€7000 - Recommend me my first car

bananarepublic

First post so here it goes,

Finally got the cash together to get the first car :

Requirements :

Body : Small - 2/4 doors
Engine : 1L - 1.2 ( have to keep the bloody insurance down)
Price : €7000
Year : 02-03
Any small runabout that can handle a motorway drive and has ABS & Airbags as standard , electric windows / cd a plus but not needed. Main thing is safety and reliablility

I have been looking at the 02 clios , ibiza ( new face) , polos and even the 2003 getz but all seem to be in excess of 8000 euro . Not looking to buy till the new year and would preferably like to buy from a authorised dealer as I like to have somekind of a warranty to avoid buying a dog.

My question is if I'm a cash buyer am I likely to get any of the above models in Jan 06 for my price range or am I just kidding myself .

Any help would be great

Atomic Pineapple

you can get 02 micra's, punto's, 106, fiesta, ibiza and saxo for around 7000, just done a check on carzone there

i'd personally go for a fiesta, i had one as my first car and would definatly reccomend it.

the clio seems to be a bit out of your price range for the year you are looking for but if you can stretch to one then go for a clio.

junkyard

I'd go for something Japanese if I were you. They're low maintenance and cheap to run. A Suzuki Swift is worth a look or the Hyundai Getz you mentioned.

Stephen

The old model suzuki swift isn't all that great, but the new ones are lovely. Too new to fit in your price range though. I've a fiesta myself too. If you look into getting one, avoid the 1.1/1.3 models, as they have the poxy old 20-something year old engine design, and get yourself a 1.25 zetec. The new shape fiesta arrived at the end of 2002, anything before that is based on a fairly old design (like my own) but they're pretty reliable and cheap to service.

pontovic

A few points

:: Try to buy in January if you can. A car that is 5 years old today will be 6 years old in two weeks. That should reduce the price on some second hand cars.

:: People will be getting their money back from the government saving scheme, and some of them will want to get newer cars. This will flood the second hand market, making it a buyers dream. Thats in 6 months from now though

:: If you are a girl, (insurance reasons) or if you have a full licence, then go for a VW Golf. You could get a decent 97-98 Golf for your budget, maybe even a 99. Go for the standard 1.4l engine model. Very reliable cars

:: If you have a provisional licence, then go for a VW Polo. For your budget, you could easily get an '00 or '01 Polo. Try to get a 1.0l ( to be exact 999cc ) model, as theyre one of the cheapest cars to insure for provisional drivers and they are built like tanks.

:: Other suggestions include Ford Fiesta's and Nissan Micra's, although the Fiesta might be more to insure and the Micra is a bit girly.

Check these sites

http://www.carzone.ie
http://www.cbg.ie
http://www.autotrader.ie

themessiah

I think the clio 02 for 7000 might be just out of your range , definitely dont go for the old suzuki swift is looks horrible , if you can get the new type fiesta on an 02-03 plate that might be good as i think the old fiesta dont have abs which is one of your requirements . if abs isnt a problem the 01-02 skoda fabia make a nice car and can be got for in around that mark

Alternatively there are alot of cheap 02 clios up in the north , from dealers for about 4000-4800 euro , you mught have to ask the other boards.ie but I dont think VRT would be any higher than 2000-2500 euro as off the top of my head i think its 22.5% on a 1.2 liter , dont know how much the registration fee and nct are but facter in another 200euro and might alot closer to the budget then you think .

http://search.autotrader.ie/www/cars_advert?country=IE&sort=5&currency=GBP&make=Renault&model=Clio&min_pr=&max_pr=5000&county_list=1_2_8_9_17_27&x=15&y=8&id=200551178573707

fonda

themessiah wrote:

I think the clio 02 for 7000 might be just out of your range , definitely dont go for the old suzuki swift is looks horrible , if you can get the new type fiesta on an 02-03 plate that might be good as i think the old fiesta dont have abs which is one of your requirements . if abs isnt a problem the 01-02 skoda fabia make a nice car and can be got for in around that mark

Alternatively there are alot of cheap 02 clios up in the north , from dealers for about 4000-4800 euro , you mught have to ask the other boards.ie but I dont think VRT would be any higher than 2000-2500 euro as off the top of my head i think its 22.5% on a 1.2 liter , dont know how much the registration fee and nct are but facter in another 200euro and might alot closer to the budget then you think .

http://search.autotrader.ie/www/cars_advert?country=IE&sort=5&currency=GBP&make=Renault&model=Clio&min_pr=&max_pr=5000&county_list=1_2_8_9_17_27&x=15&y=8&id=200551178573707

VRT is 22% of the O.M.P.(Open Market Price) and is calculated by type of car and not by engine size, my brother recently paid VRT on a 00 1.4 corolla and it was about 1200 euro so the cars you are looking at would be a similar price.

My brother said the changeover was simple (He'd never done anything like this before) and he reckons he saved himself about 1000-2000 euro

There's an online calculator on Oasis, don't think it's working at the mo but should be back up soon

fonda

Sorry link is:

http://www.oasis.gov.ie/moving_country/moving_to_ireland/importing_car_into_ireland.html?search=vrt

bananarepublic

Thanks for the reply , I rang the revenue about that clio as I didnt have the exact details and they said its between 1500-1750 euro vrt so thats pretty good as the whole deal comes in about 6500 without getting a discount on the list price . The only thing is that seller in the autotrader seems to be a private dealer would really prefer to go to a renualt or authorized dealer but seems to be a saving so thanks . Anyone know how you insure it if your bringing back down from the north to get registered in Dublin (is it dealer plates) .

Just another one if I buy from a dealer should I be aiming for about 10% off there price if im a cash buyer etc.

Spitfire666

you could always try a 02 corsa?i was lookin at 1.2 corsas in tullamore in an opel garrage the other day at around 7k
or as i was tellin some1 else about,theres a guy that sells mk4 golfs 98-01 in coolock
from 5k to 7k

Spitfire666

micras are good starter cars but there hidiously ugly.and kindof a women/scumbag (males) image attached to em.
I was offerd a spotless micra 4 3k and turned it down coz i hated it so much. im goin for the golf cl

UpsideDown

Save up a little bit more maybe and buy a 03 mazda 2. You can't beat the japanese cars as most people in the trade will tell you. you should be able to pick one of these up from a dealer for in the region of 9000- 9500 for straight sale. They have cd player abs airbags, are spacious and very reliable.

Lex Luthor

Honda Jazz

Andy_R

I'd reccomend a Yaris, all 3 of us in my family started with them. Only major problem was with my sister's 00 model, she broke the gearbox oil sump on something so was wondering why the gears were crunching for a few days! Eventually I persuaded her to call the dealer when she could only get into 1st and 3rd. Even though it was 2 weeks from the end of its 3 year wartranty and had 57k miles on it Toyota covered the whole cost. They had to wait over a month for the part but supplied her with a courtesy car. She since traded it in for a Megane coupe, 40k on the clock now and 3 breakdowns in a year...

HungryJoey

Andy_R wrote:

She since traded it in for a Megane coupe, 40k on the clock now and 3 breakdowns in a year...

That'd be about right, Yes. :rolleyes:

Hj

UpsideDown

Don't buy renault....:eek:

Guy:Incognito

UpsideDown wrote:

Don't buy renault....:eek:

thats a bit of a ridiculous statement, especially while not backing it up.

Ive owned 3 renaults and not et had 1 problem (1 clio and 2 safranes) my cousin has had a cllio trouble free for 2 years (it was a year old when he got it) and my godfather has had a string of Renault 21 s and then lagunas, all trouble free bar a timeing belt snapping in his latest laguna (well past the due date for changing, but it was a company car)

colm_mcm

yawn

UpsideDown

Renault at the moment are considered a very unreliable car. trouble with electrics on the laguna and such.... Many people who have renaults have no trouble with them at all but there is a huge amount of people that do. More so than the likes of mazda, honda or toyota. Japanese cars which are known to be the most reliable which is why i recommended one in my earlier post. So.. in MY opinion i would advise someone not to buy renault.....
( not to mention residual values on most models)