New car dilemmas...

Monkeybudgie

Hi, my girlfriend is looking to buy her first car, she needs it primarily for travelling back and forth from work, a 25k round trip. She's currently looking at either a golf or polo between 2008 and 2010. Is this sensible? Is it better to buy private as I presume it will be cheaper than a garage? What are the advantages / dis to buying a diesel/petrol? I think she would be better off buying an older car but she isn't interested... also, she visited a number of garages today, one of which attempted to sell her a hire purchase agreement "volkswagen bank solutions", in which she would get a brand new polo/golf for 3 years and then sell it back to the garage. I am horrified by this idea.
Thanks in advance

edit: Budget is approx 7-8k,

racso1975

if it is very first i'd go older. Has she checked the insurane cost on the various models and years? At 25k round trip there is no need at all for diesel. I'm guessing the 08 as minimum is due to the motor tax rates?

I always buy private but Thats just me but if you are going private bring a mechanic to check it out for you the aa also do this service. Also check the service history if there is none then run dint even walk. Follow up on the history too ring the garage to make sure they have done the work.

the_syco

Monkeybudgie wrote: »

Is it better to buy private as I presume it will be cheaper than a garage?

Cheaper, maybe, but if it breaks down a mile down the road after money has changed hands, tough sh|t, no money back, goodbye. Same also goes for some "cowboy" garages.

If you get it from a good garage, and something happens, they'll fix it.

That's the difference.

Monkeybudgie

racso1975 wrote: »

if it is very first i'd go older. Has she checked the insurane cost on the various models and years? At 25k round trip there is no need at all for diesel. I'm guessing the 08 as minimum is due to the motor tax rates?

yeah, the motor tax rates is why she has limited it to 2008, are there substantial differences between tax costs per model?

no she hasn't checked the insurance costs, she is 29, so I presume they wont be too bad

Monkeybudgie

the_syco wrote: »

Cheaper, maybe, but if it breaks down a mile down the road after money has changed hands, tough sh|t, no money back, goodbye. Same also goes for some "cowboy" garages.

If you get it from a good garage, and something happens, they'll fix it.

That's the difference.

I was planning on bringing a mechanic. Would I be right in assuming they would spot most potential problems? The price differences between garage and private seem pretty big, like 20%

the_syco

Monkeybudgie wrote: »

I was planning on bringing a mechanic. Would I be right in assuming they would spot most potential problems? The price differences between garage and private seem pretty big, like 20%

Sure, probably most, but not all. In most places, that 20% would cover the warranty. People sometimes upgrade a car as they want to buy a new car. And some people upgrade their car because of something wrong with their current car.