Car hunt narrowed down to 3 choices

jos_kel

I'm starting a job in a few weeks so need to buy a 2nd family car. Wife already has a 09 Kia Rio with 45k miles. I will be doing 40 mile round trip to work each day.
Here are the 3 cars I'm considering
2007 Skoda Octavia with 1.9 Diesel and 55k miles on the clock (€5, 850)
2005 Volkswagen Golf 1.9tdi Diesel and 103k miles on the clock (€5,750)
2005 toyota yaris d4d 1.4 t spirit 03 dr and 80k miles on the clock (€4,250).
The thinking behind the Yaris is for my wife to drive this to work and I'll drive the Kia Rio to work.
NCT for all are due Mar - Sep 2015.
I like the VW Golf but the mileage is a worry to me, but I've heard 200k miles is very achievable. I'm thinking though that the Octavia is the safer bet (assuming successful inspection check), although my wife doesn't like the size of it.
Another option is the Yaris and I'll drive the Rio. This would financially be better and seeing as it's only a 2nd car, it's also a reasonable alternative.
Any ideas about the mileage on the VW Golf? Sorry for wandering a bit.

Scortho

Golf and oktavia are basically the same car.


I'd go for the oktavia. More of a family car than the golf or yaris.
Massive boot in them as well.
Miles shouldn't worry you, so long as it's been serviced.

flossy1

The Octavia best choice .It has the same engine as the VW Golf

jos_kel

Thanks Scortho,
When I say 2nd family car, I meant more as a 2nd Car to the main family cars. Both cars don't have to carry all the family if you know what I mean.

Bpmull

Octavia would be the best. My parents have 2 of them a 05 and 11 one and I think they make a good family car. Just make sure to check whatever car you buy out well. Also check if that Octavia has a service history to prove mileage as its quite low.

slimjimmc

The Yaris will be grand for a 20 mile journey too, though you mightn't like to let herself know that

colm_mcm

Mileage on the Octavia is a bit on the low side, do your checks.

Scortho

jos_kel wrote: »

Thanks Scortho,
When I say 2nd family car, I meant more as a 2nd Car to the main family cars. Both cars don't have to carry all the family if you know what I mean.

Oh yeah I know but once the wife sees the size of the boot she'll be giving you the rio!:P

40 mile round trip isn't much. Have you looked into getting a cheap petrol runabout? Especially if the Octavia is stretching you. You wouldn't go wrong with a1.25 fiesta.

Bpmull

Scortho wrote: »

Oh yeah I know but once the wife sees the size of the boot she'll be giving you the rio!:P

40 mile round trip isn't much. Have you looked into getting a cheap petrol runabout? Especially if the Octavia is stretching you. You wouldn't go wrong with a1.25 fiesta.

Octavias are hardly that big really. I learned to drive in one and done my test in one and had no problems my dad uses his one for work and does but a ridiculous amount of tools in the boot.

Scortho

Bpmull wrote: »

Octavias are hardly that big really. I learned to drive in one and done my test in one and had no problems my dad uses his one for work and does but a ridiculous amount of tools in the boot.

God no but they've a nice big boot for shopping, buggy's etc.

Bpmull

Scortho wrote: »

God no but they've a nice big boot for shopping, buggy's etc.

They do alright you'd be surprised how handy it is specially for shopping as you said and even holidays you can fit loads of suitcases in. In saying all that I like the golfs but never really think of them as a family car and I couldn't justify paying near 6k for a 05 golf tbh but I know some people will pay the price tag as they sell quickly enough.

pippip

colm_mcm wrote: »

Mileage on the Octavia is a bit on the low side, do your checks.

That was my first thought

Noccy_Mondy

colm_mcm wrote: »

Mileage on the Octavia is a bit on the low side, do your checks.

Could be from one of them old people that think they NEED a diesel, when they definitely DO NOT and drive it about twice a week, to mass, collect the pension etc...

colm_mcm

Noccy_Mondy wrote: »

Could be from one of them old people that think they NEED a diesel, when they definitely DO NOT and drive it about twice a week, to mass, collect the pension etc...

Could be, but you wouldn't want to assume that.

Noccy_Mondy

Ohh defo not, I would never endorse to anyone to buy a car without a background check. The €35 or whatever it is, is WELL WORTH IT imo!

mr_edge_to_you

jos_kel wrote: »

2007 Skoda Octavia with 1.9 Diesel and 55k miles on the clock (€5, 850)
.

if it has miles on the clock its possibly a UK import. My 05 Octavia 1.9tdi has kms on the clock.

mileage is questionable.i'd say i do average enough mileage. I've been doing a 350km weekly commute for the last few years and any long drives we use my car and I'm hitting 250k kms this week.

on the practical side the octavia boot is massive. No issues with buggies, stroller, travel cot, car seats etc fitting in. Few wardrobes from Ikea too.

great car.

Cleveland Hot Pocket

mr_edge_to_you wrote: »

if it has miles on the clock its possibly a UK import. My 05 Octavia 1.9tdi has kms on the clock.

mileage is questionable.i'd say i do average enough mileage. I've been doing a 350km weekly commute for the last few years and any long drives we use my car and I'm hitting 250k kms this week.

on the practical side the octavia boot is massive. No issues with buggies, stroller, travel cot, car seats etc fitting in. Few wardrobes from Ikea too.

great car.

Jaysus it's actually been months since I heard that!:D

jos_kel

Went to see car today. Impressed with it. The fact that it was automatic took getting used to as I'm used to driving manual, but shouldn't be a showstopper. Will definitely do background checks, as average annual mileage is 9,500, which although low is plausible. Which website do I use for background checks.
Two other things were strange though,
1. On website it said NCT Due Date was Mar 2015 but cert on car said Nov 2014. (Maybe I can haggle in terms of the cost)
2. The owner had no service log book.
I'm thinking that I can overcome Point 2, by getting a full inspection and history check. Or should I genuinely be worried about the lack of a service log book

colm_mcm

Any Octavia dsg TDIs I've seen in the uk have been massive milers. No service history would have alarm bells ringing for me.

jos_kel

do you mean odometer has been tampered with (potentially). Would history check confirm this?

colm_mcm

jos_kel wrote: »

do you mean odometer has been tampered with (potentially). Would history check confirm this?

Depends. The service history is the most trustworthy source.
You may get readings from when it was in the uk and you may not.
Most cars are clocked after they're bought in the uk then nctd with the lower mileage.

Bpmull

jos_kel wrote: »

Went to see car today. Impressed with it.
2. The owner had no service log book.
I'm thinking that I can overcome Point 2, by getting a full inspection and history check. Or should I genuinely be worried about the lack of a service log book

the service book could be in the compartment under the passenger seat thats where they are kept in that model octavia. Many people look in the glove box and when there no service book assume the car doesn't have one. just something to bear in mind. Also cartell or motorcheck are good websites to check car history. Although I wouldnt take everything the sites say about mileage as gospel.

Noccy_Mondy

I would recommend motorcheck over cartell, better value for money and you get more info on the cars past. Even still, bear in mind what others are saying..

jos_kel

Thanks everyone, seller has told me service log history was not passed on by previous owner.
Hard to prove or disprove I guess.

Scortho

I'd stay away from it then.
Low milage diesel and no service history would send me running.
Especially if it was an import.

YbFocus

Yep I'd be thinking the same, the minute I saw it I thought the mileage was far too low.

dnme

Noccy_Mondy wrote: »

Could be from one of them old people

Yes dam them anyway. Thankfully none of us will ever be old like that

dnme

Makes me wonder, An Octavia diesel like that, with such low mileage. Surely anyone clocking the vehicle would have more cop on than to reduce the odometer to such a low value. Anyone in the darker side of the trade would know the average mileage and not want to arouse suspicion so why would they clock the vehicle to these levels ? I'd be interested to hear opinions from people in the know on that.

Is it possible to determine if it was a UK import? Can you get access to it's original registration number from anywhere ?

Scortho

dnme wrote: »

Makes me wonder, An Octavia diesel like that, with such low mileage. Surely anyone clocking the vehicle would have more cop on than to reduce the odometer to such a low value. Anyone in the darker side of the trade would know the average mileage and not want to arouse suspicion so why would they clock the vehicle to these levels ? I'd be interested to hear opinions from people in the know on that.

Is it possible to determine if it was a UK import? Can you get access to it's original registration number from anywhere ?

Theyre selling it to an irish person.
There is a certain amount of motorists out there wholl see cheap diesel "never need servicing" low milage car and will buy.

They wont think to ask is the milage too low.

bazz26

dnme wrote: »

Makes me wonder, An Octavia diesel like that, with such low mileage. Surely anyone clocking the vehicle would have more cop on than to reduce the odometer to such a low value. Anyone in the darker side of the trade would know the average mileage and not want to arouse suspicion so why would they clock the vehicle to these levels ? I'd be interested to hear opinions from people in the know on that.

Is it possible to determine if it was a UK import? Can you get access to it's original registration number from anywhere ?

It's the reason clocking cars is big business over here, the Irish have an allergic reaction to anything with high mileage on it and are less suspicious of something with low mileage despite tell tale signs.

Original UK reg will be listed on the car's Irish VRC.

jos_kel

I'm forgetting about that Skoda Octavia due to lack of Service History. I'm now looking at a 2006 Skoda Superb with 94,000 km which will come with new timing belt and full service history. This ought to cover me, shouldn't it? BTW Thanks for all your opinions.

Scortho

jos_kel wrote: »

I'm forgetting about that Skoda Octavia due to lack of Service History. I'm now looking at a 2006 Skoda Superb with 94,000 km which will come with new timing belt and full service history. This ought to cover me, shouldn't it? BTW Thanks for all your opinions.

Petrol or diesel?
If it's diesel it's on the very low side for milage.
What is the full service history?
Is it from 2006, serviced every year?

jos_kel

Scortho wrote: »

Petrol or diesel?
If it's diesel it's on the very low side for milage.
What is the full service history?
Is it from 2006, serviced every year?

It's diesel.
Dealer texted me saying
Local Independent dealer has looked after car since new and has stamped the book each year.
Only one lady owner.
When he's back in the office he'll text me reg no. so I can do a full history check.

I'm planning to use motorcheck.ie with €35 full check option.
Seems legit if backed up by history check and full service history or am I missing something?

Scortho

jos_kel wrote: »

It's diesel.
Dealer texted me saying
Local Independent dealer has looked after car since new and has stamped the book each year.
Only one lady owner.
When he's back in the office he'll text me reg no. so I can do a full history check.

I'm planning to use motorcheck.ie with €35 full check option.
Seems legit if backed up by history check and full service history or am I missing something?

I'd be ringing the person who did the servicing to verify that they were done when they said it was done.
Again it's very low miles for a diesel that old.
I'm not saying it's clocked or anything, it's just very low.
I'd definitely be getting a mechanic to check over the car as well as motor check.

jos_kel

Scortho wrote: »

I'd be ringing the person who did the servicing to verify that they were done when they said it was done.
Again it's very low miles for a diesel that old.
I'm not saying it's clocked or anything, it's just very low.
I'd definitely be getting a mechanic to check over the car as well as motor check.

Would this full inspection check on motorcheck.ie be sufficient for €199

It includes.
Full Check (Worth €35)
101 Point Physical Inspection

colm_mcm

If its the one in Carlow, its a bit annoying that they've blocked out the reg...

jos_kel

Yeah, but they've blocked all reg numbers in that garage. He's since texted me the reg number.
I'm going to get the full inspection done now on motorcheck.ie.
There's an inspection test centre in Carlow.
Is €199 value and do you think this would be a comprehensive all-in check, with no more checks needed (apart from looking at the service history and ringing the person who done the service as Scortho mentioned).

colm_mcm

Do your checks and drive the car before spending the €200

Is there an option to do the history check for €35 then do the physical check if it stacks up?

jos_kel

colm_mcm wrote: »

Do your checks and drive the car before spending the €200

Is there an option to do the history check for €35 then do the physical check if it stacks up?

Thanks Colm, Just rang Motor Check and I can do the history check for €35 and then when I'm applying for the physical inspection for €199, I can get a refund of the €35.

So I'm planning to do the history check now. Thanks for the advice.

jos_kel

colm_mcm wrote: »

Do your checks and drive the car before spending the €200

Is there an option to do the history check for €35 then do the physical check if it stacks up?

Hi, Got the History Report done one motorcheck for €35. All was fine except for road tax which was out yesterday (not a big deal). Also the manufacturer warranty of 2 years had expired as expected.
The other thing was in relation to, that old chestnut, the odomoter reading 94,000 kms.
Here's what they said. As Scortho said earlier and motorcheck said below, I guess I'll have to check if the service history shows up anything and also ring the local independent dealer who's serviced this from new. (The garage said the independent dealer who's serviced it is shown in the log book).
Thanks a million everyone for the advice. Nearly there now, hopefully.

Unfortunately there are no previous odometer readings to compare against the reading you entered for this vehicle. Motorcheck searches the Irish National Mileage Register and UK Mileage Register for previous odometer readings. We recommend that you examine additional sources of information for possible odometer readings. Does the vehicle have a full service history stamped in its service book? Can the seller verify the odometer reading with an independent source?

Bpmull

jos_kel wrote: »

I'm forgetting about that Skoda Octavia due to lack of Service History. I'm now looking at a 2006 Skoda Superb with 94,000 km which will come with new timing belt and full service history. This ought to cover me, shouldn't it? BTW Thanks for all your opinions.

Why is the timming belt only being done now if it's every 70k miles approx or 5 years which ever comes first ? Worth asking to garage. I'd just be checking the service history very well. Bear in mind that the superb will never be as re sellable as the octavia in the future as they don't exactly have a big fan base. So be careful not to give money and then have to sell the car on for buttons. Other than that if your happy with it and it checks out it should be a good reliable car.

YbFocus

Bpmull wrote: »

Why is the timming belt only being done now if it's every 70k miles approx or 5 years which ever comes first ? Worth asking to garage. I'd just be checking the service history very well. Bear in mind that the superb will never be as re sellable in the future as they don't exactly have a big fan base. So be careful not to give money and then have to sell the car on for buttons. Other than that if your happy with it and it checks out it should be a good reliable car.

94,000km on her, so that's only ~55,000 miles. I'd say you didn't see the units

Bpmull

YbFocus wrote: »

94,000km on her, so that's only ~55,000 miles. I'd say you didn't see the units

But my point is 2006 is more than 5 years ago and if it's so well maintained by this garage why would they let a belt run over that much.

KwackerJack

Octavia...VW underneath but they seem to be better built than VW!!

YbFocus

Sorry yes that's very true!

Just thread carefully man as with buying any car.
If your not 100% happy then walk away, there are plenty out there

Bpmull

YbFocus wrote: »

Sorry yes that's very true!

Just thread carefully man as with buying any car.
If your not 100% happy then walk away, there are plenty out there

I have nothing against superbs there a nice car and I'm certainly not trying to freak out the op but just trying to make sure there informed and as you said make sure your 100% happy with the car.

The only other thing that would concern me about it is I find it very convenient that the garage selling it service it from day one. So it's their stamp in the book. Very easy to get a blank book and fill it in altogether and stick the stamp down. So look out for different colour pens in the service book the first stamp be more faded than the most recent. As I said op I'm not trying to scare you and I'm certainly not trying to accuse the garage of trying to sell you a ungenuine car I don't even know what garage it is. Just be careful and be extra vigilant the car could be completely genuine for all I know.

jos_kel

Bpmull wrote: »

I have nothing against superbs there a nice car and I'm certainly not trying to freak out the op but just trying to make sure there informed and as you said make sure your 100% happy with the car.

The only other thing that would concern me about it is I find it very convenient that the garage selling it service it from day one. So it's their stamp in the book. Very easy to get a blank book and fill it in altogether and stick the stamp down. So look out for different colour pens in the service book the first stamp be more faded than the most recent. As I said op I'm not trying to scare you and I'm certainly not trying to accuse the garage of trying to sell you a ungenuine car I don't even know what garage it is. Just be careful and be extra vigilant the car could be completely genuine for all I know.

Thanks BPMull and all for your valued opinions. Just one thing, according to the garage it's another independant dealer that has been servicing it since day one and stamping the book. So unless they're in cahoots with each other.
One other question, the history check told me the previous dates that it was NCT'd. Should the NCT not also have details of the odometer at that time?

Scortho

jos_kel wrote: »

Thanks BPMull and all for your valued opinions. Just one thing, according to the garage it's another independant dealer that has been servicing it since day one and stamping the book. So unless they're in cahoots with each other.
One other question, the history check told me the previous dates that it was NCT'd. Should the NCT not also have details of the odometer at that time?

The cert just says the mileage at the time of nct.
As far as I know they're not permitted under data protection to share this milage.
The car check companies are pushing for it As part of a national milage register but it hasn't happened yet.

If it doesn't have previous nct certs, I'd start being a tad suspicious, if I was clocking a car, they'd be the first thing to go.

dnme

jos_kel wrote: »

One other question, the history check told me the previous dates that it was NCT'd. Should the NCT not also have details of the odometer at that time?

Absolutely!

colm_mcm

dnme wrote: »

Absolutely!

The nct result sheet will, but I don't think that info is available otherwise.

dnme

colm_mcm wrote: »

The nct result sheet will, but I don't think that info is available otherwise.

Oh, apologies,

I assumed that the mileage was logged on some database system at NCT time no? How do online motor checks work in terms of odometer readings then ?