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TBH I thought the i30 would be what we bought as they suffer from initial depreciation and are excellently spec'd from new. The interior is sort of Skoda standard, but nicer in some places. You've got a bit more than our budget at the time, which means leasing/finance should be a consideration.
In terms of buying. You can pay for AA or RAC checks to look at the vehicle I think. £5k is still a bit low for branded dealers - our experience was £8k was generally the cheapest car they'd sell.
You also have to use your logic and detective skills to some extent. The easiest starting points are:
- MOT Checker online - these are now detailed and will include things like tyre and break wear. As an eg on a GTI you may well expect to see a fail or minors on tyres and brakes on the first MOT - say an enthusiastic driver of what was a new car, but if those type of issues keep coming up thereafter it indicates a lack of care. Do the changes in mileage done correlate to the no. of owners - can that tell you anything, etc.
- FSH - if it's got all the correct dealer stamps, or a brand specialist indy it's a good sign.
- other visual cues - do the tyres match (indicates care), does the interior wear seem proportional to the mileage (not clocked), etc.
It is hard though, because you never know. My mum had an A3 that was full of electrical nightmares from new and should have been driven back to the dealer and left there. On paper it would have been mint with miniscule miles, a FSH, and effectively 1 owner.
It's dark, but a good reason for looking at things like the Civic, Jazz, and Auris is the demographic of owners. They've got the time to research what is a reliable car. Plus you stand a good chance of something that's been well cared for, not used too much which the owner can no longer drive due to incapacity or death.
At least you have an advantage over when we were looking as the time of year should mean more people are selling. Altho the CV panic may make people less inclined to sell.
- MOT Checker online - these are now detailed and will include things like tyre and break wear. As an eg on a GTI you may well expect to see a fail or minors on tyres and brakes on the first MOT - say an enthusiastic driver of what was a new car, but if those type of issues keep coming up thereafter it indicates a lack of care. Do the changes in mileage done correlate to the no. of owners - can that tell you anything, etc.
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hugo7
aggi
Cheers, a few of those like the Auris I'd looked at but it's added a few more options. The Jazz and the Hyundai in particular look like possibles.
More generally, I assume it's probably wise to steer clear of diesel cars given the current climate. Given my knowledge of cars is getting a hire car for a week, caning it and giving it back, how do you make sure you're not buying something shit that isn't going to cost a load of money? Or is that less of a risk with cheapish, dull cars? What type of mileage/age is reasonable? Most stuff in that price bracket looks to be about 10 years old.