Trying to decide what to buy

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noilh

Registered User
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Hello folks, hope you can give some help on this. I'm looking for some pointers to help me first of all decide what car to buy. I've more or less decided to go for a second-hand. I'm considering the following as i've read comments about them here on askaboutmoney -
Toyota Corolla
VW Passat
Renault Megane Scenic
Toyota Qashquai
Toyota Almera
Toyota Primera

I don't want a small car like say the Nissan Micra as I think I would feel intimidated in it. Also it's really important that I can have confidence the car would withstand impact fairly well as I haven't driven for 15 years and all the ads about accidents etc have made me aware of what happens on the roads nowadays. I would like something that isn't out-dated looking as I need to look a little bit cool.
 
The last three are Nissans.
Personally I would avoid all French cars due to reliability issues and poor resale values.
Many of these cars you've mentioned are a little conservative so if you're looking for something a little different I'd go for the Quashquai. As it's only just out, you'll get minimal feedback though.
I like VW's so it'd get my vote.
What's your budget...roughly?
 
---I'm still learning the names of cars as your can see. Thanks for replying. My budget would be 8,000 maybe up to 10,000. I've been told that buying a second-hand car is just buying other prople's trouble , so i want to spend a decent amount in the hope of getting a good car.
 
noilheart said:
---I'm still learning the names of cars as your can see. Thanks for replying. My budget would be 8,000 maybe up to 10,000. I've been told that buying a second-hand car is just buying other prople's trouble , so i want to spend a decent amount in the hope of getting a good car.
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The Quashquai is only just out so you wouldn't get one of these to fit your budget.

Have you had a look on www.carzone.ie?

In my experience that's the best site.

In fact, just doing a quick search (and assuming you live in Dublin-apologies if you don't) click on this link and have a look



My first few cars were Golf's and they were always good regarding reliability and holding their value.
 
In buying second hand, for the most part you do not have to worry re other people's problems. Cars generally do not cause problems once you get a decent looking car and many people change their car regularly. Optimistic
 
car bought from a dealer has to be perfect, so if your buying other peoples problems, its thier problem, not yours! (well for the first year anyway)


as for french cars dropping in price too fast, that is very very true, its scary. but this can be to your advantage....

if your buying secondhand and planing on keeping for a few years, i'd go with a
peugeot 307 or renault megane,
you could easily buy a 04 petrol or an 03 diesel for 10,000

they come gadget packed as standard

alloys
aircon
automatic wipers
automatic lights
electric mirrors
trip computer


stuff that golf owners would have to pay heavily for
 
Although they're all similar in general, the car's you mention are reasonably different when it comes to driving them: my advice would be to take a look at a few to get a feel for them and see what you like. For example, you may really like (or really dislike) the higher driving position of cars like the Scenic.

A few general pointers:

- French cars don't hold their value well, but you can use this to your advantage (you get more car for your money, but bargain hard as you won;t get much when you come to sell it)
- Check out Euro NCAP for each car's safety rating, but make sure you compare the model you're looking at (new versions of the same model are usually much better than the one they replace) - see http://www.euroncap.com/home.aspx
- Renault have put real emphasis on safety for the past few years and tend to score very highly on it
- Buy from a main dealer and get a good warrenty of you need the confort of knowing it's there: you'll pay more for this, but it's probably worth it
- Don't pay anything like the asking price: there's still a lot of 2nd hand cars traded in earlier in the year that they're desparate to sell
- Nissan, Toyota and VW have very good quality/reliability reputations
- French and Italian cars have poor quality/reliablity reputations
- You might want to add Ford Focus/Mondeo to your list

Now some personal views:

- VW don't deserve their reliability reputation
- Nissans are boring beyond belief
 
mukki said:
car bought from a dealer has to be perfect, so if your buying other peoples problems, its thier problem, not yours! (well for the first year anyway)


as for french cars dropping in price too fast, that is very very true, its scary. but this can be to your advantage....

if your buying secondhand and planing on keeping for a few years, i'd go with a
peugeot 307 or renault megane,
you could easily buy a 04 petrol or an 03 diesel for 10,000

they come gadget packed as standard

alloys
aircon
automatic wipers
automatic lights
electric mirrors
trip computer


stuff that golf owners would have to pay heavily for
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Both these cars are rightly slated for horrendous build quality and general unreliability. Gadgets, bells and whistles are no good if your car won't run.

VW's are over rated and over priced.

Mainstream Jap. cars are likely be reliable, but will be utterly uninspiring to drive (Corolla). Mazda make a few goodun's.

Surprised nobody has mentioned a Skoda Octavia - huge boot :D
 
If Carlsberg did cars....

Toyota are in my opinion the most reliable cars on the market, and if something does go wrong the parts are a lot easier to get due to so many Toyotas being on the road. I'd say go for a Corolla, you'd get a not too old one for your budget.
Check out or or your local car dealer.

Good luck
:)
 
Out of the cars you are interested in either the qashquai or the passat.
Avoid the french brands
 
well i have a lot to think about now. I'd better do some test driving (after I take some refresher lessons first of course) as i haven't had much contact with cars for 15 years. Will try the websites mentioned as well and let you all know how things are going.
 
RS2K said:
Both these cars are rightly slated for horrendous build quality and general unreliability. Gadgets, bells and whistles are no good if your car won't run.

VW's are over rated and over priced.

Mainstream Jap. cars are likely be reliable, but will be utterly uninspiring to drive (Corolla). Mazda make a few goodun's.

Surprised nobody has mentioned a Skoda Octavia - huge boot :D
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they are terribal statistically, but if ya buy one they are great, and really cheap beause people are afraid they will break down

I did 80k on a clio i bought new

brother has done 148k on a 1.4 307 and only problems are the odd expensive service and the indictors don't turn themselves off,

even new golfs give problems nowadays

Corollas are boring to look at and worse to drive in, you can get killed if ya fall asleep behind the wheel, lol
 
Well i won't be falling asleep behind the wheel, but in case someone else does and crashes into me I want a car that will still have the frame intact and me still awake behind the wheel :D
 
mukki said:
they are terribal statistically, but if ya buy one they are great, and really cheap beause people are afraid they will break down

I did 80k on a clio i bought new

brother has done 148k on a 1.4 307 and only problems are the odd expensive service and the indictors don't turn themselves off,

even new golfs give problems nowadays

Corollas are boring to look at and worse to drive in, you can get killed if ya fall asleep behind the wheel, lol
Click to expand...

Clios are good little cars. Well regarded in the trade. Meganes, Lagunas and anything larger are all snotters.
 
oh!

OP... take a day out and test drive a

peugeot 307
toyota corolla
VW golf
skoda octavia
nissan almeria
seat leon
opel astra
audi a3

goto main dealers so you will have a better comeback with problems

and post back which ones you really liked and miles and price asked, and we could post back which we would go for


its upto you to make the choice and drive the car in the end
 
Mukki, that may be your personal list but the OP specifically said they didn't want a small car, and most in your list aren't exactly large.
 
Just in response to this comment "VW don't deserve their reliability reputation" this is probably through but they really are sought after as a second hand car and hold their value
 
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