Why is it proving so difficult to find a new car? (used)

tacticalx86

tacticalx86

tacticalx86

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Looking for an Astra GTC. There are hundreds on Autotrader. Saw a really nice one on there today for about £6.6k, the 20" alloys i want , huge in screen entertainment etc. Only to call and find out the car is actually Cat D so is having the exhaust removed and they can't even guarantee the car will have an MOT when I go and visit (despite it saying it has a 9 month mot).

I can't see any official vauxhall dealers do the gtc. I want one with the best trim/wheels and satnav but all the ones with these wheels either appear to be well out of my price range or Cat D/N/S.
 
MissChief said:
the Megane RS is, by far, the better car.
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Of course it is, but it's a specific performance version whereas the Astra he's talking about is just what Vauxhall call the 3 door Astra. We've no idea which model he's looking at - for all we know it might just be a diesel or something.
 
MissChief said:
I'd report that Ad to Auto trader if its on there. Surely there's dozens of GTC's available? You might need to expand your horizons a bit further afield.

@teenwolf is correct though, the Megane RS is, by far, the better car.
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Yes I am, it is scandulous as I was literally aboujt to go there. I was enquiring about the MOT, because it expired 3 days ago. And he was like

"oh, yeah we will renew it but can't guarantee it will be done in time for your visit, we've just got to remove the exhaust because at the moment it's CAT D").

Idiot
 
MissChief said:
I'd report that Ad to Auto trader if its on there. Surely there's dozens of GTC's available? You might need to expand your horizons a bit further afield.

@teenwolf is correct though, the Megane RS is, by far, the better car.
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Even a 2010 model?
I'd also look at Focus ST/RS but they are really expensive for what they are.
 
tacticalx86 said:
Yes I am, it is scandulous as I was literally aboujt to go there. I was enquiring about the MOT, because it expired 3 days ago. And he was like

"oh, yeah we will renew it but can't guarantee it will be done in time for your visit, we've just got to remove the exhaust because at the moment it's CAT D").

Idiot
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Are you sure he didn’t say ‘de-catted’ as this would make it fail the MOT. They’ll probably need to put the standard exhaust on to pass the MOT. This could also mean that it’s been modified. Check the engine bay carefully for any changes as some bad ‘upgrades’ can cause more trouble than they’re worth. The fitting of a decatted exhaust is not something your average driver would do. Who knows what else has been added and by who?!
 
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[TW]Fox said:
Of course it is, but it's a specific performance version whereas the Astra he's talking about is just what Vauxhall call the 3 door Astra. We've no idea which model he's looking at - for all we know it might just be a diesel or something.
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The GTC i intended to view was the highest spec, not a 2L but 1.6 but like I said i wouldn't touch it.
The astras i am looking at are those with the 20" alloys. And yeah, no diesel. Preferably Euro 6 but we'll see. The hunt continues
MissChief said:
Are you sure he didn’t say ‘de-catted’ as this would make it fail the MOT. They’ll probably need to put the standard exhaust on to pass the MOT. This could also mean that it’s been modified. Check the engine bay carefully for any changes as some bad ‘upgrades’ can cause more trouble than they’re worth. The fitting of a decatted exhaust is not something your average driver would do. Who knows what else has been added and by who?!
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Possibly, but didn't get a chance as he hung up on me. Either way not worth it. Another car i've seen - only a month's MOT left, he said they'd do the MOT the day I visit?
 
Would I be better off getting a lower end GTC without the alloys/satnav etc and then just buying the parts (wheels/in car entertainment system) seperately and either installing them myself or paying a mechanic/garage to?
 
tacticalx86 said:

Why is it proving so difficult to find a new car? (used)​

Looking for an Astra GTC. There are hundreds on Autotrader. I want one with the best trim/wheels and satnav but all the ones with these wheels either appear to be well out of my price range.
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Hth

Increase your price range or curtail your expectations.
 
tacticalx86 said:
Would I be better off getting a lower end GTC without the alloys/satnav etc and then just buying the parts (wheels/in car entertainment system) seperately and either installing them myself or paying a mechanic/garage to?
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Probably not because then you have to declare everything as mods on your insurance. May or may not make a noticeable difference so it’s worth checking out what, if any, impact that has first.

I’m all for retrofitting stuff myself, added loads to my previous car and a few bits to my current car but never bothered with anything like wheels etc.

If you can’t find many cars then chances are your budget isn’t high enough. So whether you plan on retrofitting parts or not it probably makes sense to look at lower end models.
 
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tacticalx86 said:
Honestly would take a lot of convincing for me to by a megane, especially one with a 10 reg. Current car is 59
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They are awesome cars for the money especially! You get monster acceleration, top speed is high 140s which is insane for such a small car but handling even on the RS250 around most corners you will leave practically every other non RS car behind! They are optimised for cornering but have massive low rev range torque. Engines are very strong & good for 200K miles as long as serviced properly.

RS250 will blow any Astra away by a considerable margin BTW
 
Are you looking for a 'performance' model like a Megane RS or Focus ST/RS or are you looking for a regular car like an Astra GTC with a fancy trim level?

This thread has gone the usual direction of assuming everyone prioritises performance above all else.
 
Phemo said:
Probably not because then you have to declare everything as mods on your insurance. May or may not make a noticeable difference so it’s worth checking out what, if any, impact that has first.

I’m all for retrofitting stuff myself, added loads to my previous car and a few bits to my current car but never bothered with anything like wheels etc.

If you can’t find many cars then chances are your budget isn’t high enough. So whether you plan on retrofitting parts or not it probably makes sense to look at lower end models.
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Also, how can I time the insurance with the purchase of the car? If I go to view a car say Wednesday and like it..I'm bringing someone with me who is insured to drive any car, but i've seen its substansially more expensive to buy car insurance starting the same day then it is a few days in advance. I know its *technically* illegal, but can I not just leave it on the driveway for a few days, buy the insurance, and start it a few days after buying it etc? Or can I make it SORN for free for a few days and then un-SORN it . It's a few hundred pounds more expensive to buy it on the day
 
Get the quote in advance, priced to start the day you'd intend to buy, then if you do buy it, you call up and confirm at the quoted price.
 
Kenai said:
Get the quote in advance, priced to start the day you'd intend to buy, then if you do buy it, you call up and confirm at the quoted price.
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Kenai said:
Get the quote in advance, priced to start the day you'd intend to buy, then if you do buy it, you call up and confirm at the quoted price.
Click to expand...
Where is the best place to get a used car from as all the dealers I have seen seem to be dodgy. Cars being advertised as having years MOT but only having a months, dealers that trade under different names , I can't find the car on vauxhall approved used either.
 
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