New Job and in need of new car

kitkat9933

kitkat9933

kitkat9933

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I'm in the process of starting a new job within a couple of months and my daily commute to work will change from 8 miles each way to just under 30. Also the possibility of travelling to different sites across the UK and possibly Europe.

Because of this I'm going to need a new car.

My budget is around £5-6k p/y for everything except insurance, tax and fuel (so things such as warranty etc) and around £4-5k in deposit. Whether I spend £20k over 3 years or £30k over 5 years it doesn't matter as long as I get something that will last that length of time. Please also bear in mind that I'm 22 and insurance while it has come done loads is still something to factor in.

As my deposit is relatively small, I'm not sure what the best way to finance the car is. I currently have no mortgage on my house but have lent the money from my dad and pay him back an amount every month. So possibly I could take out an actual low interest mortgage on my house for ~£20k but after mortgage fees, I'm not sure how competitive to other rates of finance this would be.

Requirements:
  • Decent(-ish) power so 2L +
  • Diesel
  • Built in Sat-Nav and phone connectivity
  • Cruise-Control
  • Comfortable for an hour+ long commute each way every day
  • Reliable and cheap to run so my p/y budget must cover warranty or parts
  • Doesn't depreciate more than average

I nearly bought a 2014 Peugeot 508 SW GT for around £18k but unfortunately it sold.

Your help would be much appreciated!
 
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Whatever you get make sure you include "business use" on your insurance - its generally only 20-30 quid more for UK. Most normal policies only include to and from a single place of work.

Europe cover would be different again but would you drive into Europe or just fly ?
 
I would look at a A4 or 3 series BMW for your requirements / budget. You'll be doing around 14k pa just on the commute, so if you add UK and European trips, a diesel would certainly be worthwhile considering.

With your deposit, and annual budget, I would personally be looking at a new motor, for increased warranty. Although if you go 18 months old, on the likes of a 3 series, extending the warranty wont cost too much, and is pretty comprehensive.

The 330d would make a fantastic motor for you. I average around 40mpg in my 530d, so would expect the 3 series to do marginally better than that. Still better consumption than an equivalently quick petrol, but you will see better returns when you take the longer trips. The 330d M-Sport comes in at £30k according to Broadspeed, but that will be poverty spec, so you would need to add satnav. A manual 320d M-Sport comes in at around £25k though, leaving you room to spec what you want.

Second hand, something like this would fit the bill perfectly :

http://usedcars.bmw.co.uk/3-Series/...90760-604885434-3497136.aspx?srcmdc=se_na_re_
 
kitkat9933 said:
330D M-Sport might be a little much as it triples my insurance =/
Click to expand...

Triples your insurance? Against what are you basing this? I mean, you're planning on keeping it for 5 years by the sounds of it, so it wont be so huge in a year or so.

I found my first year with a BMW to be quite steep, because I was honest and said I hadn't owned a RWD before (it was a mapped 335d to be fair). But after the first year, it dropped significantly.

Anyway, then you could look at a 320d M-Sport then. That would be nice enough, although it would likely bore me long before 5 years, lol. But maybe not you.

Something like this : http://usedcars.bmw.co.uk/3-Series/...56924-604654925-3615678.aspx?srcmdc=se_na_re_

Still got around 18 months left of manufacturers warranty, and to extend it won't be too expensive.
 
They had asked me if I had any experience with "sporty" cars. I ran through the list, many of which were significantly more powerful (at least than the standard 335d), but having never owned such a powerful rwd before, my premium was quite high.
 
335d x-drive, friend at work got one new with some nice extras for around £34,000. They were up on drive the deal at the time so used them as a bargaining tool.
 
Yeah let's not bring the vag car into a discussion with German motors.... You really are a special one aren't you? What would happen if mummy and daddy had bought you a Skoda, toys out the pram?
 
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