Buying a car in February

Hedgepig

Hello,

I'm going to buy a new car I have around €8k to spend, and I saw a few cars that I liked today. One was a nice very clean 01 Ford Focus 1.6i LX with zetec engine and some extras, 70k miles - they're asking €8500 but I could get a chunk off that. Only downside is, the dealer told me they've had it since late last year. I know that January is a very busy month for buying second hand cars - is it a bad sign if this Focus was not bought? Is the price too high? He did say that they dropped the price recently, so maybe they were asking a lot more...

For the same price I could get a similar 02 Focus (not quite as nice) from somewhere else, or an ~02 Avensis, or an 01 Laguna or an 01 Volvo s40... any recommendations on what to avoid or what to consider?

Thanks in advance

pete4130

That seems too much for an '01 Focus with those miles imo. I sold my '00 Focus estate last month with 80K on the clock for €4k. Got a newer focus and didn't want it sitting around not selling so let it go cheap.
You should be able to get a '01 or '02 with about 70k on the clock for between €5k & €6k. Tons out there in private sales so its worth paying to get it checked out 100% by an independant mechanic of you see one you like. You'll save a good bit compared to going to a dealer. The Focus is pretty cheap to keep running and repair, so a private sale isn't a bad idea once it checks out.

Stephen

The 1.6 is probably not as easy to sell as the 1.4 is here in good old Ireland either.

Churchy

I sold the wife's 2005 new model Focus 1.4 5dr with only 19k for £5,995 (Stg).

Have you checked up north? Good selection of clean cars around at sensible money.

Sis in law is about to sell her 03 1.4 Cl soon , 66k miles @ £3,495 (stg).
(watch autotrader for it)

Those prices south of the border seem crazy for such old cars.

domania

Crazy money for one. I just bought a 03 Focus for 8K from a main dealer. Haggle, Haggle, Haggle.

What ever the price it's advertised for you should knock around 1500 off for a straight deal (i.e. no trade in)

So search Carzone for cars priced in around 10 to 9K and you'll find something.

Hedgepig

Thanks for the advice. The reason I want to go with a dealer is because I want to trade in my old Mitsubishi Colt which would be a lot of hassle for me to get NCT-worthy or to sell. Not a bad idea checking up north... I'm in Cork so it would be a long haul, but if it saves me over €1000 when all is said and done then I would be glad to have my first trip to NI - might even swing by the Giants Causeway in my new car Will take another look on carzone and see what I can dig up.

JHMEG

BTW, there is no such thing as a "zetec engine". Zetec is a trim level, like LX and Ghia.

Invincible

There's a site for cars in the north, www.usedcarsni.com
Check www.ros.ie to see what the particular model will cost in vrt here.
Good luck!:)

Hedgepig

JHMEG wrote: »

BTW, there is no such thing as a "zetec engine". Zetec is a trim level, like LX and Ghia.

http://www.answers.com/topic/ford-zetec-engine. The trim on this one is LX, but the engine says Zetec on it.

bazz26

If that Focus has been sitting there since last year it is because the asking price is just daft. You'd probably pick up a 2003 Focus for €8,500 these days.

By all means shop around.

domania

What year is your old Colt? Is it worth more money than a straight deal saving? If not the buy the car for a straight deal price and the sell your old one privately. If it's too old and needs too much work to sell that way then bring it to a scrap yard and put it off the road for free. Pouladuff Dismantlers in Cork are licenced to scrap cars for free. You will get a cert of destruction to prove you scrapped it. Then job done.

JHMEG

Hedgepig wrote: »

http://www.answers.com/topic/ford-zetec-engine. The trim on this one is LX, but the engine says Zetec on it.

Sorry, I should have said that zetec is a branding, not a technology.