Advice please - Honda Night of 46 Cars Offer Tonight

[SilverSpider]

http://coxmotorgroup.com/events/night-46-cars

Hi,

I have just had a rather excited text from my missus who is at work today and has been alerted to the above deal by a female colleague. They seem to think it's a great deal but my other half is not one for research and very much an impulse buyer when a supposed great deal is available. So I come to OCUK Motors loking for help as I always do with car matters.

Neither of us are into cars per se, unless you count daily work & school runs and playing some Forza/Driveclub as car knowledge, I don't of course.

So the situation is she has an '07 Citroen C3 Diesel that had £300 of MOT work done on it a few months ago and for the first time a few days ago it lost all electric power at a roundabout and had to leave it a few minutes before starting it again and it was fine but it will no doubt return I would imagine.

I have an '06 Focus 1.8 TDCi that I paid £5k for in 2009 and put £3k down cash and paid 4% on some £100 a month finance for the rest over 2 years. It has a few issues the main one being a recurring 'Engine system fault' likely due to an EGR valve problem that knocks the car into limp home mode without much warning and requires pulling over leaving it 5 mins and starting it up again and it runs fine until the next time it decides to happen.

Quoted price to fix this has been anywhere from £700 to £1000 but I only use my car for a few short trips a week and do less than 2.5k miles a year in it. So given its age and issues, I would rather be rid of it in the not too distant future than looking to repair and keep it.

So as you can see neither of us have really ever done BIG proper car finance long term or researched it but we do need newer cars it seems as both are problematic now. We have just got back late last night from a weekend trip to London visiting family and we ended up hiring a car (got given a Vauxhaul Mokka - wasn't a fan) after the loss of electrics incident on the C3 happened the day before we left and my missus didn't want to take any chances and make a long journey there and back any more stressful than it need be. This cost £110 for the rental so more money spent due to no confidence in our cars being able to handle a long journey safely and problem free.

Now I have been saying to my other half for a while that we need to do some research and ask on places like this for advice regarding models and engine sizes before we decide on what cars/brands/model to go for next but she being a woman with no interest in cars just sees the car shape and looks - she doesn't care or think about if she has bought the engine variant with no power or the car has uncomfortable ride or loud cabin noise on motorway. She sees me researching things and getting an idea of what we do and don't want as a bit overkill and sapping the fun out of a new purchase but I see it like you guys that you don't want buyers remorse or to end up paying a lot for something you don't ultimately like/love.

So in a few hours I will no doubt have a very excited womam come home and ask me what we are doing about this 46 cars at cost price deal and no doubt trying to get me to the showroom for 6pm as the deal only runs for 3 hrs until 9pm it says. She seems keen on a Civic from what she has said.

I am tired and worn out after a long weekend in the big smoke and I thought today was going to be a chilled out day before going back to work tomorrow, and now here I find myself flung into decisions on a huge purchase and car researching out of the blue ... Women !

Sorry for the long post I always find it tricky between trying to give enough details/back story for people to help and inform properly and not typing war and peace.

In finishing is there anything on that list above that is a great deal or is it all marketing hoola to make people think they are getting a great deal ? There seems to be a lot of Civics on the list - any that are using engines that are to be avoided or severely underpowered or any other issues that you guys think I should be aware of. All advice is welcome.

Thanks for your time.

P.S.

I typed all this on a Nexus 7 ... The horror.

 

[Firestar_3x]

2k off a Civic makes it cost price?

You can get the car for the same price through broadspeed, joke offer is a joke.

 

[rodenal]

The 9G civic is absolutely not worth the kind of money asked here, even at broker prices. Fine as a second hand £10k to low teens buy, bonkers at any more

 

[xs2man]

2k off a Civic makes it cost price?

You can get the car for the same price through broadspeed, joke offer is a joke.

Not entirely true. This car :

2015 Civic 5 door SR 1.8 i-VTEC Manual Alabaster Silver Metallic Black Leather £22,660 £19,753

Is about £1k less than broadspeed.

Sure, they are a little bit cheaper, and if you're in the market for a new car, it may be worth a look. But compare the prices with the Broadspeed prices before signing up for anything. And try and get a bit more off again for good measure.

 

[Firestar_3x]

For all intents and purposes the prices between this event and Broadspeed are basically the same (clearly depends which car you look at as to how close they are).

I supose only the op can decide if running out and buying a car on a whim is worth the less than 1k saving.

For any sane person i would expect that answer to be NO.

 

[sovietspybob]

For such a huge financial commitment i'd really want to know what i wanted before parting with the best part of 20 grand! No matter how they dress up the monthly payments or balloon payment at the end it's still a huge amount of money for any normal person.

You sound like you may well need a newer car but even if you 'only' spent 10k if you pick with a bit of common sense it should last you years of trouble free motoring.

 

[Fr0dders]

I have an '06 Focus 1.8 TDCi that I paid £5k for in 2009 and put £3k down cash and paid 4% on some £100 a month finance for the rest over 2 years. It has a few issues the main one being a recurring 'Engine system fault' likely due to an EGR valve problem that knocks the car into limp home mode without much warning and requires pulling over leaving it 5 mins and starting it up again and it runs fine until the next time it decides to happen.

Quoted price to fix this has been anywhere from £700 to £1000 but I only use my car for a few short trips a week and do less than 2.5k miles a year in it. So given its age and issues, I would rather be rid of it in the not too distant future than looking to repair and keep it.

Just to comment on this part, for a second. I would estimate that there is a large possibility that this fault would be in some way caused by your driving pattern.

Modern common rail turbocharged diesel engines do not like being driven short distances. They need to reach full operating temperature to operate properly. If they spend their entire life driving short distances and never getting up to temperature, you will likely run into problems.

Its possible its entirely unrelated, but I'd estimate it more likely to be do with your driving pattern. For this kind of mileage, I'd recommend whatever you replace it with isn't turbocharged, and is just a nice efficient small petrol engine. These will cope with shorter trips and low annual mileage much better

Just to comment on the pricing, as mentioned already its just a scam. There likely is no target and these are not being offered at cost price. They are probably doing them a bit cheaper than list price, but they intend to offset those losses by cramming everybody into a 3 hour buying frenzy and sell lots of them in a small space of time to recoup the money.

Don't get drawn in and just shop around and get the best price you can. Broadspeed is good here as already mentioned.

Now I have been saying to my other half for a while that we need to do some research and ask on places like this for advice regarding models and engine sizes before we decide on what cars/brands/model to go for next but she being a woman with no interest in cars just sees the car shape and looks - she doesn't care or think about if she has bought the engine variant with no power or the car has uncomfortable ride or loud cabin noise on motorway. She sees me researching things and getting an idea of what we do and don't want as a bit overkill and sapping the fun out of a new purchase but I see it like you guys that you don't want buyers remorse or to end up paying a lot for something you don't ultimately like/love.

This is typical of a lot of joe public, not just women. A car is a car no matter what make or engine it has in it. Don't go buying any old car just because somebody at work told you it was a good buy. Don't get sucked into the hype and do all the research and shopping about.

My tip here is not to involve her in any of it if she think's its boring, do all your research then present her with 3 options. Go test drive each and then let her have the fun bit and choose which of the 3 she likes best, then go for that. One of those can be a civic, but shop around for the best buy and then look at car reviews for the best rivals - like the ford focus or a fiesta, VW golf etc..

 

[SilverSpider]

For such a huge financial commitment i'd really want to know what i wanted before parting with the best part of 20 grand! No matter how they dress up the monthly payments or balloon payment at the end it's still a huge amount of money for any normal person.

You sound like you may well need a newer car but even if you 'only' spent 10k if you pick with a bit of common sense it should last you years of trouble free motoring.

Exactly, good advice and we do need to sit down and work out a budget and I myself think we would be better getting a bank loan at a decent rate and buying second hand a couple years old. We have no debt and good credit rating so shouldn't be a problem.

Just to comment on this part, for a second. I would estimate that there is a large possibility that this fault would be in some way caused by your driving pattern.

Modern common rail turbocharged diesel engines do not like being driven short distances. They need to reach full operating temperature to operate properly. If they spend their entire life driving short distances and never getting up to temperature, you will likely run into problems.

Its possible its entirely unrelated, but I'd estimate it more likely to be do with your driving pattern. For this kind of mileage, I'd recommend whatever you replace it with isn't turbocharged, and is just a nice efficient small petrol engine. These will cope with shorter trips and low annual mileage much better

Just to comment on the pricing, as mentioned already its just a scam. There likely is no target and these are not being offered at cost price. They are probably doing them a bit cheaper than list price, but they intend to offset those losses by cramming everybody into a 3 hour buying frenzy and sell lots of them in a small space of time to recoup the money.

Don't get drawn in and just shop around and get the best price you can. Broadspeed is good here as already mentioned.



This is typical of a lot of joe public, not just women. A car is a car no matter what make or engine it has in it. Don't go buying any old car just because somebody at work told you it was a good buy. Don't get sucked into the hype and do all the research and shopping about.

My tip here is not to involve her in any of it if she think's its boring, do all your research then present her with 3 options. Go test drive each and then let her have the fun bit and choose which of the 3 she likes best, then go for that. One of those can be a civic, but shop around for the best buy and then look at car reviews for the best rivals - like the ford focus or a fiesta, VW golf etc..

Yeah regarding the Focus, I learned not long after I got it that I should have just gone for a Petrol engine for the usage involved and for the reasons you mention.


Well my missus came in after the school run and to be fair to her maybe I had underestimated her a bit as it turns out she was not as sold on this deal and as eager as I thought, she recognised it is a lot of money for a make/model we are not even sure we want.

I told her I'd asked the good folk of OCUK Motors for advice and showed her your replies she was laughing at my post and nodding in agreement at the bits about herself

She even agreed when we are sorting the car purchase out, that I should just present her with 3 options and she'd be fine with that - she ultimately just wants limited involvement but with a newer car at the end of it. So that was a solid bit of advice that part thank you.

So disaster averted and I would just like to say a big thanks to everyone for all your replies and help.

I/we will be coming back in the near future for more detailed advice on particular cars and the like when we have a budget and a few models of choice worked out. It's a great site we have here.

Thanks again guys.

 

[Outcast]

I'll hazard a bet the new 1.6 Dtec Civic wins !

 

[MooMoo444]

These "at cost" prices look like a load of old tosh. Just a minor discount on them, which is normally what you haggle off anyway!

 

[roadie]

Even petrol engines don't like short distances that much. My mother has a Mini One which has been used almost exclusively for short city trips to the shops and work. The distance covered has been under 20k miles in 6 years.

A few months back the engine warning light came on and the car was in no way working optimally. It went back to the dealer in Bristol who initially quoted a huge amount of money to repair the engine. Apparently if the engine and oil do not get up to temperature, condensation can eventually affect the moving parts and cause damage.

 

[SilverSpider]

Even petrol engines don't like short distances that much. My mother has a Mini One which has been used almost exclusively for short city trips to the shops and work. The distance covered has been under 20k miles in 6 years.

A few months back the engine warning light came on and the car was in no way working optimally. It went back to the dealer in Bristol who initially quoted a huge amount of money to repair the engine. Apparently if the engine and oil do not get up to temperature, condensation can eventually affect the moving parts and cause damage.

I see - What's the alternative then ? To needlessly drive the car further than you need to on a daily basis ?

It seems if the advice in here is correct then you are screwed if your usual use is short journeys.

My Focus has had a life of two extremes - It was a sales rep mobile before I got it - 78k miles in under three years and then only 12k miles in the next five years with me.

My commute to work is around 6 miles - I guess that qualifies as a short journey.

 

[Outcast]

Yes, the Rep mileage will have been considerably better for the engine than your own.

That's why the reading on the Odo doesn't really say that much about the condition of the engine.

Also being a "Rep-Mobile" it will have been regularly serviced bang on time, EVERY time and any niggles sorted out as a matter of course.

You don't really have any option that will be ultimately "ideal" because whatever vehicle you choose it's basically going to be a "shopping car" so choose the vehicle that best suits your practical needs.

My priorites are

1: Reliability . A vehicle can looks the most awesome on the road but it's not very clever if it's broken down at the side of the road, regularly.
2: Economy
3: Style
4: practicality. Can you get that flat-pack home without having to pay for delivery ?
5: Safety

I expect your list of priorities to be different from my own !

 

[antijoke]

Lol the good old cost price sale event spiel. It's all BS.

 

[DRZ]

Yes, the Rep mileage will have been considerably better for the engine than your own.

Not necessarily. Lets say it takes 5 miles to get warm. The high mileage car is still being used in that condition, it is just that the low mileage car has the majority of the miles in this condition. Ultimately, a car that has only done 10 miles a day, all the time from cold will have done ~2500 miles of "non-ideal" running. The car that has done 100 miles a day will still have done 2500 miles of "non-ideal" running followed by some low-impact but still additional wear.

If my workplace was at the junction to the motorway so that I didn't have to join it and parked up instead, the 3-4 mile trip would wear the car exactly the same amount as it would have done at the point where I join the motorway...

As a percentage - yes, the high-wear elements of the mileage are smaller but in absolute terms they are likely to be almost identical.

That's why the reading on the Odo doesn't really say that much about the condition of the engine.

I'd agree with this though, mileage is only one part of the equation - how it has been driven is a significant factor. It absolutely doesn't follow at all that high mileage cars have engines in somehow better condition than any other. The high vs low mileage argument is simply that the mileage is almost no indicator of engine condition at all.

Also being a "Rep-Mobile" it will have been regularly serviced bang on time, EVERY time and any niggles sorted out as a matter of course.

Why would you assert that? Some people I know that do large mileage tend to do the bare minimum vs a garage-queen/enthusiast type owner who will go OTT with the maintenance and get any niggles sorted pronto.

I know which I'd rather buy from!

 

[lemonade]

Even petrol engines don't like short distances that much. My mother has a Mini One which has been used almost exclusively for short city trips to the shops and work. The distance covered has been under 20k miles in 6 years.

A few months back the engine warning light came on and the car was in no way working optimally. It went back to the dealer in Bristol who initially quoted a huge amount of money to repair the engine. Apparently if the engine and oil do not get up to temperature, condensation can eventually affect the moving parts and cause damage.

You won't have any of these problems on a Honda engine.

 

[sovietspybob]

Why would you assert that? Some people I know that do large mileage tend to do the bare minimum vs a garage-queen/enthusiast type owner who will go OTT with the maintenance and get any niggles sorted pronto.

I know which I'd rather buy from!

Perhaps for some private owners but if its a fleet car any issue and just drop it into somewhere and it gets sorted for free, our works van for example would be shown no love by a private buyer as it's just a cheap tool but with us it gets regular services and all fluids checked monthly and always decent branded tyres etc as its all free!

 

[Fr0dders]

I see - What's the alternative then ? To needlessly drive the car further than you need to on a daily basis ?

It seems if the advice in here is correct then you are screwed if your usual use is short journeys.

My Focus has had a life of two extremes - It was a sales rep mobile before I got it - 78k miles in under three years and then only 12k miles in the next five years with me.

My commute to work is around 6 miles - I guess that qualifies as a short journey.

Usual advice is to try and give it a good run out at regular intervals as well.

Use it for short trips. But maybe try using it for a longer trip every few weeks ? Just to give it a good run and stretch its legs and get everything up to temperature. If you have a car that you use for a longer journey, maybe try swapping the cars around every now and again ?

 

[roadie]

Not necessarily. Lets say it takes 5 miles to get warm. The high mileage car is still being used in that condition, it is just that the low mileage car has the majority of the miles in this condition. Ultimately, a car that has only done 10 miles a day, all the time from cold will have done ~2500 miles of "non-ideal" running. The car that has done 100 miles a day will still have done 2500 miles of "non-ideal" running followed by some low-impact but still additional wear.

If my workplace was at the junction to the motorway so that I didn't have to join it and parked up instead, the 3-4 mile trip would wear the car exactly the same amount as it would have done at the point where I join the motorway...

As a percentage - yes, the high-wear elements of the mileage are smaller but in absolute terms they are likely to be almost identical.

I'd agree with this though, mileage is only one part of the equation - how it has been driven is a significant factor. It absolutely doesn't follow at all that high mileage cars have engines in somehow better condition than any other. The high vs low mileage argument is simply that the mileage is almost no indicator of engine condition at all.

Why would you assert that? Some people I know that do large mileage tend to do the bare minimum vs a garage-queen/enthusiast type owner who will go OTT with the maintenance and get any niggles sorted pronto.

I know which I'd rather buy from!

I believe the specific problem that my mother's car had was due to the oil rarely getting up to temperature and the problems that this can cause. Although a higher mileage car might cover the same distance as a low mileage, the oil would get up to temperature and stay at its best working range for much longer if the trip length were greater.

You won't have any of these problems on a Honda engine.

1.8 petrol Honda Civic owner here

 

[SDK^]

COST PRICE NEW HONDA CARS AND DEPOSIT CONTRIBUTIONS

ABOVE MARKET PART EXCHANGE PRICES

AVAILABLE FOR 3 HOURS ONLY

Take my money now !!!
Cost price cars, contributions and above market part ex - really ?!?! Looks like Safe Style Windows are advising on car sales now

As others have said; go to Broadspeed and you can select any car you like for similar, or lower prices.... with no '3 hour' pressure timescale

e.g. First car in that Honda list : 2015 Civic 5 door S 1.4 i-VTEC Manual : £13,840
Broadspeed £13,839 - £1 cheaper

https://broadspeed.com/new_cars/Honda/Civic/5_Doors/Hatchback/P/Choose_Engine_Size/M/