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my car (well i guess it's not mine really) was owned by an old man who barely used it and kept it in his garage so it's rust free and only had 30k miles on the clock when we got it 3 years ago (it's an N reg).
Old people ride clutches, glaze the bores in the engine, and do lots of short journeys. Much of the time the car is a tool to them. With youngsters, the quality of driving(dare I say it...) tends to be better, from a mechanical point of view. They quickly learn how to drive without riding the clutch, and are more likely to give the car varied amounts of use.
Some youngsters even cherish their car. They've often worked hard for quite a while to save up for it, and as such they take care of it.
A few better generalisations, IMO:-
--Buy a car from out of town. Cars from villages 5-15 miles from town are more likely to have had journeys of a decent length, which is very good for a car. Lots of short journeys means things never get up to temperature - condensation in the oil never gets boiled off, the cat never manages to make it to working temperature. The vast, vast majority of wear on a cars engine and gearbox take place during the first mile of a cold start. A cold start followed by 2 miles into town, or a cold start followed by 5-15 miles into town - the mileage on the odometer is largely irrelevant these days, IMO.
--Maintenance. Always try to buy a car with a decent service record for the last few years. It's nice to have a car that has been properly looked after from new, but it doesn't generally happen. Thorough and decent maintenance by a competent mechanic for the last 2 years or more is - generally - a good indication of what a car is going to be like for the next 12 months.
--Tyres - If they're the same make and model all round, and not the cheapest and nastiest, then it would indicate that the owner actually tries to hunt out the things they feel are good. This doesn't apply if all four tyres were changed at the same time though.
--Exhaust - a stainless steel exhaust will last for a lifetime. Standard offerings tend to last 2-5 years. Having a stainless exhaust system doesn't have to mean the car has been boy-racered.
--Clutch - these tend to last for anything from 40k to 150k, depending on use. One changed in the last 24k or 2 years should be a good indication of no impending nasty bills.
--Paperwork - nice to see it all neatly organized and kept together. Thorough and complete invoices are worth a hundred times more than a rubber stamp in a service book. Check over for repeat failures. It's nice to see the MOT done at the same place each year - and this is also a good guide to verifying the mileage of the vehicle.
The best, and most reliable, vehicles I've ever had have had usual miles on them. Worst was a Mondeo with 56k on the clock and a full dealer history - I killed a little-end within 3k of buying it, despite doing nothing wrong. Best cars have been my little 205, my Rover Sterling, and my Orion. All were bought with around 120k on the clock and gave a faultless performance until the point of selling them - at least 30k later.
Cars are made to be used, not left sitting around for weeks on end. The brakes sieze up, certain valve springs remain compressed whilst others have no load, tyres begin to perish as the load is always carried in one particular area, and bushes just generally die. To me, high mileage is far nicer than a low mileage, so long as the overall condition of the vehicle is good and the car has been well-maintained. Having been in jobs where 2-300 miles each day was typical, I can say with my hand on my heart that - personally - I'd rather have a car that has covered 60k per year than 6k per year. Depending on use and maintenance
You are assuming that it's in bad condition but often they aren't. It's just a cheaper option for dealers than storing them.
Other place they go is auctions.
You also seem to believe that with £2k, you'll get to spend most of it on a car. You won't. Tax will be about £165 for the year and insurance will be anything up to £1k. Assuming that it has an MOT, on that pasis you will have about £800 maximum to play with.
The thing was fuckin shit. I ended up spending about a grand on repairs in the 6 months i had it.
Just cos you spend more money, doesnt neccessarily mean the car will be better than a cheaper one.
i'm only 3rd party and i'm a girl so it's gonna be cheaper. i didn't even have any no claims bonuses. i also only have a 1.0 106.
my dad has a toyota prius so his tax is dead cheap.
think mine is about £120 a year.
Personally I would suggest a Micra or Polo, not the most flattering of cars but both known for good reliability and both available in 1.0 litre engines (good for petrol and insurance). The micras are all 16 valve also so despite the smaller engines are actually fairly quick acceleration wise. Avoid going for a Fiesta unless you go for a 1.3 or larger engine, they are very poor cars and Fiats of that age especially are awful. You should be able to get insured for less than £700 and also get a good 40mpg.
Buy private, it will allow you to have a proper look at the car before you decide to buy without the high prices and pushiness of a salesman. Ask for a test drive (nothing too serious) it will let you check how the car runs and feels. Things to look for are the gear changes, are they smooth? If not there could be a problem. Check for excessive or even blue smoke coming from the exhaust if this is the case avoid! Tread on the tyres, if there isn't a lot left then it can be expensive to replace them eating into your budget! Also if the there is more tread on the outside than the inside or vice versa then the tracking could be out meaning more money to sort the problem. Check for general rust particulary the sills this could fail an mot. Paperwork and reciepts etc are also a good sign that the car has been cared for so ask the owner if these have been kept for any repairs past mots etc.
Don't want to overload you with too much info but if you know someone who is clued up on cars take them with you and if you see a good deal get on the phone quick to arrange a viewing as cheaper smaller cars are very sought after!
Hope this helps!:thumb:
Oh God, I want it noooow :hyper:
Good taste! :thumb: Arosas are fab, my first and only car is an R reg and it's still a little beauty. Only problem I've ever had was a brief spell one winter when the boot wouldn't open :impissed:... had to laugh, really.
I wanna know everything about your car!!! Do tell! I've definitely got my heart set on an Arosa
Yeah, the new model Transit is ace. Awesome driving position
I hate driving Trannies. Traffics and Vitos :thumb:
Oh and as for the old Nissan Micra, I don't know if it's relevant, but lots of driving instructors seem to still be using one, which suggests it's pretty reliable because they get tonnes of use out of them and they're usually driven by pretty crap drivers.
Compared to my dad's Focus, the clutch is shit and the steering nowhere near as much feedback. But not a bad car. Not particularly good either.
I have never liked its looks though ;(
I also thought 4x4s were ideal for getting up hills?
I don't know, the Range Rover Supercharged V8 ain't slow.
Yes it is that one! Although I can't pretend it's mine, it's my uncles. I've got a lowly Fiat!
Its with a Jag engine. It is fun to drive though, you probably couldn't get a more different driving experience than a mini to a range rover if you tried!