Trading down

Walkerie

Walkerie

Walkerie

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Hi all,

So I have a 2010 Leon Cupra which I love, but its costing me so much in fuel/tax/insurance especially if driven how it's meant to be, I've had a years fun its probably time to move on as I have so much more to pay.

Privately it's probably worth about £7k with 98k on the clock with FSH.

I'd like to try and downgrade to the £4k mark and looking for suggestions.

Saloon/Hatchback is fine - open to almost all models apart from a Mondeo/Saab.

Any ideas?
 
One of the most expensive things you can do in car ownership is change the vehicle, especially if done via a dealer.

Sometimes it's better the devil you know, you have no guarantee that your £4K replacement isn't going to need work to bring it upto scratch and you may well find your £7k valuation a tad optimistic.


If you do change, I can understand the no SAAB requirement, but a Mondeo would have be the goto option if cheap practical motoring is your goal....
 
I would think something like a 1.8 or 2.2 Civic would fit the bill. Aim for a higher spec one with panoramic roof and leather and it should be quite a nice place to sit.
 
I'm all for changing cars to suit different financial requirements in ones life, but...

Walkerie;30499397 said:
its costing me so much in fuel/tax/insurance especially if driven how it's meant to be, I've had a years fun its probably time to move on as I have so much more to pay.
Click to expand...

Fuel, VED and insurance, is it going to be appreciably cheaper with the next car?

You're delving into an unknown area and to be frank, the difference in values of the cars are negligent. It's not like you've decided you don't want to pay finance on a £30k motor and want to jump into a £1k shed for 6 months.

Also, you've got a car you admit to loving, with FSH, and a history that you are well versed with. Why change?

Or are you just looking for something different?
 
wingman;30500247 said:
I'm all for changing cars to suit different financial requirements in ones life, but...



Fuel, VED and insurance, is it going to be appreciably cheaper with the next car?

You're delving into an unknown area and to be frank, the difference in values of the cars are negligent. It's not like you've decided you don't want to pay finance on a £30k motor and want to jump into a £1k shed for 6 months.

Also, you've got a car you admit to loving, with FSH, and a history that you are well versed with. Why change?

Or are you just looking for something different?
Click to expand...

Mainly the money side of things really, if people don't think its a particular good idea happy to stick with what I am doing too. Just thought it was worth an ask.
 
Walkerie;30500823 said:
Mainly the money side of things really, if people don't think its a particular good idea happy to stick with what I am doing too. Just thought it was worth an ask.
Click to expand...
Are you going be happy in something like a 1ltr fiesta
As it no point in buying some thing much bigger then a fiesta if your only mainly selling your Leon Cupra to save on fuel costs

What MPG are you getting out of your Leon Cupra ?
How much is your insurance on the Leon Cupra ?
 
After selling my Focus ST a few weeks back I considered doing what you are thinking Op!
I thought I will put a couple of grand back in the bank and get a 1.6 Focus cheaper to run etc. But once you try doing your daily commute with 125bhp or so less than what your used to it really will annoy and bore you. When I weighed it up properly the tax isn't really an issue IMO so I would have saved £20 per month on insurance and about £50 per month on fuel. Now I decided i would rather pay that extra each month and have fun and drive something with abit of power compared to having my soul destroyed in a painfully slow uncomfortable car just to save a small amount each month.
 
I don't think it's a big enough difference to warrant doing.

You take a little off the top when selling your Cupra, pay a little more buying the next car, faff around with insurance/VED - by that time your 3k difference has shrunk to something that's hardly worth it.
Even then, that's assuming the mildly cheaper car you get has no issues at all.

Maybe force yourself to drive like a granny everywhere for 6 months and record what the difference in fuel costs are?
 
Scania said:
One of the most expensive things you can do in car ownership is change the vehicle, especially if done via a dealer.

Sometimes it's better the devil you know, you have no guarantee that your £4K replacement isn't going to need work to bring it upto scratch and you may well find your £7k valuation a tad optimistic.


If you do change, I can understand the no SAAB requirement, but a Mondeo would have be the goto option if cheap practical motoring is your goal....
Click to expand...

exactly that.
i got burnt a few weeks ago buying a second hand car.
 
It's a 2 litre Seat Leon not a Nissan GTR. Nothing else is going to make a credible saving in things like VED by enough of a margin to make it worth the risk and hassle of changing.
 
I changed from an Octavia vrs to a 1.2 Nissan Micra. It saves a lot of money but you have to be willing to live with that.

As soon as my wife needed a car I gave it to her and got a civic. :D
 
Okay so things have changed since the OP.

I am now changing jobs after 3 years and will be doubling my mileage so unfortunately its going to have to go. Any recommendations on a similiar priced diesel which retuns pretty good mpg? Will just do a like for like swap or close to as I can in terms of money
 
Doubling to what mileage?

Sounds like you're just desperate for a change, to be honest - which is absolutely fine - just realise that changing cars, as noted by Scania, is a costly business.

Changing to an unknown, similar aged diesel seems hilariously risky.
 
Looking online you can get a later year Cupra that's done fewer miles with leather, nav, xenons, FSH etc for under £8k list before haggling from a dealer so £7k might be a bit ambitious especially as presumably yours will have broken the psychological 100k barrier (I know this means little in reality, but that doesn't change how some people behave / approach their search) by the time someone buys it, although obviously depends on condition, spec etc.
 
7-4 doesn't seem like that much of a downgrade, when all said and done, insurance changes, admin fees etc are you looking to gain that much?
I believe the best way here is to get a simple cheap car that "hopefully" wont throw big bills.

I currently have a 1.6 petrol Toyota Corolla for the misses to run around in. Chain driven engine and fingers crossed Toyota reliability, looked a good example with FSH. They also do a 1.4 for extra mpgzzz although I believe the 1.6 can get 40 in manual as we have it.
These can be had from under a grand up to 5K for a low millage dealer example so lots of choice.
Maybe worth looking at this kind of area.
 
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