Buying a used car in Ireland guide

shinshine · 26-06-2017 3:38pm

Lads Im looking for advice here cos I know nothing about cars to be honest. My reliable 03 fiat punto has given up (years of running no problems the past 12 months everything it seems needs repairing) I've got a strict budget to stick to cos Im saving for a mortgage at the moment and cant take out a car loan, I literally need this car to last 12-18 months relatively problem free. I've seen a few Renault meganes that fit my price range: a 2006 with 220,000 miles for 1250 euros, a 04 with 91,000 miles for 750 and a 06 scenic with 117,000 miles for 1250. Obviously yer all not psychic and it depends on how the car was serviced etc but am i asking for trouble??? Ive seen so much bad reports on these cars

bazz26 · 26-06-2017 7:53pm

Yes imo, Renaults of that vintage do not have a great reputation for reliability. You could get a good one but there are more bad ones out there than good ones. They are selling for peanuts for good reason.

If you want something relatively trouble free then I'd be looking at something like these:

Kia Rio:
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NThjNDc2ZGZjMjI0OWRiYzcxNGQ3YTYwZTgyM2U2YjMCUA3u4GYgFEvg83yWes1DaHR0cDovL3MzLWV1LXdlc3QtMS5hbWF6b25hd3MuY29tL2RvbmVkZWFsLmllLXBob3Rvcy9waG90b183MzI1MDkxMHx8fDYwMHg2MDB8fHx8fHx8fA==.jpeg

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/2006-kia-rio-nct-2-18-tax-8-17/15409849

NmNkNjUxZjE2ZjdkNDA3NDRmYTkwNTlmNjBhMWU1NmRYXXhuiNGZj0mT2qFiqjSkaHR0cDovL3MzLWV1LXdlc3QtMS5hbWF6b25hd3MuY29tL2RvbmVkZWFsLmllLXBob3Rvcy9waG90b183NDg4NjM3NXx8fDYwMHg2MDB8fHx8fHx8fA==.jpeg

NmNkNjUxZjE2ZjdkNDA3NDRmYTkwNTlmNjBhMWU1NmRYXXhuiNGZj0mT2qFiqjSkaHR0cDovL3MzLWV1LXdlc3QtMS5hbWF6b25hd3MuY29tL2RvbmVkZWFsLmllLXBob3Rvcy9waG90b183NDg4NjM3NXx8fDYwMHg2MDB8fHx8fHx8fA==.jpeg

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/2006-kia-rio/15689145

Hyundai Accent:
ZWMyMmNhNzhhZDI4MDFiMDRlZmFlYjE5Zjc5MTZiYTHZX8J7kbs3JjBmdNRpcZV5aHR0cDovL3MzLWV1LXdlc3QtMS5hbWF6b25hd3MuY29tL2RvbmVkZWFsLmllLXBob3Rvcy9waG90b183NDIyOTg4NHx8fDYwMHg2MDB8fHx8fHx8fA==.jpeg

ZWMyMmNhNzhhZDI4MDFiMDRlZmFlYjE5Zjc5MTZiYTHZX8J7kbs3JjBmdNRpcZV5aHR0cDovL3MzLWV1LXdlc3QtMS5hbWF6b25hd3MuY29tL2RvbmVkZWFsLmllLXBob3Rvcy9waG90b183NDIyOTg4NHx8fDYwMHg2MDB8fHx8fHx8fA==.jpeg

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/hyundai-accent/15577667

shinshine · 27-06-2017 10:35am

Thanks for the advice. I'm terrified of done deal though my brothers friend actually put something up on Facebook yesterday about a car he sold on donedeal a few years ago with at least 150,000 on the clock beginning sold again with only 90,000 on the clock!

colm_mcm · 27-06-2017 7:18pm

Done is just representative of the market. It's the biggest marketplace and of course you'll hear stories.

bazz26 · 27-06-2017 8:11pm

shinshine wrote: »

Thanks for the advice. I'm terrified of done deal though my brothers friend actually put something up on Facebook yesterday about a car he sold on donedeal a few years ago with at least 150,000 on the clock beginning sold again with only 90,000 on the clock!

Donedeal is just a very popular site with buyers and sellers. Just because it's advertised somewhere else doesn't mean it's 100% legitimate. There is a lot of junk for sale by chancers in your price range irrespective of which site they are advertised on. Cars in that price range can be mine fields especially if you have no idea of what your looking at.

levi · 28-06-2017 11:12pm

Have started my own thread about mileage but having read through this thread there seems to be lots of good advice on it. Hoping to look at this tomorrow: http://m.carzone.ie/used-cars/Volkswagen/Passat-TDI-SPORT-ESTATE-SAT-NAV-LOW-TAX-FSH-NEW-NCT-09-19/9141353468549738457

I'm concerned that the mileage is very high, is there anything in particular to look out for? How much of a risk is buying a 6 year old car with such high mileage?

allthedoyles · 28-06-2017 11:21pm

Is 130,000 miles over 6 years in a diesel car considered high ?

levi · 28-06-2017 11:43pm

allthedoyles wrote: »

Is 130,000 miles over 6 years in a diesel car considered high ?

I don't really know, I guess I thought any car with over 100k miles would have potential for issues. That said, I know very little about cars and was hoping to get some advice here. That comment suggests that 130k miles isn't high mileage and that I should give that car some consideration.

allthedoyles · 28-06-2017 11:52pm

Well the advice I get on boards.ie , many times is to only buy a diesel car if you expect to do in excess of 30,000 miles per annum .

This leads me to believe that 130,000 miles over 6 years is genuine mileage .

levi · 29-06-2017 12:04am

allthedoyles wrote: »

Well the advice I get on boards.ie , many times is to only buy a diesel car if you expect to do in excess of 30,000 miles per annum .

This leads me to believe that 130,000 miles over 6 years is genuine mileage .

That seems fair enough. So when considering buying a car with this kind of mileage are there consumables you should expect to have to replace, I know the timing belt was just done. Is there anything else? I suppose I'd be worried about buying a money pit. I would buy the petrol version of this were it available but all Passat estates seem to be diesels.

colm_mcm · 30-06-2017 8:51pm

allthedoyles wrote: »

Well the advice I get on boards.ie , many times is to only buy a diesel car if you expect to do in excess of 30,000 miles per annum .

This leads me to believe that 130,000 miles over 6 years is genuine mileage .

That's bad advice.

levi · 30-06-2017 10:00pm

colm_mcm wrote: »

That's bad advice.

What's the best way to approach this? We're looking at a Passat Estate but they all seem to have super high mileage which has me worried but they're all diesels and I've always driven a petrol. So very little experience of it and now thinking we should just stay away altogether and try get a different car with a petrol engine.

scamalert · 01-07-2017 1:46pm

levi wrote: »

What's the best way to approach this? We're looking at a Passat Estate but they all seem to have super high mileage which has me worried but they're all diesels and I've always driven a petrol. So very little experience of it and now thinking we should just stay away altogether and try get a different car with a petrol engine.

thats a big issue that i notice most cars past 2008-2011 are really high mileage on diesels and some petrols, if theres low mileage the price is 2-4k extra at minimum.

thing the hardest part is finding one that would been maintained according to mileage since when car hits close to 100k miles youd want it to have timing belt, battery-alternator, brake pads suspension to be changed.

since say you get one with close to 150miles,and your doing 10-20k a year in less then 5yrs youll lose about 8k since theres no people lining up to buy taxi mileage.As opposed getting petrol with 60k then at least youll be able to shift it when you decide to change.Since as engines go you could get one that will do extra 300k on top,then again you could end up in and out of garages spending money and time fixing aging issues.

since hardest part is knowing what might go wrong on specific models,and if it had few previous owners you have to question did they care for it or was it traded in just to save few euros and passed to another person.
just my opinion.

levi · 01-07-2017 9:41pm

scamalert wrote: »

thats a big issue that i notice most cars past 2008-2011 are really high mileage on diesels and some petrols, if theres low mileage the price is 2-4k extra at minimum.

thing the hardest part is finding one that would been maintained according to mileage since when car hits close to 100k miles youd want it to have timing belt, battery-alternator, brake pads suspension to be changed.

since say you get one with close to 150miles,and your doing 10-20k a year in less then 5yrs youll lose about 8k since theres no people lining up to buy taxi mileage.As opposed getting petrol with 60k then at least youll be able to shift it when you decide to change.Since as engines go you could get one that will do extra 300k on top,then again you could end up in and out of garages spending money and time fixing aging issues.

since hardest part is knowing what might go wrong on specific models,and if it had few previous owners you have to question did they care for it or was it traded in just to save few euros and passed to another person.
just my opinion.

That is what my gut tells me. We currently have a Skoda Octavia that is showing its age and doesn't have air con which isn't great with a small baby. Had been considering a 11/12 Passat estate but all seem to be high mileage and diesel - we don't commute in the car to work so diesel doesn't really make sense. I think, based on what you're saying, that we may be better off going for a low mileage petrol Skoda Rapid or Octavia depending on what we can get our hands on.

acronym Chilli · 03-07-2017 12:01pm

shinshine wrote: »

Lads Im looking for advice here cos I know nothing about cars to be honest. My reliable 03 fiat punto has given up (years of running no problems the past 12 months everything it seems needs repairing) I've got a strict budget to stick to cos Im saving for a mortgage at the moment and cant take out a car loan, I literally need this car to last 12-18 months relatively problem free. I've seen a few Renault meganes that fit my price range: a 2006 with 220,000 miles for 1250 euros, a 04 with 91,000 miles for 750 and a 06 scenic with 117,000 miles for 1250. Obviously yer all not psychic and it depends on how the car was serviced etc but am i asking for trouble??? Ive seen so much bad reports on these cars

What's gone on the punto?
They're very straight-forward cars, and very cheap parts. The three things that would truly condemn one for me are

significant crash-damage
advanced corrosion
head gasket failure

although there are plenty who've repaired item #3.
Otherwise, if you've now renewed a significant portion of the car, it might be expected to run fine for a while more.

Just a thought. (especially if you're down in the 1k-2k range)

kiraso · 12-07-2017 12:17pm

Thanks for these advises. I'm not sure if this was already asked or answered so sorry in advance for repeating.
So if I found the car, I checked it and I'm on the last stage, buying it. What do I do or the buyer has to do to move the ownership to me and is it possible to drive away on that car the moment you buy it.
P.s. Also if you can drive away how do you get insurance on the car same moment.
Thanks.

scamalert · 12-07-2017 12:35pm

kiraso wrote: »

Thanks for these advises. I'm not sure if this was already asked or answered so sorry in advance for repeating.
So if I found the car, I checked it and I'm on the last stage, buying it. What do I do or the buyer has to do to move the ownership to me and is it possible to drive away on that car the moment you buy it.
P.s. Also if you can drive away how do you get insurance on the car same moment.
Thanks.

seller fills out log book with your details and you sign it and print your name and then he sends it out to shannon, you can take pic for your own proof, as insurance goes if you have insurance on another car you can call your company on the day or spot and ask them to transfer your insurance to another car for few hours, if you dont have policy you can get someone to drive it for you who has open drive policy.Also possible to get insurance in advance for the day via phone or online if you def know your getting the car.

mishko · 27-07-2017 7:36pm

I have to go abroad for a long time, and am trying to sell my car before I go.

No one has answered my Donedeal ad so far (it's been on it for about 16 days and I lowered the price twice), and in a couple of weeks when I fly out I may have no alternative but to bring the car to the dealer I bought it off originally and leave it in their yard for sale there (I don't know anyone I can leave it with apart from the dealer). They have told me they will do this, but I'm not sure what happens to the logbook then.

Should I take the logbook with me and send it off to Shannon once I've heard that the car has been sold and got the buyer's details from the dealer, or is it OK to leave the logbook with the dealer, with my signature on it and let him send it off?

acronym Chilli · 28-07-2017 9:11am

What kind of car is it and what price are you looking for?

I'd recommend getting it either off the road, or out of your name, before you leave. It's hassle enough dealing with selling a car when you're in the country, but from abroad you'll have more interesting things to occupy your mind I'm sure (I'm assuming this isn't a very valuable car that represents a major proportion of your net worth)

mishko · 28-07-2017 2:03pm

Thanks aC. It's a Kia Rio 1.4 LX 2009, 3700 euros.

By leaving it in the dealer's yard, I thought it would be off the road. As for out of my name, I'd prefer to do this by selling it now, but no one has shown interest. Any other way to get it out of my name? The dealer offered 2500, but I reckon that's much too little. As he also offered to put it in his yard for sale, I was wondering if I should entrust him with a signed logbook, or leave it unsigned.

I hope this clarifies.

scamalert · 28-07-2017 5:16pm

mishko wrote: »

Thanks aC. It's a Kia Rio 1.4 LX 2009, 3700 euros.

By leaving it in the dealer's yard, I thought it would be off the road. As for out of my name, I'd prefer to do this by selling it now, but no one has shown interest. Any other way to get it out of my name? The dealer offered 2500, but I reckon that's much too little. As he also offered to put it in his yard for sale, I was wondering if I should entrust him with a signed logbook, or leave it unsigned.

I hope this clarifies.

any family that can keep it for you, you can take if off the road yourself, but the troubles i see first no tax so thats bummer since person cant drive away with it, and if told owner is abroad with paperwork id skip on making purchase since just to many red flags.

Since at that price your looking at cash buyers and if they like they will want to take it off on the spot, while you situation sounds alright explained, but for anyone not knowing full details its extra hassle to get tax and one does still need to sign logbook transfer before handing cash.

colm_mcm · 29-07-2017 9:17am

What happens if the dealer rings you and says "I've got an offer of €3250 here but I'll have to service it and blah blah, I can give you €2750, will I sell it?"

mishko · 29-07-2017 10:04pm

Thanks Scamalert but I'm afraid I don't know anyone I can leave the car with.

colm_mcm, I would expect the dealer to try to knock the price down, but hopefully not this low as I would not accept and hold out for a higher offer.

Can anyone answer my question above:

"Should I take the logbook with me and send it off to Shannon once I've heard that the car has been sold and got the buyer's details from the dealer, or is it OK to leave the logbook with the dealer, with my signature on it and let him send it off?"

grogi · 29-07-2017 10:34pm

mishko wrote: »

Thanks Scamalert but I'm afraid I don't know anyone I can leave the car with.

colm_mcm, I would expect the dealer to try to knock the price down, but hopefully not this low as I would not accept and hold out for a higher offer.

Can anyone answer my question above:

"Should I take the logbook with me and send it off to Shannon once I've heard that the car has been sold and got the buyer's details from the dealer, or is it OK to leave the logbook with the dealer, with my signature on it and let him send it off?"

You should give the logbook to the dealer and complete a separate form transferring the car to the dealer. RF105, you'll find the form online easily.

scamalert · 29-07-2017 10:47pm

theres a part in log book where buyer put their name and have to sign it themselves,before its off to Shannon.

colm_mcm · 29-07-2017 10:52pm

mishko wrote: »

colm_mcm, I would expect the dealer to try to knock the price down, but hopefully not this low as I would not accept and hold out for a higher offer.

"

They're a hard enough sell and they don't go up in value either. I hope it works out for you. If a dealer has to make a profit and provide a warranty, that eats into what they can pay you.

The dealer can do a RF105 which is a transfer into dealer, that means you won't need to sign the logbook or send it off.

mishko · 30-07-2017 6:05pm

Thanks fellow-boarders - guess I'll have to hand over to the dealer using this form.

acronym Chilli · 31-07-2017 9:00am

mishko wrote: »

Thanks fellow-boarders - guess I'll have to hand over to the dealer using this form.

Do think hard about the money and whether it's worth the hassle: you're valuing the car at 3700, dealer is saying 2500. If your price is "market correct", then that means you're maximum down 1200.

You need to know what basis the dealer will sell the car (like colm mcm's point) if he sells it for 3900, what share do you get? It's fair for him to take some of the price: he's storing it (premises, insurance, etc.,), his salesperson (or he) will deal with buyer, buyer will be back to him I presume if it blows up a week later, etc., Also he needs an incentive or why would he leave a buyer look at your car when they could look at one of his own stock.

I've no idea what price those cars are in market, but sort of splitting the difference: if you could get a quick 3000 privately, I think it could be a good outcome. Before you know it it'll be December, then January and your car is 1 year older by reg plate. I hate to "write off" money like that, as if I don't value €1200. I really do value money, and that's a sum that'd matter to me too. But there's something to be said for getting your cash out of the asset also, and for removing a distraction from your life (selling a car in Ireland when you're not even in the country).

There's a genuine risk of all this you end up getting less than 2500

mishko · 01-08-2017 10:21am

Thanks very much acronym Chilli. Your post really makes sense to me. I still have a few days left to try and sell it privately, so I'll
lower the price on Donedeal for the third time in the hope of a quick sale. Failing that, I'll have to go through the dealer and hope he can find a buyer eventually. Imho your advice is spot on, so thanks again.

NaiveMelodies · 09-08-2017 11:56am

Hi Folks,
I have about 3k to spend on a car. Used to drive a 1.4 golf so looking for something similar. I know very little about cars so I just want something reliable and stress free to keep me going for a few years. Short commute to work daily.
Came across this Astra this morning and it seem reasonable/decent value to me-https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/opel-astra-club-1-4i-16v-5dr/15261411

Any feedback on above or any advice on a particular model I should go for? Thanks in advance.

colm_mcm · 09-08-2017 12:03pm

I wouldn't bother with an Astra to be honest. My choices in that segment would be the Toyota Corolla, Kia Ceed or Hyundai i30. Finding the last two for €3k will be harder as they came out in 07, but they're a very good car, nippy engine, more modern safety features than the Corolla and all 3 have a timing chain on the engine. The Corolla is a good choice once you get one with a few extras. You'd probably be looking at 05-06 examples for a nice one.
All 3 will be more powerful than your golf while still being 1.4 litre.

€3k might also get you an 04 onward Toyota Prius 1.5 hybrid. These are a great car for commuting and are all well equipped. They're very economical too.

scamalert · 09-08-2017 12:11pm

NaiveMelodies wrote: »

Hi Folks,
I have about 3k to spend on a car. Used to drive a 1.4 golf so looking for something similar. I know very little about cars so I just want something reliable and stress free to keep me going for a few years. Short commute to work daily.
Came across this Astra this morning and it seem reasonable/decent value to me-https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/opel-astra-club-1-4i-16v-5dr/15261411

Any feedback on above or any advice on a particular model I should go for? Thanks in advance.

Kia,Mazda2-3,civic.If you want reliable better go with likes of jap/asian granted with that budget youll be hard pressed to get 08 thou.hardest part is to find decent model and that it would be serviced, since recently got car myself and thou paid 2k,but spent nearly 1k on servicing,since past 100k miles your looking at changing belts-if chain no need,timing belt needs to be done, oil service ,new tires, balancing/alignment,brake pads just few minor ones of top of the head, since while you can get nctd car and all at that price but in many cases if its 8-10 yrs old your looking at many parts that will be on the way out so reserve some cash if possible for needed servicing/fixes if you intend to keep it for few more years.

bazz26 · 09-08-2017 12:34pm

NaiveMelodies wrote: »

Hi Folks,
I have about 3k to spend on a car. Used to drive a 1.4 golf so looking for something similar. I know very little about cars so I just want something reliable and stress free to keep me going for a few years. Short commute to work daily.
Came across this Astra this morning and it seem reasonable/decent value to me-https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/opel-astra-club-1-4i-16v-5dr/15261411

Any feedback on above or any advice on a particular model I should go for? Thanks in advance.

I'd be looking at something like this if you want hassle free and reliable motoring:

NzNjNWJmNjJhOTBiMDUyNjU2N2RkYzFhMTI3ZDQ3YzABVmdD3ecLVpFdst4KnUhiaHR0cDovL3MzLWV1LXdlc3QtMS5hbWF6b25hd3MuY29tL2RvbmVkZWFsLmllLXBob3Rvcy9waG90b183ODkyMDQzMXx8fDYwMHg2MDB8fHx8fHx8fA==.jpeg

NzNjNWJmNjJhOTBiMDUyNjU2N2RkYzFhMTI3ZDQ3YzABVmdD3ecLVpFdst4KnUhiaHR0cDovL3MzLWV1LXdlc3QtMS5hbWF6b25hd3MuY29tL2RvbmVkZWFsLmllLXBob3Rvcy9waG90b183ODkyMDQzMXx8fDYwMHg2MDB8fHx8fHx8fA==.jpeg

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/toyota-corolla-nct-tax-low-km/16274861

NaiveMelodies · 09-08-2017 12:43pm

Thanks folks for the extremely quick advice! Appreciate it.

Like the look of this- https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/2008-hyundai-i30-deluxe-1-4-petrol-5dr-nct-09-18/16069783

and above Corolla.

Will make enquries!

colm_mcm · 09-08-2017 2:39pm

The i30 above would be a much nicer drive than the newer type Corolla. It'll also have stuff like air conditioning and iPod/USB input. Corolla is a good car, but it's a heavy car for the engine, and the driving position isn't great. I had a good few of them as company cars back in the day. The one linked is the middle spec Strata model which gets alloys and fogs over the base trim.
Parts for the Hyundai are a bit dearer than Toyota and harder to get second hand.

Conchy · 21-08-2017 6:44pm

Just looking at getting a car after not driving for a year. I need a smallish car because I have only been a named driver before. I can get a 07 1.2 opel corsa for 2200 (seems a good deal to me) from a friend of the familys. Has roughly 160,000 km on it and NCT till August next year. Do people think this is a good deal or is it too expensive or too much mileage?

Also what sort of questions should I ask when I go to look at it? From my limited knowledge of cars they seem have a problem with a head gasket, Should I ask when that was last replaced.

bazz26 · 21-08-2017 8:25pm

There are certainly better small cars out there than those Corsas, if the budget is low then I'd prefer to drop back a year or two for a Yaris or Fiesta.

Reesy · 22-08-2017 9:49am

EDIT: Fixed the broken links

Hi guys,

Thanks for this guide, really useful. I used it when I changed my car a few months ago. Now time to give something back.

My company's created a data visualisation dashboard (that's a report that you can adjust yourself to dig into the data) of 2016's NCT test results. You can use it to see which makes & models of car (and of what age) failed the NCT most, and what category they failed on (i.e. what to look out for). I thought it would be a useful addition to the guide.

The dashboard: https://public.tableau.com/profile/idiro.analytics#!/vizhome/NCT2016Top20MakesResults/NCT2016-20MostPopularMakes

Instructions on how to use it: http://idiro.com/2017/08/idiro-analysis-2016-nct-results-helps-car-buyers-choose-wisely/

It's covered in last Sunday's Indo: http://www.independent.ie/life/motoring/car-reviews/put-your-car-to-the-test-36049372.html

acronym Chilli · 22-08-2017 10:44am

Sounds great, but neither of the links work for me

Reesy wrote: »

Hi guys,

Thanks for this guide, really useful. I used it when I changed my car a few months ago. Now time to give something back.

My company's created a data visualisation dashboard (that's a report that you can adjust yourself to dig into the data) of 2016's NCT test results. You can use it to see which makes & models of car (and of what age) failed the NCT most, and what category they failed on (i.e. what to look out for). I thought it would be a useful addition to the guide.

The dashboard: https://public.tableau.com/profile/i...stPopularMakes

Instructions on how to use it: http://idiro.com/2017/08/idiro-analy...choose-wisely/

It's covered in last Sunday's Indo: http://www.independent.ie/life/motor...-36049372.html

Reesy · 23-08-2017 11:34am

acronym Chilli wrote: »

Sounds great, but neither of the links work for me

Sorry, fixed now.

The dashboard: https://public.tableau.com/profile/idiro.analytics#!/vizhome/NCT2016Top20MakesResults/NCT2016-20MostPopularMakes

Instructions on how to use it: http://idiro.com/2017/08/idiro-analysis-2016-nct-results-helps-car-buyers-choose-wisely/

It's covered in last Sunday's Indo: http://www.independent.ie/life/motoring/car-reviews/put-your-car-to-the-test-36049372.html

mini5476 · 27-08-2017 1:35pm

I have just returned from a few years abroad and am kind of out of the loop as to whats the go to good/cheap car at the moment. I need to pick something up pretty fast and my budget is about 1500.

Any thoughts on this?

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/02-toyota-corolla-1-4-new-nct/16315347

or

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/ford-focus-new-nct-amp-tax-price-drop/16096640

Esel · 27-08-2017 6:31pm

mini5476 wrote: »

I have just returned from a few years abroad and am kind of out of the loop as to whats the go to good/cheap car at the moment. I need to pick something up pretty fast and my budget is about 1500.

Any thoughts on this?

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/02-toyota-corolla-1-4-new-nct/16315347

or

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/ford-focus-new-nct-amp-tax-price-drop/16096640

Two 02 cars. Get quotes for insurance before buying anything. Many insurers are not quoting new business on cars over 15 or even 10 years old.

Have a look at the Bangernomics thread and seek opinions / recommendations there.

Lord TSC · 28-08-2017 5:12pm

Hey lads,

Clutch just went on the 15 year old car the family has been using for a while. Worried that at the price, a smarter investment would be to buy a new car rather than spending the cash fixing the old one, only for it to break again in six months.

What should I be looking at with a burdget of 7k ish? It's mostly used to drive in and out of town every day. Would like something spacey enough; it regularly sits three adults going up and down to Dublin and we use it enough that we don't want compact, so to speak. But I've zero clue how far our money would go in that regard. What should I be expecting or looking for at that price? Thanks

colm_mcm · 28-08-2017 5:30pm

What car have ye got now?

Lord TSC · 28-08-2017 5:52pm

colm_mcm wrote: »

What car have ye got now?

A Toyota Avensis.

colm_mcm · 28-08-2017 6:02pm

That would be the old shape 1996-2003 shape then? Petrol or diesel?

Lord TSC · 28-08-2017 9:32pm

colm_mcm wrote: »

That would be the old shape 1996-2003 shape then? Petrol or diesel?

It's 2005 plate on it (I miscounted. 12 years, not 15). Petrol. Wiki says it was the 2003-2009 model.

colm_mcm · 28-08-2017 9:36pm

I'd still get the clutch done, should be under €500. It's worth feck all with the clutch gone.

For a replacement car, does it have to be at least as big as your current car?

Lord TSC · 29-08-2017 5:27pm

colm_mcm wrote: »

I'd still get the clutch done, should be under €500. It's worth feck all with the clutch gone.

For a replacement car, does it have to be at least as big as your current car?

Jaysus, the garage is quoting the damage could cost me €1400

Doesn't have to be as big. I'm not the type that needs the big flashy car

colm_mcm · 29-08-2017 6:55pm

Honda Civic 1.8 saloon might be worth a look. Tax is a bit more than your own but they're very reliable and economical.

Buying a used car in Ireland guide

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