5 year old car breaks down with a Kia it’s under warranty and with a Skoda it’s tough shit. You couldn’t pay me enough to own any VAG product outside of its 3 year warranty.

You can buy a car in any part of the world, I think even for such money.

Fair point, they do have longer warranties.

Whatever you buy make sure you test drive the thing first. Much easier to find out you dont like it on a test drive and walk away, rather than when you have paid for the thing.

Fiesta, Honda Jazz or VW polo all decent cars. Have a good look through the history and ask to see receipts for the cambelt if its gone over the manufacturers interval. If they dont have evidence then walk away. These are common cars and there are plenty to pick from.

Have a look at the tyres. A car with a different cheap ditchfinder on each corner has probably been maintaned on a shoestring.

If a warranty is important to you then you need to check the terms and service history. If the previous owner has not had the vehicle inspected at an authorised dealer at the necessary intervals the warranty might no longer be valid.

@CharlieWex

You can buy a car in any part of the world, I think even for such money.

I want to buy myself a car in Florida, but now I just have to take it to me

I've had two Fiestas, one many years ago and one now, both have been very cheap to run and nice to drive. My current one is 15 years old though, so I don't know how newer models compare.

If you look for Approved used cars on the manufacturers own websites, you generally get very good service, and a good warranty too. Kia give a really good warranty with them. I bought an approved used suzuki that had done less that 2000 miles. It was like a new car, for less than half what it cost new.

I do really appreciate your help
I’m going to go for a fiesta as I drive these at work and I’ve had a focus before and had no problems with it
One final question
Which one would you go for from the dealership?
They’re offering 3 year warranty and 3 yr breakdown.Theyve also offered more than my settlement figure.
66 plate titanium 1l EcoBoost 32000 miles £8000 or
65 plate 1.25 82 Zetec 10000 miles £8100
Thanks again

A Ford dealership? Who is the warranty provider?

Hmm well I'd choose a newer Fabia over a 4-5 year old Fiesta, as you'd get a better car for the money and more rear leg room for passengers.
But out of those two I think I'd get the 1l eco boost as I think it's a better and more efficient than the 1.25l? Not an expert though!

But out of those two I think I'd get the 1l eco boost as I think it's a better and more efficient than the 1.25l

The 1.25 is probably the better choice for longevity, a simpler engine with less to go wrong. The 1.0 eco boost motors are notorious for failures although many will have been fixed by now.

The warranty is with the car dealership I’m buying from.
The insurance was high in the eco booster-class 11E and 7E for the 1.25
I might try and find a lower insurance fiesta or consider a Hyundai i20 as insurance is 4 or 5

@Elai1978

But out of those two I think I'd get the 1l eco boost as I think it's a better and more efficient than the 1.25l

The 1.25 is probably the better choice for longevity, a simpler engine with less to go wrong. The 1.0 eco boost motors are notorious for failures although many will have been fixed by now.

No issues with them raised here www.whatcar.com/ford/fiesta/hatchback/used-review/n340/advice

Given the mileage you will be doing, definitely don’t buy a diesel. Petrol all the way.

I would steer clear of buying French and Italian cars outside of the manufacturers warranty, as they generally have a poor reputation for reliability. Japanese cars are the opposite, they have an excellent reputation for reliability. Toyota & Honda, in particular are very good. Hyundai & Kia have the best warranties in the industry so they make excellent used buys.

Seat & Skoda are both part of VW group, so their cars are mechanically identical to the equivalent VW model. Same engine, suspension, gearbox, electrics etc etc.

@Elai1978

The whatcar reliability survey also looks at brands overall (as well as specific models) and Skoda is ranked above Kia and Hyundai

Fractionally, in that particular survey. The difference is, when your 5 year old car breaks down with a Kia it’s under warranty and with a Skoda it’s tough shit. You couldn’t pay me enough to own any VAG product outside of its 3 year warranty.

having bought a 3 year old Skoda Octavia and run it for 8 years, I wouldn't be terribly concerned about VAG cars outside their warranty.

It's such a lottery, No2 SiL does pre-purchase inspections for private car buyers. There is a branch of a national chain of second hand car dealers in our local town. He has yet to inspect a vehicle there that he would allow a purchaser to buy. Accident damage, incorrect service information, barely legal tyres - the list goes on.