Golf sized car for a small budget - how does anybody buy these? :-(

With respect, Jez, your usual car criteria are of a very high standard, and of typically a much higher value, where more pride is taken in the car in question!

So, it's not too surprising you're finding that the lower end of the market, in a class of car which is typically purchased by those that just need a car, rather than anything special/cherished, that there's quite a poor selection!

But, I agree, if there are 30 cars you've looked at that are all rubbish or not as described, it's not a good reflection!
 
Have my ruddy Sunny SR when I SORN it in Feb and find a DC2. It has changed hands plenty of times, but within our family in a 3 mile radius since 1994 :)

Looks ace for 16yrs young and would be the perfect thing to potter around in, reliable and no one would ever think of stealing one :D:D Image could be the problem for some, but as long as you're excessively cool then the car you drive doesn't matter!

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17888389&highlight=sunny&page=61
 
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[TW]Fox;15727038 said:
This is EXACTLY what I encountered trying to buy a car for my sister.

I've not had a problem in the past, pick exactly what I want, search nationally, find one for sale after a while of waiting, have a chat to a really nice chap who has owned it since new, ask him in good faith if its mint, drive up, find it to be mint, buy it. Great.

Used cars.. how hard can it be?

Very. Like you everything 'normal' at this end of the market is a bag of utter crap. I viewed entire car lots with 20-30 sub £3k cars and not ONE of them was in anything approaching decent condition. Just ruined sheds with 4 random budget tyres (no tyre the same), dents in the side, scrapes, dodgy paint jobs, filthy scratched interiors, very few, even those advertised, had proper service history, many had at least one thing just plain defective, etc etc.

Ridiculous. The Golfs were the worst! Nice cars in theory but in practice god they all bark so loud you can hear them a mile off.
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Sucks doesn't it, and exactly to the letter my nightmare.

What its really made me suddenly understand is why "people" hate old cars, and why they all finance themselves up to buy new ones. Its because the used car market for "normal" cars is a complete nightmare.
 
It's because most people who own these sort of cars do not care. They drive from A to B. They fit tyres when the MOT man says 'Your car has failed' and they pick the cheapest brand. They don't watch doors in supermarket carparks, they are the first to dive into a hedge to let somebody past on a country lane and they'll hoover it out once a year if you are lucky. It's a tool and they abuse it as such.

And provided its got low mileage, people lap them up :confused:
 
[TW]Fox;15727680 said:
It's because most people who own these sort of cars do not care. They drive from A to B. They fit tyres when the MOT man says 'Your car has failed' and they pick the cheapest brand. They don't watch doors in supermarket carparks, they are the first to dive into a hedge to let somebody past on a country lane and they'll hoover it out once a year if you are lucky. It's a tool and they abuse it as such.

And provided its got low mileage, people lap them up :confused:
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Totally agree, the state of some of the company cars where we work that are not far of new is unreal, just used as an A-B and to hell with it. I kinow thats a tad different to normal car ownership (company car) but people just do not care one bit, not a clue about tyres, never get cleaned or hoovered and just generally shashed to bits within a few years never mind 5-8.

Getting a car in that price band is such a gun run that i dont think i could ever do it, as said buy as new as you can look after it and hope i never have to change the dam thing as unless you buy from someone on a car forum that loves the car they are all treat like crap. Servicing is the biggest gripe aswell, my fiance's mother just assumed that no cars have been serviced that are over a certain age and it was a given that there would be no history! eh!
 
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A few years ago me and a mate went looking for cars - he wanted a clean 205 GTI and £1500 to spend, which (at the time) was enough for one in top condition.

I went with him to look at 14 different ones I think it was. Every single one was nothing like described and miles from decent condition. In the end he gave up and spent £500 on an average one.
 
Lopéz said:
A few years ago me and a mate went looking for cars - he wanted a clean 205 GTI and £1500 to spend, which (at the time) was enough for one in top condition.

I went with him to look at 14 different ones I think it was. Every single one was nothing like described and miles from decent condition. In the end he gave up and spent £500 on an average one.
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Nothing changes it seems!
 
Where are you looking? I have had success in the past buying cheapish second hand cars through local papers, however I find by far the best way to be through members club forums and eBay as you can buy from people with a reputation to worry about.
 
Bat said:
Where are you looking? I have had success in the past buying cheapish second hand cars through local papers, however I find by far the best way to be through members club forums and eBay as you can buy from people with a reputation to worry about.
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Not many Focus 1.6 LX on an owners club forum. Well, not ones without FFOC brake light mods and Wolfrace alloys.
 
have you looked on ebay, a large % of private sales now happens on that. It's actually useful as well. As people on ebay do not mind taking extra photos and emailing you details. Means you can rule a lot out before taking the plunge to see it in the flesh.
 
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Not had a problem and I've only spent more than £3k on 1 out of about 15 cars. However I've always really bought the sporty models in the range from owners clubs/pistonheads and gone for condition/description/owners/mileage rather than how new it is for the price.

However one of the best condition most reliable cars I have had was a diesel xsara bought for a grand. It was simply immaculate, 4 matching premium tyres, polished, new mats, several new parts, ice cold aircon and full history from new (serviced every 6k) - And although I took it from 90k to 110k in less than a year, nothing at all went wrong and all I replaced was tyres. Still going strong at 125k with its current owner.

So they are out there but just not from a dealer and not usually the basic model.
 
AcidHell2 said:
have you looked on ebay, a large % of private sales now happens on that. It's actually useful as well. as people on ebay do not mind tacking extra photos and emailing you details. Means you can rule a lot out before taking the plunge to see it in the flesh.
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To be honest i hadnt even considered ebay. I will do :)
 
[TW]Fox;15727576 said:
Or... cheap used cars are crap. I think its this. My expectations were not that high and I found exactly the same thing when looking.
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Yet there are plenty of people on a regular basis buying cars within this price bracket, myself included, who don't seem to have a problem.

You pay for what you get essentially, if you're buying a used car that's what 7, 8 years old? Don't expect it to be immaculate, sure you also wouldn't expect it to be a dog either, but I find it hard to believe 30 cars were all shockers.
 
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I'm currently driving a Clio 1.2, '02 plate, it was £2200 and it's in what I would consider to be pretty good condition, no major bodywork issues, or internal problems like mentioned in this thread.

I certainly have no complaints with it.
 
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