Buying Ex-taxi????

blinky78

Hey looking at changing the car at the min and came across a nice car in budget but its an ex-taxi.

Are they worth a look at or should i just stay well clear
Any help apperacited

Thanks

Gumbo

have a look and make sure its in good nick with a good history. as long as its priced alot lower than a similar private car then it could be a good buy.

most taxis are maintained better than most private cars but there are exceptions that are ragged.

i wouldnt run away but i would approach with more coaution and more awareness than normal.

I Was VB

I've bought a few ex-taxis in my time and i am currently driving a taxi myself, the car wants for nothing and oil changed at a about 2,500 Miles or once a month. Car is washed daily and swept out daily.

But there are alot of heaps out there as taxis, the age and the model of car doesent mean the car is a junker.

OP be carefull of of clocked cars and check for timing belt replacements and waterpumps.

macroman

Be aware that there could be holes in the dash for mounting radios and meters.

Watch out for usual wear and tear and be sure to check the engine from cold. Check for smoke which could indicate worn piston rings -- something which a lot of taxis suffer with from start/stop driving.

What car is it you're looking at? Avensis, Merc, Primera?

blinky78

Skoda Octavia and a Nissan Almera!!
Both running around 17ok miles do so don't know about them.
How much miles is too much miles????

bazz26

My only concern is the reason it is no longer a taxi. I always have the impression that taxis are driven until they are no longer fit for the purpose, as they are generally worthless afterwards. At that mileage there could be a big nasty bill around the corner that the previous owner realised and decided to move it on.

I suppose it really depends how cheap the cars are going for where the low price outweighs the risk so if it dies on you then you have lost very little.

mickdw

Id be wary of the miles even at 170k unless the cars are very new. What year are the cars? A taxi would run up that type of mileage in no length.

I Was VB

Also keep in mind that a 9 year rule comes into effect next year, so alot of cars from 02 backwards will be coming on stream as ex-taxis as they can no longer be driven as taxis as they are over 9 years old.

Alot of good cars will be made redundant.

NewApproach

Bear in mind that as a texi, the (genuine) mileage will underestimate the cars usage relative to most non taxis. They spend a lot of time idling and driving in towns.

All other things being equal, Id rather have a privately used car with 100k than an ex taxi with 100k for these reasons.

Andrew33

blinky78 wrote: »

Skoda Octavia and a Nissan Almera!!
Both running around 17ok miles do so don't know about them.
How much miles is too much miles????

Run a mile from the Almera (heapo ****e) I can't express my hatred enough for that horrible horrible car, and the Tiida takes over that crown admirably.

By the by, taxis don't clock up big miles anymore, they spend most of their time sitting on ranks waiting for work, I'd say a lot of taxis clock up less than 50,000 km per year now which is only 3 times the average for a private car.

BronsonTB

Andrew33 wrote: »

Run a mile from the Almera (heapo ****e) I can't express my hatred enough for that horrible horrible car

Ouch are they that bad?? I'm looking at getting a 02/03 almera van for work....

I'd buy and ex-taxi if both price & condtion warranted it. Just stay clear of the heaps....

Cionád

BronsonTB wrote: »

Ouch are they that bad?? I'm looking at getting a 02/03 almera van for work....

It depends on what you mean by bad. They are not exciting or stylish in any way but are very reliable (especially the older N15 model(pre-2000)) and cheap to run.

The 2.2 diesel engine is good in the N16 model, the 136bhp version can do 0-60 in 8.9sec and gets over 45MPG, which aint too bad.