What's a good price for this car?

artvanderlay

Hi there,

I'm looking at this nissan micra for my wife to learn to drive on

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Nissan/Micra/1.0-5DR-/36613775140119710/advert?channel=CARS

It seems a bit expensive at €3,400. What do you think is a reasonable price to pay for this car?

Thanks a lot.

SeaDaily

I wouldn't pay more than €2500 for that. It's a 10 year old Nissan Micra with relatively high mileage. Definitely overpriced.

Noccy_Mondy

I would forget that car, that garage has a name for being mad expensive with every car for sale!!

bazz26

Stupid money for an 11 year old Micra. Also that model Micra is not known for being a great car.

Toyota Yaris is a superior car and you should be able to get a 2004 example for similar money.

Anan1

Plus, the car looks well tatty.

Toyotafanboi

Anan1 wrote: »

Plus, the car looks well tatty.

yeah the interior looks very grubby. odd hub caps and all the rest too, not very well turned out.

i agree with the above, €2500 would be fair for the car linked. micras seem to hold good value, but in 2010 i sold a 04 micra for €3500 and it was a hard sell at that so the price on that one is steep.

Cleveland Hot Pocket

Go for a k11, much better to learn in.
Also more reliable and cheaper.

djimi

Cleveland Hot Pocket wrote: »

Go for a k11, much better to learn in.
Also more reliable and cheaper.

That was my first thought. Id sooner drive a K11 over that any day.

Toyotafanboi

Cleveland Hot Pocket wrote: »

Go for a k11, much better to learn in.
Also more reliable and cheaper.

i think the k11 has had its day. super little car and all but they are a bit small and **** by modern standards.

the k12 is a very robust reliable car too.

colm_mcm

This 04 1.2 has less than half the miles and better spec for less money.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/nissan-micra-for-sale/6192695

Cleveland Hot Pocket

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

i think the k11 has had its day. super little car and all but they are a bit small and **** by modern standards.

the k12 is a very robust reliable car too.

Don't think so. Still economical, reliable and uber cheap to tax and run.
Of the three cars I would recommend to learn to drive in (or to drive for almost nothing) it is joint with the festy of the late 90's (preferably kent engined) and the Yaris is not far behind.

Toyotafanboi

Cleveland Hot Pocket wrote: »

Don't think so. Still economical, reliable and uber cheap to tax and run.
Of the three cars I would recommend to learn to drive in (or to drive for almost nothing) it is joint with the festy of the late 90's (preferably kent engined) and the Yaris is not far behind.

the k12 is every bit as economical, reliable and cheap to tax. and if i asked you did you want to be in an accident in a k11 or k12 which would you pick?

i'm not saying the k11 is bad, i've had 3 personally and they are great for what they are. i've also had a k12 and the difference is night and day in terms of how much newer and more accomplished the k12 feels. and if i had to put my learner driver wife into a car i'd much rather her in the 12.

you could but a facelift k11 01-02 at a dealers for the guts of 2k, or a 03 k12 for 2.5k. for the few quid extra its twice the car.

just saying :P

DeFinch89

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

i think the k11 has had its day. super little car and all but they are a bit small and **** by modern standards.

the k12 is a very robust reliable car too.

im sorry to say lad your wrong early K12's had nothing but issues, along with the usual electrics with many modern cars, mainly it was the renault timing chain being the K12 and many N16's being the achilles heal in them. the problem was it stretches and will cause engine to cease, can happen as early as 40k miles or as late as 120k miles and expect to pay double you paid for a K12 to put it right again.
just not worth the hassle and plus that micra is way overpriced for any early '03 model. maybe for a '05 1litre model its an ok price.

honestly as a first car I would look at a good genuinely clean '99ish k11 for around €900-€1200, far superior to a k12 in terms of reliability and dependability.

or

as previously mentioned a '03 yaris 1.0 vvti for around €3000 and their a better car than a K12 too

DeFinch89

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

the k12 is every bit as economical, reliable and cheap to tax. and if i asked you did you want to be in an accident in a k11 or k12 which would you pick?

i'm not saying the k11 is bad, i've had 3 personally and they are great for what they are. i've also had a k12 and the difference is night and day in terms of how much newer and more accomplished the k12 feels. and if i had to put my learner driver wife into a car i'd much rather her in the 12.

you could but a facelift k11 01-02 at a dealers for the guts of 2k, or a 03 k12 for 2.5k. for the few quid extra its twice the car.

just saying :P

a K12 is a safer car than the K11 but certainly nowhere near as reliable or as low running costs if you get a bad K12

Toyotafanboi

i might have had an unusually good one then, i had a 2004 1.0 k12 for over 2 years when the car was just 4 years old, brought it from 80 to 130k miles and it never once let me down ever. the solenoid for the boot popper broke but that was it other than routine oil changes and tyres.

people seem to fondly forget all the flaws that the k11 had.

Cleveland Hot Pocket

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

the k12 is every bit as economical, reliable and cheap to tax. and if i asked you did you want to be in an accident in a k11 or k12 which would you pick?

i'm not saying the k11 is bad, i've had 3 personally and they are great for what they are. i've also had a k12 and the difference is night and day in terms of how much newer and more accomplished the k12 feels. and if i had to put my learner driver wife into a car i'd much rather her in the 12.

you could but a facelift k11 01-02 at a dealers for the guts of 2k, or a 03 k12 for 2.5k. for the few quid extra its twice the car.

just saying :P

Plenty of sub 1k off them, should never go to a dealer for a car in that price range

The k12 micras were the first generation of cars with too much un-needed stuff in them to go wrong - which inevitably did.

K11 v K12 in a crash, it is like saying which is faster, a leaf or a prius, it really doesnt matter.

Toyotafanboi

Cleveland Hot Pocket wrote: »

Plenty of sub 1k off them, should never go to a dealer for a car in that price range

The k12 micras were the first generation of cars with too much un-needed stuff in them to go wrong - which inevitably did.

K11 v K12 in a crash, it is like saying which is faster, a leaf or a prius, it really doesnt matter.

cheers for the top tip with not buying cheap cars at a dealers, wasn't aware

what was un-neccessary in the k12? they are still a pretty un-spectacular and basic car.

k11 vs k12 in a crash
the k11 has a 2 star euro ncap rating for occupant safety
the k12 has a 4 star euro ncap rating for occupant safety
so if it doesn't matter to you, then more fool you. i'm sure anyone who has done their research would rather be in the 12.

Cleveland Hot Pocket

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

cheers for the top tip with not buying cheap cars at a dealers, wasn't aware

what was un-neccessary in the k12? they are still a pretty un-spectacular and basic car.

k11 vs k12 in a crash
the k11 has a 2 star euro ncap rating for occupant safety
the k12 has a 4 star euro ncap rating for occupant safety
so if it doesn't matter to you, then more fool you. i'm sure anyone who has done their research would rather be in the 12.

Well QED then. Thanks.

DeFinch89

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

i might have had an unusually good one then, i had a 2004 1.0 k12 for over 2 years when the car was just 4 years old, brought it from 80 to 130k miles and it never once let me down ever. the solenoid for the boot popper broke but that was it other than routine oil changes and tyres.

people seem to fondly forget all the flaws that the k11 had.

a handful of good K12's slipped through the net but of the many many more problems a K12 generally gives over any K11 I couldnt honestly recommend a K12 to anyone especially with much better competition out there like the yaris and even the clio I would call a more reliable car then the K12.

too many K12's reported for the timing chain issues, fudged up electrics and even a few odd cases of ABS and power steering failures.
Just too many faults from a K12 for me to recommend one to anyone.

what common issues have the K11 had other than electrical in the latest '01+ models?

Toyotafanboi

k11 micras were no stranger to timing chain problems either. the gear stick selector return spring, fan speed resistors, breaking door handles, door hinges made from chocolate, rotting front cross members and rear arches, faulty throttle bodies are all problems that i believe are common that i have encountered myself. there are more too.

i feel i need to say again, i'm not saying they weren't a good car... they just weren't a flawless car either.

DeFinch89

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

k11 vs k12 in a crash
the k11 has a 2 star euro ncap rating for occupant safety
the k12 has a 4 star euro ncap rating for occupant safety
so if it doesn't matter to you, then more fool you. i'm sure anyone who has done their research would rather be in the 12.

If it was me personally i would always get a pre '00 micra.
If it was purely a safety thing I wouldnt even bother looking at a K12 and look at a more reliable car with similar ncap ratings.

granted the K11 is not as safe as a K12 as far as ncap goes, thats not the point im debating.

The OP wants a good reliable, first time learner car how i would sum it up is to save her money and buy a clean pre '00 micra (K11).
If her personal safety is a priority than look at a more reliable option then a K12 with similar or better ncap ratings for the same money.

IMHO: 5 star ncap ratings is not fail safe, in the real world no amount of crash testing can 100% garantee a safe outcome following an accident.

DeFinch89

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

k11 micras were no stranger to timing chain problems either.

without regular oil changes or neglected servicing the timing chain can get noisy and rattly but i still dont know of or heard about any K11 timing chain stretching or even needing a replacement within the lifetime of the CG engines unless it was literally starved dry of oil for an extended period of driving.

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

the gear stick selector return spring, fan speed resistors, breaking door handles, door hinges made from chocolate, rotting front cross members and rear arches, faulty throttle bodies are all problems that i believe are common that i have encountered myself. there are more too.

rusty rear arches yes common enough problem alright but easy spotted and avoided, as for the rest broken door handles, weak hinges? that sounds more like just individual cases where really rough handling of the doors have taken place or neglecting to clean hinges if mud was found sitting on top of hinges allowing water to seep into hinges and for rust more so than being a common problem that is an effect of build quality.

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

they just weren't a flawless car either.

a machine designed to be used everyday averaging 15-25,000 miles a year on rough roads with 20,000 individual serviceable parts with a million nuts/bolts/screws that can break.
what car is without flaws?

Toyotafanboi

you (or possibly we) are just nit picking now, but broken door handles are very popular on k11's as are heavily worn hinges.

JohnBoy26

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

you (or possibly we) are just nit picking now, but broken door handles are very popular on k11's as are heavily worn hinges.

and rust, lots of terminal rust on the underbody, arches, front crossmember, chassis rails sills and around the boot. Most of the rust is from the inside out and is very hard to prevent or treat. Failed distributed caps(valeo) and troublesome rear brakes are other issues with them.

still id rather them than a k12 but they are no where near as good as the yaris Imo.

Toyotafanboi

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

still id rather them than a k12 but they are no where near as good as the yaris Imo.

here here

spotted these two gems online.
http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/nissan-micra-1-0-gx/5928351
http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/nissan-micra-1-0-gx/6145267

clean cars but mega overpriced.

DeFinch89

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

here here

spotted these two gems online.
http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/nissan-micra-1-0-gx/5928351
http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/nissan-micra-1-0-gx/6145267

clean cars but mega overpriced.

they can dream on with their 3grand price demand!!
here is honest simple motoring at its finest:
http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/nissan-micra/6218954

Carson10

2003 NISSAN MICRA

This would be a better buy for you. €1700 inc VRT of €460 in from Coleraine. only about another €85 to nct and buy number plates.

Top spec micra, with half leather, front fogs and alloys and only 85,000miles.
http://www.usedcarsni.com/2003-Nissan-Micra-SX-122624456

colm_mcm

Massive engine on that

Carson10

colm_mcm wrote: »

Massive engine on that

You'd get a few years tax out of the €1800 saved instead of buying that bog micra in Castlebar

JohnBoy26

Carson10 wrote: »

You'd get a few years tax out of the €1800 saved instead of buying that bog micra in Castlebar

Or you could put that €1800 + the cost of that micra towords a good yaris.

grainnewhale

or instead of buying a badge you could buy a Hyundai getz and get a 2006 car for the price of a 2003

Toyotafanboi

grainnewhale wrote: »

or instead of buying a badge you could buy a Hyundai getz and get a 2006 car for the price of a 2003

because buying a number plate is better

colm_mcm

grainnewhale

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

because buying a number plate is better

in this case yes

Toyotafanboi

the getz, although i'd say similar in the reliability stakes to the k12 feels like it's been built entirely from recycled playskool kitchens, both inside and out and under the bonnet.

colm_mcm

I quite like the Getz and found them very solid. Certainly better put together than a micra anyway.

Toyotafanboi

i always found the getz interior extremely "plasticy". and thats coming from a person who doesn't see anything bad in a 90's corolla interior. not necessarily not well screwed together, just very unloving. that and the obscure looking delphi stereos. the interiors didn't/ dont wear well.

at least nissan tried with the soft touch material on the micras door cards and steering wheel/ and the nice little bump stops on the glove boxc and cup holders so they don't shut with that hard plastic clack, a little door to cover the empty din pocket in the basic cars.

suppose it's all matter of opinion based.

grainnewhale

never drive small cars as a rule. have a getz and its ok to drive and not as ugly as a micra.

JohnBoy26

grainnewhale wrote: »

or instead of buying a badge you could buy a Hyundai getz and get a 2006 car for the price of a 2003

Of course you can get a newer getz for the same money. Newer isn't always better though and that's certainly the case here. You seem to think a getz is as good as a mk1 yaris, it's not, no where near in fact. By your reckoning Id be better off buying something like a 08 accent over a similarly priced 05 corolla. I know which car I'd rather be taking home.

The getz came out at a time when Hyundai were churning out cars such as the accent, tradjet, coupe etc. Cheap and cheerful yes, quality products no. Hyundai didn't start building proper quality cars until the i30 came along.

For a small car a mk1 yaris really is as good as it getz

colm_mcm

Getz is a lot more modern than the accent of the same era to be fair.
I wouldn't have one over a yaris, but I wouldn't touch a micra either.

Gael23

Change that 3 to a 2 and you have the right price.

DeFinch89

buy a getz ya be stuck with it for a while trying to flog it off, a micra at least even a K12 will sell relatively easy.

also just because a car is newer DOES NOT mean its better by a long shot, id have a K11 anyday but wouldnt give a K12 the light of day, I much prefer the older still K10 above all micras.

as for the getz? getzit outta here lol

DeFinch89

ryanf1 wrote: »

Change that 3 to a 2 and you have the right price.

or save your money and spend no more then half that on a tidy '98-'00 micra K11 and enjoy happy sensible cheap reliable motoring.
http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/nissan-micra/6218954

If occupant safety and reliability is important heres a tidy yaris with a bit of haggling ya could get for €2,000
spare remaining €1000 for a year tax (€200) and the NCT when it comes round in may and you find theres plenty of change left over

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/toyota-yaris-for-sale/6221089
ugly green though is the only drawback not really a nice colour for a young lass learning to drive

artvanderlay

Thanks a lot for all the replies lads. I think I'll leave that micra so . It did look a bit tatty alright and I thought I could get him down to 2,500 but even now that looks overpriced!

I like the look of the yaris in Galway that someone posted there. Also the '99 micra in leitrim looks alright too. Now I don't have a clue about cars so if I was going from Mayo to Galway to buy the yaris what's the best way to proceed? should I agree a price and then see if I can get a local garage there to have a look at it to see if it's alright or should I just wing it and take a chance. (Never mind the color on it - she'll have to make do :pac:)

RayCon

DeFinch89 wrote: »

too many K12's reported for the timing chain issues

Found that out on the wifes 03 K12 just before Christmas - €500 to put it right :mad:

DeFinch89

RayCon wrote: »

Found that out on the wifes 03 K12 just before Christmas - €500 to put it right :mad:

only €500? jaysus thats cheap and is that price through a nissan dealership/garage?
If so and ye plan on keeping the K12 for a good while i nearly recommend ya to go ahead and repair, i know of a few people in the past who were treated unfairly by nissan a couple of years ago over timing chain issues (almera N16 1.5's) who were more or less told to go elsewhere or recieved repair bills costing just shy of over 2grand but that was then I suppose things change.

DeFinch89

artvanderlay wrote: »

I like the look of the yaris in Galway that someone posted there. Also the '99 micra in leitrim looks alright too. Now I don't have a clue about cars so if I was going from Mayo to Galway to buy the yaris what's the best way to proceed? should I agree a price and then see if I can get a local garage there to have a look at it to see if it's alright or should I just wing it and take a chance. (Never mind the color on it - she'll have to make do :pac:)

I would highly recommend bringing a trusted mechanic down with you for the day to inspect and test drive it may be costly but you would have peace of mind or ask the seller politely if they would mind driving car to a garage of your choice near the seller's area and you organize a mechanic there to take an hour of his time going over the car and taking it for a test drive, again this will cost money for peace of mind.

If its a genuine car the seller will have no objection to any inspection, but even if seller does object to taking it to a garage it doesnt necessarily mean its a bad car just most likely wont suit the seller over genuine reasons like no insurance cover or what not.

Or you could take the cheapest option and wing it as the yaris and micra generally have a trouble free life and a safe bet for any first time buyer.
The main points I urge you to cross check if your inspecting car yourself is: registration plates, VIN numbers between the car and all paperwork such as the log book, NCT sheets (not just the disc), service history, sellers name matches the owners name on log book and associated paperwork, cross check mileage, etc.

inspecting the car itself:
check all fluids are correctly topped up, all tyres have at least 4mm thread depth, engine and interior wear match the mileage, after starting engine that no warning lights remain on, engine is running smoothly and quiet (an engine is generally louder on a cold start up) and starts relatively quietly, that all electrics work, handbrake is solid at 3 to 4 clicks, that the brakes are fully functional and the pedal doesnt just sink to the floor when pressed but rather feels solid when pressed nearly halfway, that the clutch pedal has resistance as you press to the floor and has enough spring to smoothly follow your left leg when you lift up, that gear changes are smooth.

And take for test drive:
make sure your covered if on a public road,
if it feels solid on the road, accelerates smoothly (no jerkiness or hesitancy), brakes to a full stop smoothly (even let go of the steering and brake hard to check if car pulls to one side), that steering is responsive and doesnt feel overly stiff at low speeds (this would signal an issue with power steering system or a genuine reason that car may just not have power steering as standard or have bigger alloys than standard), drive on bumps/rough road and feel for any harshness and listen out for odd bangs or metal on metal scratching.
and also throughout the entire test drive regularly check for any warning lights that may come on.

If at this stage your happy with car the fun can begin
put on your best tuam accent (just kidding ;P) and negotiate for the lowest price your happy to pay and the highest price the seller is happy to see her go, the final price should be a happy middle ground of the two.
Cash is king, private sellers run a mile from chequebooks.
and best of luck to happy motoring in your newly acquired motor

That is the basic jist of it.
I know there is much more to look out for but would need an entire website dedicated to buying a car with knowledge and know-how but I hope with this basic information you are more educated when it comes to buying a car and more likely to buy a proper car and avoid having the unfortunate luck of buying a sour lemon.

Anyway best of luck on buying the ideal car your after

artvanderlay

DeFinch89 wrote: »

I would highly recommend bringing a trusted mechanic down with you for the day to inspect and test drive it may be costly but you would have peace of mind or ask the seller politely if they would mind driving car to a garage of your choice near the seller's area and you organize a mechanic there to take an hour of his time going over the car and taking it for a test drive, again this will cost money for peace of mind.

If its a genuine car the seller will have no objection to any inspection, but even if seller does object to taking it to a garage it doesnt necessarily mean its a bad car just most likely wont suit the seller over genuine reasons like no insurance cover or what not.

Or you could take the cheapest option and wing it as the yaris and micra generally have a trouble free life and a safe bet for any first time buyer.
The main points I urge you to cross check if your inspecting car yourself is: registration plates, VIN numbers between the car and all paperwork such as the log book, NCT sheets (not just the disc), service history, sellers name matches the owners name on log book and associated paperwork, cross check mileage, etc.

inspecting the car itself:
check all fluids are correctly topped up, all tyres have at least 4mm thread depth, engine and interior wear match the mileage, after starting engine that no warning lights remain on, engine is running smoothly and quiet (an engine is generally louder on a cold start up) and starts relatively quietly, that all electrics work, handbrake is solid at 3 to 4 clicks, that the brakes are fully functional and the pedal doesnt just sink to the floor when pressed but rather feels solid when pressed nearly halfway, that the clutch pedal has resistance as you press to the floor and has enough spring to smoothly follow your left leg when you lift up, that gear changes are smooth.

And take for test drive:
make sure your covered if on a public road,
if it feels solid on the road, accelerates smoothly (no jerkiness or hesitancy), brakes to a full stop smoothly (even let go of the steering and brake hard to check if car pulls to one side), that steering is responsive and doesnt feel overly stiff at low speeds (this would signal an issue with power steering system or a genuine reason that car may just not have power steering as standard or have bigger alloys than standard), drive on bumps/rough road and feel for any harshness and listen out for odd bangs or metal on metal scratching.
and also throughout the entire test drive regularly check for any warning lights that may come on.

If at this stage your happy with car the fun can begin
put on your best tuam accent (just kidding ;P) and negotiate for the lowest price your happy to pay and the highest price the seller is happy to see her go, the final price should be a happy middle ground of the two.
Cash is king, private sellers run a mile from chequebooks.
and best of luck to happy motoring in your newly acquired motor

That is the basic jist of it.
I know there is much more to look out for but would need an entire website dedicated to buying a car with knowledge and know-how but I hope with this basic information you are more educated when it comes to buying a car and more likely to buy a proper car and avoid having the unfortunate luck of buying a sour lemon.

Anyway best of luck on buying the ideal car your after

Wow that is extremely educational! Thanks a mill for that. It certainly beats my plan of just giving the owner a Larry David-style eyeballing to see are they on the level with the car I'll try to see can I get a local mechanic to come with me when I am looking at it.

DeFinch89

Larry doyle lol. try a robert de niro style staredown and ya might scare the seller into revealing any bad points on car and drop the price a bit too Your best bet is definately to bring a qualified trusted mechanic with ya anyway and have him inspect it inside and out.

I wouldnt mind inspecting it for ya, as im from galway myself and have vast experience buying and selling cars and working on cars and putting them through NCT's, and through experience alone have developed a sense on what to look out for on buying a car. But im not a qualified mechanic so lack the paperwork to backup my experience lol

artvanderlay

DeFinch89 wrote: »

Larry doyle lol. try a robert de niro style staredown and ya might scare the seller into revealing any bad points on car and drop the price a bit too Your best bet is definately to bring a qualified trusted mechanic with ya anyway and have him inspect it inside and out.

I wouldnt mind inspecting it for ya, as im from galway myself and have vast experience buying and selling cars and working on cars and putting them through NCT's, and through experience alone have developed a sense on what to look out for on buying a car. But im not a qualified mechanic so lack the paperwork to backup my experience lol

Thanks for the offer. I might drop you a line if I decide to go ahead with it

artvanderlay

F*ck, the yaris is gone. I better be quicker off the mark next time.