Hi everyone I would be very grateful for your help.
I am looking to buy a car to drive about 50 miles a week to the local gym, the supermarket and a couple of work placements. I could spend up to a grand (but less would be better). I am a student so I really want something that is fuel efficient and cheap to insure (I am a 28 year old female if that factors into the insurance). Thanks very much for your help.
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I'm pretty ignorant about cars, but I suspect that if you buy a car for that price you will have high servicing costs as it will be old and knackered. However it sounds like you need a city car or supermicni (Nissan Micra, Vauxhall Corsa, Ford Ka etc). Your best bet might be to find one being sold by an old dear, who has looked after it. I have no idea how to find such a car. Perhaps a relative has one? If you are lucky, you know someone who can go with you when you view a private sale. I would avoid garages.
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I agree with the Dog. Nice looking little car. Toyota, Nissan Micra or good Sunny owned by pensioner giving up. Chain cam a good bet, someone will tell you about that.
You'll get a lot of help here on the technical side if you need it.
Good hunting.
Ted
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Not wishing to be negative but if you can only afford less than a grand can you really afford to run a car at the moment? Insurance could easily cost you that and so could a major mechanical problem which is a distinct possibility for a sub £1,000 car.
Walk to the gym, order the supermarket stuff on line and get a bus to the work placements and you will be quids in. For 50 miles a week a taxi would be cheaper than owning a car.
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I'm with CGN on this one*.
I would take your cash and buy a decent pushbike, lock and some panniers.
You may even save on gym fees with the cycling.
Of course this depends on where you live and times the journeys are undertaken.
* Lots of caveats, assuming OP is able bodied and the gym is not for some physical problem which prevents cycling etc...
Last edited by: gmac on Tue 5 Jun 12 at 07:10
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With that kind of budget I'd seriously consider a scooter. You'd need to do the CBT course (one day's training which should leave you change from £100) and the motorcycle theory test, but you could then consider something like this.
tinyurl.com/c5jrjl7
I've owned one for nearly three years, absolutely bullet-proof, bit faster than the 50cc jobs but not quite trendy enough to be a target for thieves, and best of all a decent make with good spares back-up. They hold their value too.
At that kind of price you'd still have enough change for a decent helmet, jacket and leggings, and of course insurance. You'd then have wheels for a couple of years on L-plates (after which you'd have to re-do the CBT) which should give you chance to save up enough for a car. Assuming of course you don't get bitten by the two-wheel bug, pass your test and buy a bigger bike! ;-)
Last edited by: Harleyman on Tue 5 Jun 12 at 09:22
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Sound advice I think from CGN and gmac.
It's very easy to get fixated on this "must have a car" syndrome, and anyone you talk to who already has a car (ie everyone here) will themselves be locked into that mindset.
You see it here at other price levels too. Must spend £10,000, must spend £2000, must have an AWD because I'm moving to the country, etc. Cars are consumer statements and express how people want others to judge them, so it's a brave person who opts out and is happy with a £500 car, or no car at all.
I have to say too that "going to the gym" is often another such consumer statement. Perhaps get a bicycle and use it for real, and save both the cost of a car and the gym?
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>> Sound advice I think from CGN and gmac.
>>
Maybe so Cliff, but both overlook the fact that we do not have sufficient details about the specific journeys; it could well be that one of them involves a twenty mile round trip icluding a steep hill, which the OP might reasonably consider too much for a pushbike.
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>> >> Sound advice I think from CGN and gmac.
>> >>
>> Maybe so Cliff, but both overlook the fact that we do not have sufficient details
>> about the specific journeys; it could well be that one of them involves a twenty
>> mile round trip icluding a steep hill, which the OP might reasonably consider too much
>> for a pushbike.
>>
Which is why I mentioned: "Of course this depends on where you live and times the journeys are undertaken."
Without the specific journey details, types of shopping trips (food shopping for a family of ten?) etc... we are all just second guessing.
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Surely we're overlooking the fact that the OP asked for advice on buying a car...not whether she needed one or not.
Let's encourage another motorist to go about it sensibly, instead of sitting behind our own steering wheels and telling her she doesn't need one.
Pat
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Must remember next time answer only the question do not try to make alternative suggestions however helpful I may think I am trying to be.
Think black and white, no shades of grey or colour allowed.
As for the car, no specific one, buy on condition and if you are unsure, or even if you can strip a Mini down to its component parts and rebuild it in 2 hours, always useful to take a second pair of eyes along for something you might miss.
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Sarcasm does you no favours gmac:)
Pat
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I know, that's why I gave a straight reply. You'll know when it's sarcasm :-)
Last edited by: gmac on Tue 5 Jun 12 at 18:39
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>> Surely we're overlooking the fact that the OP asked for advice on buying a car...not
>> whether she needed one or not.
Yes, but sometimes one asks a question without thinking through the alternatives, and costs. I managed with trains and feet till I learnt to drive at age 35.
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>> if you can only afford less than a grand can you really afford to run a car at the moment?
>> Insurance could easily cost you that
As a student, insurance will definitely cost you that. Have you thought of looking at a newer one on finance with insurance thrown in? There are some good deals about at the moment, especially for higher-risk drivers (pretty much anyone under 30, these days).
As I've said before, the reason so many young, newly-qualified drivers get brand-new Citroen C1s etc is that the purchase cost of the car is a fairly small percentage of their overall motoring costs - if they can afford the high cost of insurance and petrol every month then another £99 on finance is small beer.
Last edited by: Dave_TDCi on Tue 5 Jun 12 at 11:07
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" so it's a brave person who opts out and is happy with a £500 car, or no car at all."
Aha! I am something then.... my 11.5 year old Xantia certainly stands out in the works carpark - and not for the 'right' reasons....
Back to the OP - I had a car a uni, because I got a bursary from BP for a summer placement and I needed it to get there - but it nearly broke me the year after. Insurance was dear (but then I did live in a scabby bit of S Manchester!) - but that was 15 years ago, it would catacylsmic now I expect. Best route for a car of that sort is the autotrader or e-bay, but you want a private seller, not a trader. A £1k trader's car is (usually) a near scrap one that's been tarted up for sale.
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Fiat panda there cheap and cheap to run and repair.
Skoda favorit another one these should be low mileage.
For 1k you will get these keep for as long as you can then get shut for a better car.
If you can't afford real servicing a oil and filter change and make sure the brakes work will do.
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Perhaps the budget for the car reflects the overall budget for owning a car, its not up to us to lecture.
At 28 the first year premiums are soemwhat lower than for a teenager, my wife passed at 27 and was only paying £800 a year which is manageable.
Id be thinking:
Fiat Seicento, pref the 1.1, very low insurance and plenty about, watch for rusty fuel tanks, otherwise quite tough.
Nissan Micra 1.0 for obvious reasons, fair few granny cast-offs still about.
Daewoo/Chevrolet Matiz - you can get a fairly new one for a grand but needs SH, quite numerous, rarely with big miles.
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Do you know anybody who can help you out with buying a car Charly? The small Fiats are fine.You need a bit of luck.
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Help clueless about what to buy - Leif
