Can you trade your car for an used car?Confused

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stella

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Hello Forum,

the headgas of my old Fiat Punto needs to be replaced. I don't have a quotation but it might be in around 500€ almost half of the value of my car. The garage is suggesting to trade in my car and buy a second hand car from them. Not sure what to do considering that my budget is really small. What should I ask for? or watch out?
Thanks
Stella
 
Sounds a little odd - yes you can trade in a car against a used car if the garage is willing. But in my recent experience garages are not willing to do this, as they have too many in stock already that they can't shift. Perhaps things have changed.

The only thing to do is get a quote for headgasket replacement form a FIAT dealer - the dealers may not be as expensive as you think especially in the current climate and then it's a case of doing the maths on what your car is worth (check carzone.ie).

But why a garage would be willing to take a problem off your hands I don't know - they are a business. Just make sure the deal is at least reasonable.
 
Maybe because they can use my old car against the government funding for the screapage scheme.....?
 
Ah sorry - yes makes more sense now, scrapage I think is €1,500.
Replacing or repairing the head gasket is a big job so I would expect it to be pricey. You still need a quote on this, to base your decision on. If you go for the 2nd hand car, ask about a warranty (6 months to a year).
 
Yes they actually offered me 1,000 euro if I buy a second hand car off them. But the choice because of my budget is very limited so I basically need to choose between a Fiat Punto Active of 2005 or a Mitsubishi Space car of 2004. Not knowing to much about cars....it's quite a difficult choice.
 
All things being equal (mileage, condition,....) I guess I would go for the Japanese Mitsubishi - Japanese cars are generally considered to be very reliable. Check out carzone.ie for prices on the 2004 Space Star to see if the price is reasonable.
 
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