Buying first car-advice!

missmatty

Hey Everyone,

Just got car loan this wk for 4 grand so all set. Had meant to go get a car down the country at home so Dad could come with me. He'd be good at checking a car but not good at talking if you know what I mean! Anyway I know a little about cars but virtually nothing much about the technical side of things.

So anyway saw a lovely car last night at a dealers very near me in Dublin (will try to attach link). I'm thinking of going to have a look at it but i'm nervous about going as a lone female (29 but petite and young looking) who doesn't know much, will they take advantage of me? I know most places are reputable though. So i need tips about things to ask and things to look at, ie: where do you check for rust? I'm afraid once the bonnet is open i'm lost! i know about mileage, ask about crashes/major body work etc.....so tips please?

Would be very grateful for advice!!

smash

what type of car is it? we can tell you what to look for...

missmatty

http://cars.motornet.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=149921

Sorry everything crashed when trying to get that link up.

It's a 1999 Nissan Micra 1.0 GX, warranty, mint cond, serviced from Terenure Motors, with 75,000 miles, 2 owners, 5 doors, etc...looks in good nick. Doesn't say about power steering tho, must ask.

missmatty

P.s. Someone in work suggested a 1.0 might not be suitable if i'm planning to drive up and down to Mayo once a month, which i am.

Also got an email from someone in work about another car for sale, what would ye think of this:

1999 Ford Fiesta, 1.25 Zetec, 4 door, 26,000 miles (car in family from new) nct to Aug 07, 3500 Euros.

Anan1

missmatty wrote:

P.s. Someone in work suggested a 1.0 might not be suitable if i'm planning to drive up and down to Mayo once a month, which i am.

Also got an email from someone in work about another car for sale, what would ye think of this:

1999 Ford Fiesta, 1.25 Zetec, 4 door, 26,000 miles (car in family from new) nct to Aug 07, 3500 Euros.

I'd be much keener on the Fiesta, it's nippy, economical, reliable, and drives like a bigger car. Ask them whether it has a full service history, and whether it has any defects, either bodywork or mechanical. Assuming it's in good condition and has been regularly maintained, i'd buy it. Try to get them down on price a bit, I find playing nice but poor works, ie "I really love the car but i'm not quite sure if I can stretch to x ... is there anything you could possibly do on the price?"

missmatty

Thanks for that! I've been doing research on Carzone this afternoon, it seems 'most' micras, corsas and several other types are 1.0 so they are probably out then. My family had Fiestas for yonks and worked them hard and hardly ever had a problem with them so they sound good.

Anyone any comments about the Ka? The small size appeals to me (nervous learner driver).

Hmmm...narrowing it down now!

cold_filter

no!!! not another micra driver on the way to mayo please!! at least get a fiesta!! micra drivers the pain in my arse that will not go away

cyrusdvirus

Hmmm petite 29 year old?? Want someone to go along with you??

My first 2 cars were fiestas. Perfect cars for learning in and spares are 2 to a penny.
they are a bit bigger than the Ka, so a bit sturdier on the road, plus a bit more comfy for long spins.

Does your €4K include insurance money, or is it all for the car?

missmatty

Cool down lads, and I just SAID I was going to discount the idea of a micra because of long-distance drives!

The 4K is all for the car, gonna throw the insurance on the credit card for the moment anyway. Should get a fairly decent fiesta for 4k eh?

Would a 98-00 fiesta have power steering, and is power-assisted steering the same thing?

cyrusdvirus

Pretty much as far as i know.

According to CBG there are 160+ fiestas under 4K. And that's just from one site.

You'll get a damn fine one for that amount but don't go buying the first one you see either. If buying from a garage try to get the details of the car's service history etc. And if you can, get an independant mech to check it out.

unkel

missmatty wrote:

I just SAID I was going to discount the idea of a micra because of long-distance drives!

Don't discount the Micra because of that. It's fine for long-distance drives unless you want to do a lot of overtaking

The Fiesta within your budget typically has either a modern 1.25 Zetec engine with 75BHP. As Anan1 said, this is a nippy car. The other engine is an old 1.3 engine with 60BHP. This one has the same performance as above 1.0 Micra

The Ka is a Fiesta in disguise, so another good choice. It comes only with the above 1.3 engine though

Overall, the Fiesta and the KA are better drivers' cars. The Micra will be slightly cheaper to run and more reliable

Anan1

missmatty wrote:

Thanks for that! I've been doing research on Carzone this afternoon, it seems 'most' micras, corsas and several other types are 1.0 so they are probably out then. My family had Fiestas for yonks and worked them hard and hardly ever had a problem with them so they sound good.

Anyone any comments about the Ka? The small size appeals to me (nervous learner driver).

Hmmm...narrowing it down now!

The Ka is best thought of as a cheaper Fiesta, it looks smaller than a Fiesta but in actual driving you won't notice the difference in size. One downside of the Ka is that it only comes with a 1.3. The 1.25 engine in the Zetec Fiesta is livlier, smoother, better on fuel, a bit easier to tax, in short a much better engine. Power steering and power assisted steering (or PAS) are the same thing. A Fiesta Zetec will definitely have it. Go and have a look at and a drive in the Fiesta, there aren't too many 1.25s around with that mileage.

peasant

I don't like the sound of you spending the whole loan on the car and putting the running costs on the credit card.

That's asking for trouble.
Running a car costs money, not just tax, insurance and fuel, but also services and repairs.
As this is your first car, you will most likely put some scrapes and dings into it, and as you can only afford to buy something older, you also need a bit of a reserve for repairs ...or the first unexpected item (and be it just a blown tyre) will leave you stranded.

Don't spend the whole budget.

you can get nice cars for less ...see here:
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carid=181416

Andrewf20

I had a 1999 1.25 zetec Ford Fiesta for my first car after some research. Great starter car. 'What Car' magazine suggested it was one of the best used buys in the small car sector. 75bhp was plenty for motorway cruising too.

il gatto

Knowing the misery of cross country driving, I'd be more inclined to save a bit more or spend some more time looking and buying a bigger car. Tax will be a bit more and petrol marginally more. Insurance isn't much different either, as many companies insure the driver rather than the car. It'd be worth looking at something like an Almera. They're pretty bombproof mechanically and economical. You should pick one up at similar money, and the extra poke and comfort would be a godsend on longer journies.

unkel

il gatto wrote:

I'd be more inclined to save a bit more or spend some more time looking and buying a bigger car

I agree with you in principle, but it's for only one trip a month though! I wouldn't get a bigger car just for that

colm_mcm

I'd stick with the Micra. no nasty surprises likely. I'd agree with the above poster who warned against spending all the loan on the purchase. kep some for enexpected extras (new CD player, surprise bills etc.)

cyrusdvirus

Had one of the 1.25 zetec engined fiestas, great little car. lovely to drive, would probably still have it if some big 4X4 type hadn't killed it to death in a hotel car park in Tralee one night.

But don't expect a cd player in anyone of thise cars as standard. They come co,plete with tape deck, so as colm and peasant said, hold back on spending all your cash

bazz26

Here is a nice reasonably priced low mileage 2001 Fiesta:
http://www.usedcars.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=613754

Comes with over 7 months road tax on it too which is a nice bonus. You should be able to knock a few quid off that asking price.

rebel.ranter

My vote would be with the Fiesta. It's a lot more car for the money.
Again I would not spend all your budget on buying the car unless you are getting another few quid together somewhere else to iron out the niggly things with the car once you buy.
Remember if you are looking at a 6-7 year old car so it will need some work, or any car will need servicing at some stage.

zilog_jones

Anan1 wrote:

Power steering and power assisted steering (or PAS) are the same thing. A Fiesta Zetec will definitely have it.

Not necessarily - power steering was not standard on all Mk. 4 Fiestas, however AFAIK it was on at least the LX and higher by '99. It was only an optional extra in '98 though. It's easy to tell under the bonnet - on the left (near the front) there'll be the fluid reservoir with a picture of a steering wheel on the cap
I think all Micras had power steering as standard by '98.

I have a Fiesta and have a friend with a '98 March (import Micra), so have some experience with the two. The Fiesta does feel like a bigger car inside, and the boot's probably bigger too. However they're both pretty cramped in the rear seats - maybe even moreso in the Fiesta - so I wouldn't recommend either if you're gonna be driving 4 adults around frequently.

As others said, 1.25 Fiesta would be better than the 1.0 Micra for long distance driving. I have the 1.3 Fiesta, the old pushrod engine which is also in the Ka - it's grand for driving round town but gets pretty noisy when you get to about 80km/h.

There's a few things to watch out with Fiestas:
- The front brake discs wear pretty quickly, and so do some suspension parts (you'll get a knocking noise going over speed bumps or rough roads)
- The heater control valve (for the cabin heating) is notorious for breaking so if test driving make sure there's heat coming through after it's warmed up. Cost my €50 to buy a new one and fit it myself.
- Check the temperature gauge is working. It'll take about 10 minutes to get up to "normal" from cold. Mine wasn't when I got it - I found out the thermostat wasn't working either so cost me about €70 to get all that sorted out (will prob cost more for the 1.25 as the thermostat is under the alternator!)
- I heard of people having trouble with electrics like the central locking going mental. Mine doesn't have central locking or electric windows, but sometimes the rear wiper decides to not work (I think it's just a loose connection somewhere).
- Check for power steering leaks - might be oil coming out from behind one of the front wheels. It's happened to mine (I don't know if it was my fault or what), and I've got a quote for €400 to fix it with new parts (will be cheaper second-hand). This isn't a Fiesta-only thing though.
- Make sure you get the keycode for the stereo (if it's the original Ford one), otherwise you'll have to pay €15 to get it from a main stealer after a battery change or any electrical work.

So basically, learn from my mistakes

unkel

bazz26 wrote:

Here is a nice reasonably priced low mileage 2001 Fiesta:
http://www.usedcars.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=613754

That looks like a pretty good deal. Buy it, drive a typical mileage for the car over 2 years and easily sell it on for about a grand less than what you'll pay for it. Hard to beat that

il gatto

If you do go for a Fiesta, the 1.25 Zetec is def the one to go for. The basic 1.3 is slower, noisier and thistier. I also had the misfortune to be standing next to a Ka withe the same engine when the innards distintigrated, pouring oil all over the exhaust system. Looked like a steam train coming down the road. Apparently, it's an occasional occurence with that engine. I believe the basic engine goes back to the Mark III which finished production in 1989. It's from a different (crapper) generation.
By comparison, the Zetec is massively better.

zilog_jones

il gatto wrote:

The basic 1.3 is slower, noisier and thistier.

Ford claim pretty much equal fuel economy between the 1.25 and 1.3. I get about 25-29 MPG in city driving with the 1.3, though I don't know if it's improved yet after getting the oil changed and new plugs.

I also had the misfortune to be standing next to a Ka withe the same engine when the innards distintigrated, pouring oil all over the exhaust system. Looked like a steam train coming down the road. Apparently, it's an occasional occurence with that engine.

How old was this Ka? I have heard of some problems with the original version of the Endura-E with the valve clearances or something, however IIRC this was resolved in 1997.

I believe the basic engine goes back to the Mark III which finished production in 1989. It's from a different (crapper) generation.
By comparison, the Zetec is massively better.

Actually it goes back to the 1959 Anglia It's been through a lot of changes since then though - it got electronic fuel injection in the late '80s and it was revised again for the Mk. 4 Fiesta in '95.

eamon234

To be honest I'd go with neither although at a push the Ka is a much better option if it's just going to be yourself mostly (I've had both by the way). Neither are particularly economical though. I'd recommend a Skoda Fabia if you can come across one cheap enough although I'd say you might need to buy privately to get a good one it's much better value and a far far better car.

cyrusdvirus

eamon234 wrote:

To be honest I'd go with neither although at a push the Ka is a much better option if it's just going to be yourself mostly (I've had both by the way). Neither are particularly economical though. I'd recommend a Skoda Fabia if you can come across one cheap enough although I'd say you might need to buy privately to get a good one it's much better value and a far far better car.

Whisht Eamon!!! We're all on commision from ford!!!!

Seriously, I can't even think of how you'd compare a fiesta to a fabia. Not that i've driven or even been in one. Yes I am a bit of a marque snob!! Just wish i could afford to be a Aston Martin driver as opposed to a fordie

zilog_jones

Yeah I've heard good things about the Fabia too. Felicia isn't too bad either, if a bit basic - I have a friend with one and he's had no trouble with it. They're pushrods too, but the timing chains on them tend to get very noisy after about 60k miles and need to be replaced eventually, unlike the Fiesta 1.3 which never needs it changed.

missmatty

Thanks everyone for the great advice, just what i was after.
Reckon I'll keep the eye out for a good Fiesta with zetec engine, sounds the best option. Plus our family had fiestas for yrs so Dad would know his way around one.

I may be spending the loan on the car and putting the insurance on the credit card but i've saved an extra 1000 quid since Christmas so will pay off the insurance with that. Also have a stash in the credit union for emergencies so don't worry about me being out on the street...:)

Thanks again!

gyppo

missmatty wrote:

Thanks everyone for the great advice, just what i was after.
Reckon I'll keep the eye out for a good Fiesta with zetec engine, sounds the best option.

I just bought a 99 Fiesta (with the zetec engine) for the other half last week.
At the moment though, I'm only insured to drive it, and its a little beauty to drive. Not looking forward to giving it up when herself gets sorted out

Go and get one, they're excellent.

cyrusdvirus

gyppo wrote:

I just bought a 99 Fiesta (with the zetec engine) for the other half last week.
At the moment though, I'm only insured to drive it, and its a little beauty to drive. Not looking forward to giving it up when herself gets sorted out

Go and get one, they're excellent.

Dammit Gyppo, I had one and it got murderised. Stop bringing it up. It's an open wound!! ; )

Just as a matter of interest does anyone have any opinions on driving the 'newer' style fiesta to the older style.

Is it my imagination or is the older one, particularly the 1.25 zetec an all round nicer car to drive??