Buying a used car in Ireland guide

Harcrid · 18-12-2013 1:00pm

In the past I bought a car that was on eBay.co.uk but it was a classified ad rather than a traditional auction. So in that sense it would be the same as an ad listed on Autotrader for example. I personally would not bid on a car without seeing it or having it checked out first.

sebphoto · 02-01-2014 12:45pm

I'm wondering how does it look like when it comes to bargaining with sales person who is working for a garage?
They have fixed price and not willing to change it at all or it's just a matter of person and approach?

L-M · 02-01-2014 3:19pm

Person, approach and the car itself.

Have a look and see what other similar cars and going for, and go in and make an offer.

If you want to pm me there car I could offer a better opinion on the matter.

cmurry · 02-01-2014 9:57pm

A few years ago, near home, I had to drive my wife's punto through a flooded backroad, with water about an inch or two above the front bumper.
I drove around 10 to 15 mph, but water got sucked into engine & it was destroyed. A neighbour stopped in a corolla at the spot I stalled to ask if I was alright. He was able to drive on again.
The recovery van driver said the air intake on my car was low & said its low on passats too, as he'd recovered loads of those that night too. I borrowed a yaris afterwards and could see the air intake under the bonnet.

I can't make out where the air intake on a skoda superb is? Can any one tell me if its low down or pretty high up.
If its low down, could I ask a garage to raise it up higher in the engine bay.
I'd like to know what models of family sized cars cope best with water on the road, for the next time I buy?

sebphoto · 02-01-2014 10:04pm

@cmurry I wouldn't take such risk to rive trhough a flooded road. You never know how deep it is and how you might end up. In my opinion it doesn't matter what car you have, ok maybe except humvee

L-M · 02-01-2014 10:41pm

I nearly failed my driving test for driving through a sizeable puddle.

tony melia · 04-01-2014 7:15pm

Audi a4 09 diesel 150k price 10k is milage to high one owner

Bassjacker · 04-01-2014 8:14pm

Im looking for a 2010-2011 Ford Focus Diesel. I have found this one http://carsireland.ie/1003988.
Would the mileage be considered relatively high for a 4 year old car. The dealer has said he will give it to me for 10k along with my 2001 Toyota Corolla, which I was expecting to get around €500 for. Its the Zetec model so I think the price is reasonable enough?
What are peoples views. My budget is €10,000-€11,000.

MidlandsM · 04-01-2014 9:49pm

Bassjacker wrote: »

Im looking for a 2010-2011 Ford Focus Diesel. I have found this one http://carsireland.ie/1003988.
Would the mileage be considered relatively high for a 4 year old car. The dealer has said he will give it to me for 10k along with my 2001 Toyota Corolla, which I was expecting to get around €500 for. Its the Zetec model so I think the price is reasonable enough?
What are peoples views. My budget is €10,000-€11,000.

I sell a lot of these, and to be fair, his price is not too wild, but could be better all the same. If you could squeez a better cost to change? Tell me, does you corolla have much going for it, much test? what condition? is it banjaxed?
it's an english focus, and says it got a full serv hsitroy, but I'd want to see it, and look closely at the intervals.........how many services has it had exactly? I'd want to see at least 6 to 7 service stamps in the book on these, its the 1.6 and they need real good regular oil services ....
I only buy in ones with big service histories......crucial with these.

if it does'nt have the service stamps, walk away....

also, do a data check, to check for write off/ damage in the past & milage etc.

TB belt interval is 125000 Miles , costs approx €450 to perform. They don't give big injector issues or dual mass issues, like some others but thats not to say they don't go bang in them either.

also, what warranty are they giving?

bazz26 · 04-01-2014 10:00pm

Sell the Corolla privately and then negotiate a better price on the Focus. That Corolla isn't worth much to a dealer.

Bassjacker · 04-01-2014 10:26pm

bazz26 wrote: »

Sell the Corolla privately and then negotiate a better price on the Focus. That Corolla isn't worth much to a dealer.

My Corolla isnt in the best of shape. I bought it in 2007 for €6000. It now has 130000 miles. The paint has all faded on the roof and is peeling, the bonnet is badly faded too. I presume it will need a full re spray. Recently it has started reeving by itself when idle in neutral,my local garage had a look and said it was the throttle body that needs replacing and it would cost a couple of hundred.
The final nail in its coffin is a rattle that it makes when driving, which I think could be a barring gone in the gearbox.
So I couldnt really sell it privately as I wouldnt be able to stand over it
.

Bassjacker · 04-01-2014 10:37pm

MidlandsM wrote: »

I sell a lot of these, and to be fair, his price is not too wild, but could be better all the same. If you could squeez a better cost to change? Tell me, does you corolla have much going for it, much test? what condition? is it banjaxed?
it's an english focus, and says it got a full serv hsitroy, but I'd want to see it, and look closely at the intervals.........how many services has it had exactly? I'd want to see at least 6 to 7 service stamps in the book on these, its the 1.6 and they need real good regular oil services ....
I only buy in ones with big service histories......crucial with these.

if it does'nt have the service stamps, walk away....

also, do a data check, to check for write off/ damage in the past & milage etc.

TB belt interval is 125000 Miles , costs approx €450 to perform. They don't give big injector issues or dual mass issues, like some others but thats not to say they don't go bang in them either.

also, what warranty are they giving?

Thanks for the quick reply and all the info. I called to the garage today just to have a quick look at it. As my car knowledge is limited enough I will be bringing a mechanic with me if I see a car I am very interested in.
So if I could get the price down a small bit and the service history was genuinely good would you see a problem with buying this car or should I look for one with lower mileage. I will be doing a check on whichever car I am serious about. Is it worth doing a full check like the one on carsirlend.ie for €35. How do you tell if the timing belt has been changed, will it be written in the service book?

MidlandsM · 04-01-2014 11:08pm

Bassjacker wrote: »

Thanks for the quick reply and all the info. I called to the garage today just to have a quick look at it. As my car knowledge is limited enough I will be bringing a mechanic with me if I see a car I am very interested in.
So if I could get the price down a small bit and the service history was genuinely good would you see a problem with buying this car or should I look for one with lower mileage. I will be doing a check on whichever car I am serious about. Is it worth doing a full check like the one on carsirlend.ie for €35. How do you tell if the timing belt has been changed, will it be written in the service book?

The milage is ok on it, nowt to worry about there.

this is what I'd so....

Tell the dealer you are serious about buying the car, only if he puts a better deal together ..make him work for your business/the sale ...
tell him you'll do 9k with your car ......... and stay stum.....say nothing.....let him do all the work to get your money.....see where it goes.

Ask to see the service history and ask him to highlight the frequency of the oil changes. As I said, you need to see at least 6 or 7 documented.

Get your mechanic to check it over, and drive it. Check the tyres are good, and not cheap chineese shyte.

The car is not due a T belt till 125k miles.

Ask about the warranty - haggle for a longer one from them, not a third party for extra money..

Get them to data check the car and provide you with a copy....

Then, to seal the deal, tell them you want a set of mats, and a tank of fuel....:D

good luck

Diarmuid · 07-01-2014 8:47pm

Thinking of upgrading soon to a s/h Skoda. Will probably go for the Octavia TDI , Probably the 1.6CR. I know they are not the most highly thought of here but I drive mostly on the motorways and I've a similarly powered 1.6MPI Octavia already which I'm happy with.

With that in mind I've noticed a few 131 versions of the 1.6CR for sale, for example this one However the asking price is very much on the higher side from what I would expect.

Considering the 131 Octavia is the old model and the RRP was €24,900, I would have guessed a depreciation of 20% would be the minimum on a car like that. Buying for a Skoda dealer, should I be able to get this for €20,000?

MidlandsM · 07-01-2014 9:10pm

Diarmuid wrote: »

Thinking of upgrading soon to a s/h Skoda. Will probably go for the Octavia TDI , Probably the 1.6CR. I know they are not the most highly thought of here but I drive mostly on the motorways and I've a similarly powered 1.6MPI Octavia already which I'm happy with.

With that in mind I've noticed a few 131 versions of the 1.6CR for sale, for example this one However the asking price is very much on the higher side from what I would expect.

Considering the 131 Octavia is the old model and the RRP was €24,900, I would have guessed a depreciation of 20% would be the minimum on a car like that. Buying for a Skoda dealer, should I be able to get this for €20,000?

you trading in?

Diarmuid · 07-01-2014 9:18pm

MidlandsM wrote: »

you trading in?

Probably. 2005 1.6MPI Octavia 150k km
Would it make much of a difference?

MidlandsM · 07-01-2014 9:33pm

Diarmuid wrote: »

Probably. 2005 1.6MPI Octavia 150k km
Would it make much of a difference?

sure will, what you got to do is go to a few dealers seeking to change up to the same car /year/milage/spec/price point, and evaluate the cost to change each dealer is giving you. It's the only real way to see what value you are getting from each deal.

Diarmuid · 08-01-2014 11:21am

MidlandsM wrote: »

sure will, what you got to do is go to a few dealers seeking to change up to the same car /year/milage/spec/price point, and evaluate the cost to change each dealer is giving you. It's the only real way to see what value you are getting from each deal.

BTW Would I be in a stronger position if I went without the trade in car?

L-M · 08-01-2014 11:25am

Diarmuid wrote: »

BTW Would I be in a stronger position if I went without the trade in car?

Generally yes.

You should be able to get more for your own privately and knock some money of the retail price so most times it can be a win win.

Diarmuid · 08-01-2014 11:31am

Any opinions on my depreciation estimates on the car linked above? one year old car of a replaced model.

L-M · 08-01-2014 11:33am

Price a new one cost to change and price that one cost to change.

Really depends on how much money you want to spend/save but I would expect there to be somewhere in the region of a 5k difference in the cost to change.

nd · 08-01-2014 12:07pm

what are peoples thoughts on a 1.9 diesel octavia, with 170k miles on it as a first car? It's 900 euro and has nct to 15. I'm over 25 so insurance isn't much more than a 1.3 litre ect.

I havn't gone to see it yet but it is likely to be about to fall apart at the mileage?

L-M · 08-01-2014 12:19pm

Depends on the car really. The most reliable car I've ever had was a 01 Tdi Golf, bought it with over 220k and sold it with 250k miles

Cleveland Hot Pocket · 08-01-2014 12:21pm

nd wrote: »

what are peoples thoughts on a 1.9 diesel octavia, with 170k miles on it as a first car? It's 900 euro and has nct to 15. I'm over 25 so insurance isn't much more than a 1.3 litre ect.

I havn't gone to see it yet but it is likely to be about to fall apart at the mileage?

Get someone to look at the front suspension , incl wishbones, bushings etc as VAG cars from that era suffered bad front suspension wear. (I know, I had a mk4 golf :P )
Timing belt is every 60 k miles, so assuming it has been done at 60+120, it will be due in 10k miles - otherwise due initially. Its an approx €350-400 job to do.
Otherwise great car imo, not much else to go wrong with them (apart from turbos of course but that should be easy to spot), and they run forever.

Ri na hEireann · 10-01-2014 1:45pm

Hi all, just looking for cars in around the €1000 mark to use as a city run-around with the occasional trip of Cork-Dublin, maybe once a month or so.

Any opinions on this Lanos? It will be my first time buying a car. 51k miles seems suspiciously low for a '00 car?

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/00-daewoo-lanos-1-3-mint-just-ncted/5780909

Boooourns · 10-01-2014 2:58pm

Hi I'm just looking for your opinion on these cars please. 2 kids now so looking for a bigger car, its mostly for driving around the city with the odd long trip. Thanks!

http://www.carzone.ie/search/KIA/Ceed/DIESEL-G/37613840909007760/advert?channel=CARS

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Skoda/Octavia/DUAL-ZON/36513830510127040/advert?channel=CARS

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Toyota/Avensis/1.6-STRA/37113764990131170/advert?channel=CARS

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Opel/Zafira/CLUB-1.6/36613818536585180/advert?channel=CARS

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Ford/Focus/1.6-TDCI/37313801904790000/advert?channel=CARS

Bassjacker · 16-01-2014 8:46pm

MidlandsM wrote: »

The milage is ok on it, nowt to worry about there.

this is what I'd so....

Tell the dealer you are serious about buying the car, only if he puts a better deal together ..make him work for your business/the sale ...
tell him you'll do 9k with your car ......... and stay stum.....say nothing.....let him do all the work to get your money.....see where it goes.

Ask to see the service history and ask him to highlight the frequency of the oil changes. As I said, you need to see at least 6 or 7 documented.

Get your mechanic to check it over, and drive it. Check the tyres are good, and not cheap chineese shyte.

The car is not due a T belt till 125k miles.

Ask about the warranty - haggle for a longer one from them, not a third party for extra money..

Get them to data check the car and provide you with a copy....

Then, to seal the deal, tell them you want a set of mats, and a tank of fuel....:D

good luck

Thanks for all the advice, I went ahead an bought the 2010 Focus that was in the add. The mechanic that came with me found a few things wrong with it so the garage fixed what needed to be done.
Its my first Diesel so I was under the impression that when I start it I need to wait for the glow plug light to go out before I start it. But when I start it the glow plug doesnt come on at all. It starts no problem, I was just wondering is this normal for this model of car, or maybe the glow plug fuse is broken?

MidlandsM · 16-01-2014 9:09pm

Bassjacker wrote: »

Thanks for all the advice, I went ahead an bought the 2010 Focus that was in the add. The mechanic that came with me found a few things wrong with it so the garage fixed what needed to be done.
Its my first Diesel so I was under the impression that when I start it I need to wait for the glow plug light to go out before I start it. But when I start it the glow plug doesnt come on at all. It starts no problem, I was just wondering is this normal for this model of car, or maybe the glow plug fuse is broken?

no , some and many modern diesels are intelligent and only warm the plugs if required (under certain temps - cold start for instance)
don't over run on oil services on the 1.6 diesel focus....get the oil changed bang on time, or even earlier.....every 8,000 miles would be my opinion,

good luck and well wear.

irishmanmick · 17-01-2014 11:19am

Looking for a bit of advice ... We've had to change our car to the dreaded 7 seater. Was wondering what kind of discount could you get from a dealer when buying outright with cash? Looking at something like:

http://carsireland.ie/detail.php?ad_id=1003066&r=s.php%3Fm%3D72%26o%3D1133%26r%3D2010%26g%3D0

or

http://carsireland.ie/detail.php?ad_id=1007084&r=s.php%3Fm%3D16%26o%3D2204%26e%3D15000%26yn%3D2008%26yx%3D2010%26g%3D0

Not really great at this sort of thing but figured as we are buying with cash, no trade in we could probably get a discount from advertised price.

MidlandsM · 17-01-2014 11:38am

irishmanmick wrote: »

Looking for a bit of advice ... We've had to change our car to the dreaded 7 seater. Was wondering what kind of discount could you get from a dealer when buying outright with cash? Looking at something like:

http://carsireland.ie/detail.php?ad_id=1003066&r=s.php%3Fm%3D72%26o%3D1133%26r%3D2010%26g%3D0

or

http://carsireland.ie/detail.php?ad_id=1007084&r=s.php%3Fm%3D16%26o%3D2204%26e%3D15000%26yn%3D2008%26yx%3D2010%26g%3D0

Not really great at this sort of thing but figured as we are buying with cash, no trade in we could probably get a discount from advertised price.

you will definately get a straight cash price deal. There only one way of finding out......and its best to do this. Go see both cars...(ringing in and asking will not give you the credibility you need - if you want to be viewed as a serious punter, go in )...test drive them, try and deal with the Dealer principal (he makes the decisions), and let him/her hear you making all the right noises and let him/her qualify you....and tell them you are a CASH buyer, NO TRADE in, can buy TODAY - but only for a good substancial discount as you are seeing comparible and same vehicles elsewhere but will buy here if the deal is right - (best price,new nct,mats,diesel,maybe a free 1st service) push- push - push them, and then stay stum........let them come back and work for your money.

Buying a used car in Ireland guide

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