OK - it looks like I may be buying another car. It looks possible that I will be buying used, which will be a new experience for me. (And to be honest, when it comes to knowing what to look at in a used car, I'm in pretty much the same league as HF. Old timers will remember her!)
However, that may be the least of my problems.
And if I do, there is a good chance that I will be seriously considering buying a vehicle from an independent dealer who lives several hundred miles from me.
And driving several hundred miles just to look at a car seems like a lot of effort. (I can just imagine what goes through the dealer's mind as I ring up to ask "Is the Subaru Forester still available?" and the he says "Yes" and adds "Where are you 'phoning from?" and I tell him that I'm coming down from the North of Scotland.)
It seems to me that there are a number of difficulties and pitfalls.
Any tips and hints welcome.
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Well, depending on your budget, some brands run approved used car schemes. An example includes Ford Direct. I believe it gives you some additional protection in the event of problems. BMW do something similar I gather and I'm sure other makes will too. Try going on the main brand websites for the models which interest you.
I seem to remember buying a Ford direct car which turned out to have a small hairline crack in a headlamp unit. Simply referred it to my local Ford dealer ( a hundred miles away from where it was bought ) and they replaced the unit free of charge.
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Some dealer groups will ship a used car to the nearest branch for you to look at if you are a serious buyer.
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You can do a lot by email - ask lots of factual questions - to which you can get factual answers, as opposed to a general "it's in great condition". Ask for more photos as well, especially of any problem areas.
Or get an independent inspection done & they feed the report back to you.
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>> You can do a lot by email - ask lots of factual questions - to
>> which you can get factual answers, as opposed to a general "it's in great condition".
Quite right. Questions like "Does it have any damage" put the onus on the dealer to answer correctly.
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Although I'd always recommend buying used car only after taking test drive, I do understand your problem.
Once I spoke to a main dealer about buying a car (used) over phone. I verbally agreed to buy the car as long as all specs were correct. Then I travelled to them (only 20 miles though). And discovered
* the car covered 15k more miles than advertised
* tax expired (even though said ready to take away)
* car was juddering while breaking
Though the dealer appologised and promised to rectify the problems (not mileage though), I finally bought my car from another dealer nearby.
If buying from main dealer, they should bring the car to your nearest dealership.
If not, that might be indication what after sales service you may receive from that brand.
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>>car was juddering while breaking
>>
Now that would worry me.
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It seems to me that if you don't know what you are looking for, there is no point in going through the motions of pretending to look for it.
You might as well just phone him up, decide whether he sounds a decent bloke or not, and pay what your research will tell you is a fair price.
I think the days are long gone when it was worth going and kicking tyres and listening to the engine and watching the exhaust smoke. All cars are the same and they all work. If this is the one in a hundred with a hidden fault, you won't find it anyway.
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Tell them that you're a long way away and you'd like some reassurance before you buy. Keep all *e-mail* correspondence and pictures, just in case. The dealer should be happy to e-mail as you are a long way away - if not, don't buy it. If you don't know what you're looking at, there's not much point in just viewing it, if you ascertain that you like the colour and model from a picture. Get your AA or RAC man or whatever to look the thing over for you.
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...All cars are the same and they all work. If this is the one in a hundred with a hidden fault, you won't find it anyway...
Sound advice, particularly for the OP who is looking at nearly new.
I would not be so keen on buying a banger from a distance.
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It would be better if you could work out how to reply to the correct post. I don't think it's all *that* difficult.
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>> It would be better if you could work out how to reply to the correct
>> post. I don't think it's all *that* difficult.
And that's not to mention the line space between each sentence!
P.S What's with the asterisks?
Last edited by: L'escargot on Fri 24 Dec 10 at 11:25
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...It would be better if you could work out how to reply to the correct post. I don't think it's all *that* difficult...And that's not to mention the line space between each sentence!...
Are you seriously bothered about where a post appears and the spacing between the lines?
I think the pair of you need to grow up a bit.
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>> I think the pair of you need to grow up a bit.
Yes Iffy.
Anything you say, Iffy.
What about you giving us some tuition on the subject?
;-)
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...What about you giving us some tuition on the subject?...
Behave as an adult and I wouldn't need to.
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>> Behave as an adult and I wouldn't need to.
You are doing the equivalent of answering one person in a conversation with a reply which should have gone to someone else. It's mildly irritating only, but it does make you look stupid.
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...it does make you look stupid...
In your eyes - that's a worry.
Posts have always popped up in different places in whichever view it is I use.
Anyway, I'm rapidly losing the will on this one.
It's a conversation that is just not worth having.
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>> Are you seriously bothered about where a post appears
Iffy, I think the point trying to be made is when replying to a post, to reply to that post and not someone else's then copying/pasting the text from the post you're replying to. For those small handfull of people who do read the thread in threaded view I can see it being annoying for them when your reply isn't tagged onto their message, but someone else's. It must be like trying to read a book where the pages have all been torn out and then randomly glued back in.
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>> ...All cars are the same and they all work.
On one occasion I was interested in a used car from a batch of company cars previously from the same owner. They were all the same price, all similar low age and all similar low mileage. I looked at 6 or 7 before I found one that was in acceptable condition.
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It depends on how fussy you are. I certainly would be dubious about travelling a long way to look at a used car, particularly if I knew there was only one sample for sale. If they had ten similar cars to choose from I might risk it. What's so special about the one you're interested in? Aren't there any for sale in your own area?
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If its a Forester, esp a nearly new one, the only concerns id have is are the tyres OK and was it owned by a farmer/farmers wife and therefore quite battered, which they often get very quickly out in the wild places.
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If it's a franchised dealer, any problems *should* be easily remedied, and buying at distance (deposit on card over the phone, balance on collection if everything is OK) but I wouldn't buy from an independant wihtout seeing the car first.
Hassle, yes, but it will be worth it in the long run. What car have you decided on? Aren't there any nearer?
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What car have you decided on? Aren't there any nearer?
I've not decided yet. To be honest, I'm really thinking seriously about another old shape Berlingo, which of necessity is going to be at least a couple of years old. There is one at a main dealer about 120 miles away, but it doesn't quite have the spec I'm looking for. However, I know that there is wisdom in being less fussy about spec to buy from a convenient and trustworthy source.
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I have bought three cars remotely. The first was my beloved Outback. We agreed a basic level of spec and condition of the car I was buying and the car I was part exchanging. The dealer was on the South Coast, I was in Manchester and we met up near Birmingham. We looked over both cars to confirm they were as described and as we were we swapped documents and drove off.
I had previously transferred the monies to the dealer but on the understanding (obtained in writing) that there would be an immediate refund if the deal was off after inspection. as you will recall I was very happy with that car.
The XC90 I bought was different. I failed to do it the same way and found I had bought a car that was not as well presented as I had imagined, and suffered a couple of non-warranty defects which I think should have been rectified prior to sale. I think if I had chosen a better example of an XC90 I would still be driving it.
The difference was also that the Volvo dealer was a large group and the Subaru was a smaller concern.
I sold the Volvo remotely to buy the S-max, but that was almost new and I had lots of photos to view and the dealer has a selection of similar cars and said they were all like new, which mine was. I took lots of photos of the Volvo as well so send to him.
If buying a Forester I would want to know the history (not so much service history - although that is important) but who has driven it, and why? Lots of photos help of all parts at all angles and if you can get a Subaru Approved car then so much the better.
I wish you much luck in the purchase. If the individual car is good, you will have many years of enjoyable Subaru motoring.
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If its a Forester, esp a nearly new one . . .
But if it's a Berlingo . . .
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Thanks for all replies so far.
In cases where it is a car from an approved scheme, or another main dealer car, or a dealer group that is willing to ship cars around, things are somewhat simpler.
My problem is that most of the cars that I'm seeing on Autotrader that I am interested in don't come into any of those categories. One of them is 3 years old, another is 8 years old!
L'escargot has the nub of the problem.
1) I'm being fussy. There are certain specifications and option combinations that I'd like which are simply highly unusual. (I have unusual tastes, as some of you may have noticed!)
2) There ain't nothing for sale in my area. Well, there is a bit if you go 100 or 150 miles, but not much choice.
Email enquiries sound like a good idea.
So does an independent inspection. I take it that the AA are as good as anyone?
So far, it looks to me that the smart way forward is First email, then call in the AA, then travel and test drive.
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Check the small print on exclusions with inspections. When I looked into one a few years ago, there were so many exclusions that I concluded it wasn't worth the money.
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Tyro
There are a few of us on here with specific Forester experience and possibly expertise. Tell us what you have found (send us the links) and we can advise. Tell us what your real wants and hates are in terms of spec. Do you want the Turbo model or non-turbo or diesel. There were a number of different petrol engines and some are 'better' than others. Is it manual or auto you want? Leather and/or winter pack. Winter pack is very useful and I would not be without it (heated seats, heater element under the wiper blades).
Let us know.
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www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2GF_MArj4o
The reason to buy a Forester with snow tyres!
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>> www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2GF_MArj4o
>>
>> The reason to buy a Forester with snow tyres!
Driving on a frozen lake with THAT number plate?
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Espada, many thanks for your contributions - both on the Forester, and on the experience of distance buying. At the moment, I'm not expecting to get a Forester - but there are a couple I've noticed, and if I do decide to look further at them, I'll post links.
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>> So does an independent inspection. I take it that the AA are as good as
>> anyone?
I've used the AA and I was satisfied both with the inspector's report and also with the fact that the inspector got the dealer to adjust the front wheel alignment without any input on my part. However, I was already satisfied with the general condition of the car and the road test and I only had the AA inspection just in case. It's the general condition and road test of a car in which I'm first interested. If one or both of those isn't acceptable to me then I don't take it any further. Incidentally, what takes place between the AA inspector and the dealer may depend on the individual AA inspector.
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Sounds like a good case for an auction buyer, or are your required options so rare it rules that out?
Can any of the options be fitted after buying?
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"Sounds like a good case for an auction buyer, or are your required options so rare it rules that out?
Can any of the options be fitted after buying?"
I thought about an auction buyer, but I think what I'm looking for is just not mainstream enough. And no, the options can't be fitted after buying.
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L'escargot,
Thanks for your thoughts about AA inspections. It's helpful to hear of someone else's experience. Even if they are not perfect, and there are a lot of exceptions, they are still useful.
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>> It seems to me that there are a number of difficulties and pitfalls.
>>
Never buy a used car from a dealer more than a few miles from your home - if anything goes wrong you'll have difficulty bringing it back.
I live in Birmingham and a few years ago bought a used Rover 100 from a dealer outside Bromsgrove about 15 miles away.
There was evidence of an oil leak which the dealer said he would fix, he just steam cleaned the engine.
I couldn't return the car because I'd have no way of getting home again or collecting it afterwards.
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when you live in the Highlands of Scotland, its a little difficult to follow that advise!
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Tyro I'd say buying at a distance from a main dealer is pretty safe but under no circumstances would I ever buy from an independent garage so far away... their ideas of what's acceptable vary so much.
A relative bought used from an independent the other month... looked and sounded OK from the internet ad but turned out to be a heap of junk!!
*BTW If you find something in Cambridgeshire I'll look at it for you.
Last edited by: Fenlander on Fri 24 Dec 10 at 16:53
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>> BTW If you find something in Cambridgeshire I'll look at it for you
Aye tis the season to be jolly and all that. I don't mind visiting a dealer or 2 local to me (central belt) for a hot listed car to get some pictures or general feel for the motor if it helps.
I'm attaching a condition to my offer though, i'm not as generous as Fenlander. If you take me up on this there will be a public dare* of some kind and the results to be posted publicly on this forum.
:-)
* It wont be as bad as sending Rattle to a swingers club as some are trying to do in another thread here :-)
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At one time i'd have thought a good main dealer would be the place to go, after travelling to nth London to view a Toyota approved used Landcruiser and finding disturbing faults on a 3 year old 23K miler Amazon ended that cosy notion forever.
I'm sure many of us would have a butchers for you if the right car came up in our patch (Northants), can't beat a cynical pair of experienced eyes comparing service histories with mileage and condition.
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Fri 24 Dec 10 at 20:24
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A thought: I came across a chap who made his crust by sourcing cars for buyers. This was some time ago. However, such people depend on reputation and should there be such a person in the vicinity, it might be worth a try. The car I sold was sound, and the buyer was upfront on the business, and gave cash for virtually the asking price, less a quantum for luck (£25). I know someone else who always bought through that sort of broker - always Mercedes in his case.
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With used cars, it's usually worthwhile to eyeball the seller/dealer and get a sense of their integrity, should you ever need to go back with an after-sales issue.
Since you are not too sure/fussy about exactly what you are looking for, why not spend a day going to your nearest big town/city, and systemmatically work your way round the dealers/car yards? You might find an unexpected gem, can kick the tyres, and haggle face-to-face over the price.
Much better than distance-negotiation and emailing with goodness-knows-who and their unseen motor. This is how I bought my KIA. Went looking for a used Peugeot/Focus and was (fortunately) side-tracked in to something completely different..!
Only 1 rule applies - as ever of course - know your budget and stick to it!
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Thanks, gentlemen, for yet more sage and helpful advice, which I have taken on board, and will continue to mull over. The point about dealers varying enormously in their integrity levels is well made.
I am particularly grateful to those of you who have made offers to have a look at cars. The vehicles in England that I'm particularly interested in (a couple of Berlingos) are in Sutton Coldfield and St. Albans - so not exactly Cambridgshire or Northants. As for the central belt, there are 2 or 3 vehicles that I'd like to have a look at, however I expect to be down that way seeing family sometime in the next couple of weeks. There are also 2 or 3 cars in the Inverness area that I hope to have a look at before too long.
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By the way, I have not really told you much about my thinking at this stage, so here is some explanation.
A Berlingo may not quite be my ideal car, but it comes very close. But which Berlingo?
The answer is that I prefer the old Berlingo to the new, as I have explained previously.
The old Berlingo had a facelift in 2002, and we prefer the appearance of the pre-facelift model. It also had 70 profile tyres as standard across the entire range, while after the face lift, the more powerful engines tended to come with 65 profile tyres. I presume that this is basically about marketing and fashion. I, however, want deeper profile tyres and a more powerful engine. So my ideal Berlingo is a pre-facelift one.
However, the engine that most appeals to me is the Hdi engine (and as I understand it, the older 2 litre Hdi engine, though not as efficient, has a bit more grunt than the newer 1.6 one.) The Hdi engine, however, was only made available on British Berlingos a few months before the facelift, so pre-facelift Hdi Berlingos are scarce.
And I would also like a modutop with the glass roof panels. And pre-facelift Hdi Berlingos with modutops are like hen's teeth. I know, because I've looked a few times over the years. However, one is, last time I looked, available in St. Albans:
tinyurl.com/39fe2rh
(It's also on autotrader)
Not quite as close to my ideal, but newer - and it seems to be in good condition - is this one in Sutton Coldfield:tinyurl.com/38w5uub
Any comments welcome.
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Just before i fall into bed.
The first one makes no mention of service history, or anything else for that matter.
The second seems to have a history to die for despite having had 2 previous owners so could be 3 in total, though a phone call should confirm.
Invoices and MOT's been kept, could well have had the right sort of owners.
I'd definately follow this one up, but unless a phone call could convince otherwise i'd give number one a miss.
Not trying to teach me granny etc, but you did remember to search for Partner's too?
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...The second seems to have a history to die for...
Sutton Coldfield, or Sutton as we posh folks call it, is one of the more prosperous outlying areas of Birmingham.
There's a good chance this car is from a good home, or at the very least from a home few of us could afford.
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Rather you than me. I certainly don't wish to offend, but I think you might be a little unwise to consider buying, sight unseen, a used mainstream car from a small trader who is 400 miles away from where you live! What are the costs involved in pick-up/collection? What if it's a lemon? If you were sourcing a rare or expensive niche-model Merc or some other exotica then I would understand your strategy, but the way it stands right now I fear you are creating an awful lot of work - and risk - for yourself!
Britain is full of cars - there must be something similar that takes your fancy a little closer to home?
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>> There's a good chance this car is from a good home, or at the very
>> least from a home few of us could afford.
>>
>>
The dealer is based there which doesn't mean anything... Brum has a very large Car Auction site as well... where many dealers get those sorts of car from! ;-)
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I'm worried now you have given two specific examples of what might interest you. They're not all bad but these back street dealers who know how to valet a car but little else have some dodgy cars. Thinking about buying one unseen or asking a third party to inspect raises real concerns.
Someone above mentioned they'd seen a less than perfect car at a main dealers but on average the main dealers have the best cars. Have you looked at the Citroen used car section of their website?
Try this link but it may take you to the main front page so you'll have to navigate through. It's a good site which you can navigate with vehicle specifics just like autotrader. There are 39 Berlingos under £7.5K at the moment so a good choice.
www.usedcar.citroen.co.uk/national-used-car-locator/?makeId=261&modelId=1537&priceTo=7500&fuelId=3&vehicleTypeId=1&page=2
I note the Forres dealer has a 2007 Multispace 1.6 HDi 16V Desire 5dr with comfort pack (35K mls). Isn't that your part of the world?
I have the 1.6HDi in my C5 and I think you'd be happy with it in a Berlingo. The main dealer warranty itself is a huge factor in going to Citroen for a used car. It is effectively the same as a new car warranty for one year... in our experience totally quibble free. We've just had a £400 repair on Mrs F's C3 only two days from the end of our 12mth warranty without a grumble.
Last edited by: Fenlander on Sun 26 Dec 10 at 10:32
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Thanks very much for those comments - very helpful.
Perhaps I'd better start by making clear that I am not going to buy a used car without a test drive. (My sister once had a used car go on fire when she was taking a test drive. It may even have been in the days when she lived in St. Albans!). Buying from a distance means making investigations from a distance, and then travelling a long distance in order to look at the car and test drive it, knowing that it's a risk that one will have travelled a long way to see a car that one will walk away from within minutes. It also means knowing that I won't really be able to bring the car back to the dealer to get problems sorted, and accepting that I may have to pay out a few hundred pounds within a few months on areas that need attention.
"Not trying to teach me granny etc, but you did remember to search for Partner's too?"
A good point, gb, and well made. Grannies can be forgetful. I usually remember to search for Partners, but occasionally slip up.
Nick, your words of caution are wise. I'm aware of these things. I'm taking them into consideration. I'm basically looking at possibilities right now, and am starting by looking at the strategies that are potentially most interesting, but high risk. I want to consider these possibilities before eliminating them.
As for the question "Britain is full of cars - there must be something similar that takes your fancy a little closer to home?" - the answer is that there are things that look attractive, but they are not quite so attractive. I've trawled ebay and Autotrader, and while there may be interesting cars out there, if anything is not on ebay or Autotrader, I'm simply not going to find it, even if it is 50 miles away.
Fenlander, that's helpful. I had already noted a couple of Berlingos at the Forres dealer, with the intention of going to have a look. It's not my closest dealer, but I have used them, and they have a very good reputation. I'll have a look at the other Berlingos around the country. Don't worry too much. I'm not about to dash off and buy an antique Berlingo from one of these dodgy Sassenach back street dealers.
At least, not yet.
;-)
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p.s.
"I note the Forres dealer has a 2007 Multispace 1.6 HDi 16V Desire 5dr with comfort pack (35K mls)."
The comfort pack includes front folding armrests - something I really, really, don't like. At a pinch, I could stomach alloy wheels and electric windows - but armrests really annoy me.
Yes, I'm awkward, have strange tastes, am difficult to please, etc. etc.
:-)
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p.p.s. The Citroen approved website, and their dealers, have a very annoying habit of not saying anything whatsoever about modutops and sunroofs in their car details. There are cars which clearly have a modutop or electric sunroof - but the equipment list, which gives a lot of useless information (driver's airbag, retractable luggage cover, digital clock, variable PAS, which are all standard) doesn't mention doesn't mention the option that I'm interested in. Grrr.
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Tyro,
Just let us know what dealer any car you are interested in is, and I am sure any local member here will pop over and tell you if its worth a trip down or not.
Specifiy if there is anything special you want on it.
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"Just let us know what dealer any car you are interested in is, and I am sure any local member here will pop over and tell you if its worth a trip down or not."
Thanks very much.
I'm not sure whether I am more impressed by the kindness of your offer or your confidence in the kindness of the rest of us. Perhaps it's simply that all members will be happy to do so, but will have differing definitions of what is local!
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>> I'm not sure whether I am more impressed by the kindness of your offer or
>> your confidence in the kindness of the rest of us. Perhaps it's simply that all
>> members will be happy to do so, but will have differing definitions of what is
>> local!
Ah the joy of the system is you just say where the car and dealer is, and we decide if its local enough for us to look at.
No response - no shame.
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p.p.p.s.
Oh dear. I've just looked at a 2007 Berlingo brochure, and I see that the Modutop is standard on the 'Desire' trim, and not even available as an option on the 'Forte' trim . . .
. . . and that it is exactly the same with the "comfort pack".
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You mean if you get the modutop you get armrests too?? If so just go for that model and take therapy for the armrest issue... you'll come round in the end :-)
BTW I'm thinking about creeping out of my semi-retirement and taking a part time job or doing something myself. One possibility needed a small van and I've been looking at one locally. It's a 56 plate Berlingo van with sliding side doors, elec windows and CD player. In a nice blue rather than white and very tempting with the 2.0HDi engine.
They're asking £3995 but the +vat element kills it for what I want to do.
Last edited by: Fenlander on Mon 27 Dec 10 at 10:50
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"You mean if you get the modutop you get armrests too??"
At least for 2007 and later vehicles. I strongly suspect that for 2003 and 2004 vehicles, it may not be the case. I just found an interesting 2003 Berlingo at a dealer in Hull - curiously enough, using Henry K's link (Thanks, Henry) - which does have a modutop, but appears not to have armrests. But while it is at a Citroen main dealer, it isn't in the approved used scheme.
To paraphrase Bianca (The Taming of the Shrew, Act 3, scene 1): "Old Berlingos please me best."
"If so just go for that model and take therapy for the armrest issue... you'll come round in the end :-)"
Well, I was thinking it might be possible to get the armrests removed. I guess I'd have to inform the insurance company, though.
:-)
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dont they just fold up out of the way?
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>>>dont they just fold up out of the way?
Ah but he'd still know they were there :-)
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dont they just fold up out of the way?
Well, sort of. On the (new) Berlingo we hired in France last year, they would fold up, but kept falling down again. But even folded up, I found them in the way - for example if I was reaching through from the driver's seat to get something that was on the floor of the back seat. And my wife sometimes walks through from the front of the car to the back of the car, going between the front and passenger seats. OK, it's a bit of a squeeze, but it would be a lot more awkward with the armrests.
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>> the way - for example if I was reaching through from the driver's seat to
>> get something that was on the floor of the back seat.
Well that's the crash explained then. ;)
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>>I've trawled ebay and Autotrader,
But have you trawled Google ?
Typing berlingo for sale into Google gives a "few" hits
e.g. 329 listed on www.vcars.co.uk/used-cars/used-citroen-berlingo.php
Of course I have no idea on prices etc but something might be suitable
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>>>definitions of what is local!
I'm up for a gallon or two of diesel so my (wobbly) circle would be Stamford, Wisbech, Ely, Nth Cambridge, Biggleswade, Wellingborough, Kettering, Corby.
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I could abut Fenlander (stop tittering at the back!).
Wellingborough, Milton Keynes, Luton, Cambridge.
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I'm up for a gallon or two of diesel so my (wobbly) circle would be Stamford, Wisbech, Ely, Nth Cambridge, Biggleswade, Wellingborough, Kettering, Corby.
That's helpful. I'll know not to send you to King's Lynn!
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No-one comes back from Kings Lynn.
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>> No-one comes back from Kings Lynn.
>>
Not the ones who've fallen in the hundred-foot drain anyway.
I could abut Tom. St Albans, Hemel Hempstead, High Wycombe, Oxford, Bicester, Buckingham. That said I think cars are more expensive dahn sarf meself.
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Well if it was to the Kings Lynn Citroen dealers that would be OK for a hot prospect.... but not to one of the many dodgy Daves round the back streets!
Edit: >>>No-one comes back from Kings Lynn.
Yes that's what I meant but I reckon a stealth run to the main dealers and out again might just be a possibility.
Last edited by: Fenlander on Mon 27 Dec 10 at 11:22
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I don't mind "doing" Cheshire. Do they make convertible Berlingos ?
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>> Do they make convertible Berlingos ?
>>
They don't make 'em like that, but one or two have had instant 'conversions' en route to the dealer/rdc.
It's extremely amusing when a shop steward does it..;)
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may be a long way from you but i'm up for doing around chicheter and portsmouth
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OK. I'm coming around to Fenlander's viewpoint that I should look, in the first instance, at cars in the dealership network, and preferably at approved used vehicles. Is there much difference between buying "approved used" from other used cars at dealerships? Does "approved used" imply a full service history?
Thanks for offers. Despite Manatee using the dread words "St. Albans", I'll not request a look at the old banger there. In fact, the vehicle that, at the moment, looks most attractive, is actually in, er, um, . . . . King's Lynn. There is another vehicle at a dealer which is part of a big chain, and I suppose that it is possible that they might bring a car up to one of their dealerships in Scotland for me to look at. And there is actually a vehicle within 150 miles of home. And so my next step is to get away and look at it, and some other cars. At the moment, as well as Berlingos, I've noted down a CR-V and a Honda Stream that I'd like to have a look at.
However, there isn't huge pressure on me to buy quickly, because we do have our Ka.* But it would be nice to have something a little larger.
(*We also anticipate getting winter tyres on it within a fortnight. One of the first things I did after our accident was to look for winter tyres for the Ka, only to find that there were, apparently none to be had in the Highlands, or from Black Circles, and only 1 brand available from Mytyres. I ordered them promptly, and was told that they were out of stock. However I gather they are now in stock again, and they tell me to expect delivery in about 11 days time. In the meantime, we are driving around in the snow in summer tyres.)
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Postscript.
And as for the reasons for why one might buy a car from a distance, the answer is that as one gets more and more remote, the amount of choice one has locally declines.
One test is to put a postcode into Autotrader, and see how many cars show up within 200 miles.
Here, for example is the number of used Mondeos under £7000 within 200 miles of various towns:
Birmingham - 3060
London - 2893
Aberystwyth - 2761
Glasgow - 1003
Penzance - 453
Aberdeen - 318
Inverness - 232
Thurso - 158
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It does also depend on the spec as you well know.
Just a few years ago, from London I went 100 miles for both a Mondeo saloon and also a Yaris.
e. g. Lack of choice
A search today on Autorader country wide for a £2K+ Mondeo 4door petrol auto gives me 9 options and that is without defining model, colour, trim 2.0 /2.5l or anything else.
BUT they are all less than 200 miles away.
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Buying a used car from a distance - Runfer D'Hills
