Buying my 1st car, hoping for some advice on a Saloon!

frankiekk

Hi everyone

First time on this and hope you can help! I've saved about €8k for a car and I was hoping to get a saloon. I liked the look of the Volvo S40 and a Saab 9.3 and I was hoping to get one of these, but I've been told if they break down they're ridiculously expensive to fix! Is this true? I've been told to stick to Toyota/Ford but I'd like something that isn't so common!

Also, a few friends have told me that I should get a car that is 2008 or newer because tax is much lower from 2008 onwards, is this true?

Davy

Moved from CI to Motors

bazz26

You would buy a decent car for half that budget. Also did your friend happen to mention that you probably have to spend more money to buy a 2008 car just to save a small amount on motor tax?

Being your first car have you got insurance quotes on any sort of car first to check if you can afford it as normally insurance on your first car is expensive.

frankiekk

bazz26 wrote: »

You would buy a decent car for half that budget. Also did your friend happen to mention that you probably have to spend more money to buy a 2008 car just to save a small amount on motor tax?

Being your first car have you got insurance quotes on any sort of car first to check if you can afford it as normally insurance on your first car is expensive.

Yeah insurance was okay, €500-600 which I think is good. He said tax post-2008 is about €175, and pre-2008 is about €800. Suppose your right, won't save much money it that's the correct rate. Any recommendations for a decent first saloon?

Atlantic Dawn

If your buying a petrol car tax may be more expensive on a 2008 than a pre 2008 car as it will be classed on emissions. If your buying a diesel there will likely be a saving on a 2008 car, I would however not go spending many thousands on a 2008 to save a couple of hundred in motor tax per year.

buachailldana

frankiekk wrote: »

Hi everyone

First time on this and hope you can help! I've saved about €8k for a car and I was hoping to get a saloon. I liked the look of the Volvo S40 and a Saab 9.3 and I was hoping to get one of these, but I've been told if they break down they're ridiculously expensive to fix! Is this true? I've been told to stick to Toyota/Ford but I'd like something that isn't so common!

Also, a few friends have told me that I should get a car that is 2008 or newer because tax is much lower from 2008 onwards, is this true?

Hi Frank,

I recently had an S40, and now I have another one. I was in a similar boat to you.. Wanted something a little bit different, didn't want to necessarily go down the Focus/Golf/Corolla route.

The first S40 I had was a '07 1.6 diesel. Lovely car, really good spec, leather heated seats, cruise control, auto climate control, all the good stuff. Really comfortable and great to drive. Tax was about €575 a year. I bought it for near enough to your budget too.

However. 4 months after I bought it, I started having problems with loss of power, jerking, it just wasn't right. I had a 12 month warranty though, so I thought it was sorted. It ended up going back to the garage 7 times over 2 months, each time returning with the same fault. In the end, the garage gave me a refund for the car because they were unable to fix the problem.

Personally, I am pretty sure it was the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) that was causing the problem.. Google DPFs, there's loads of info. It can be quite a common issue on smaller sized diesels, when the filter gets blocked if the car isn't driven on long spins regularly, and it can cost €600-€1000 to replace.

I was on the hunt for another similar car, and I looked at the Saab too, but I needed up buying another S40 today, although this one is 2010 with FSH and warranty etc. Tax this time around is €190/year.

Despite the issues I had with the S40, it's a lovely car, and most of them come with a really good spec, lots of nice extras! I suppose any used car can be problematic, just be cautious! I wouldn't even consider buying private, at last with a dealer you have some comeback.

bazz26

Honda Civic saloon:


http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/07-honda-civic-1-8-ses-5dr/6094178

frankiekk

buachailldana wrote: »

Hi Frank,

I recently had an S40, and now I have another one. I was in a similar boat to you.. Wanted something a little bit different, didn't want to necessarily go down the Focus/Golf/Corolla route.

The first S40 I had was a '07 1.6 diesel. Lovely car, really good spec, leather heated seats, cruise control, auto climate control, all the good stuff. Really comfortable and great to drive. Tax was about €575 a year. I bought it for near enough to your budget too.

However. 4 months after I bought it, I started having problems with loss of power, jerking, it just wasn't right. I had a 12 month warranty though, so I thought it was sorted. It ended up going back to the garage 7 times over 2 months, each time returning with the same fault. In the end, the garage gave me a refund for the car because they were unable to fix the problem.

Personally, I am pretty sure it was the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) that was causing the problem.. Google DPFs, there's loads of info. It can be quite a common issue on smaller sized diesels, when the filter gets blocked if the car isn't driven on long spins regularly, and it can cost €600-€1000 to replace.

I was on the hunt for another similar car, and I looked at the Saab too, but I needed up buying another S40 today, although this one is 2010 with FSH and warranty etc. Tax this time around is €190/year.

Despite the issues I had with the S40, it's a lovely car, and most of them come with a really good spec, lots of nice extras! I suppose any used car can be problematic, just be cautious! I wouldn't even consider buying private, at last with a dealer you have some comeback.

Thanks buachailldana, yeah I'll definitely go the dealer route, I don't think I'd have the backbone to argue with a private seller if thinks went wrong!!!

frankiekk

bazz26 wrote: »

Honda Civic saloon:


http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/07-honda-civic-1-8-ses-5dr/6094178

Thanks Bazz, think I'd have to go with a dealer rather than a private seller though. At be a bit cautious of something going wrong! Nice car though!

MrDerp

buachailldana wrote: »

Hi Frank,

I recently had an S40, and now I have another one. I was in a similar boat to you.. Wanted something a little bit different, didn't want to necessarily go down the Focus/Golf/Corolla route.

The first S40 I had was a '07 1.6 diesel. Lovely car, really good spec, leather heated seats, cruise control, auto climate control, all the good stuff. Really comfortable and great to drive. Tax was about €575 a year. I bought it for near enough to your budget too.

However. 4 months after I bought it, I started having problems with loss of power, jerking, it just wasn't right. I had a 12 month warranty though, so I thought it was sorted. It ended up going back to the garage 7 times over 2 months, each time returning with the same fault. In the end, the garage gave me a refund for the car because they were unable to fix the problem.

Personally, I am pretty sure it was the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) that was causing the problem.. Google DPFs, there's loads of info. It can be quite a common issue on smaller sized diesels, when the filter gets blocked if the car isn't driven on long spins regularly, and it can cost €600-€1000 to replace.

I was on the hunt for another similar car, and I looked at the Saab too, but I needed up buying another S40 today, although this one is 2010 with FSH and warranty etc. Tax this time around is €190/year.

Despite the issues I had with the S40, it's a lovely car, and most of them come with a really good spec, lots of nice extras! I suppose any used car can be problematic, just be cautious! I wouldn't even consider buying private, at last with a dealer you have some comeback.

Bought an 07 petrol s40 (1.8) in March 2011 with 90,000km on the clock. 166,000km on the clock now, no big bills. But then, it's a normally aspirated petrol engine and it spends most of its time on motorways and major N routes.

@Frank,

It depends on so many factors. At the end of the day, if you want something nice, then it'll be expensive if something goes wrong. Think about what a car would cost new when you consider maintenance costs. A 10,000 euro used 5 series will have more expensive parts than a 10,000 euro used Ford Focus.

Buy something you want to drive, and look around for a good example. Don't hide from potential maintenance costs, but don't let them put you off either, or you'll end up driving something that bores you.

And don't 'save' 1K buying from a Port-a-cabin in Dublin 12. You might get lucky, but that's where cars like buachailldana's end up.

_Kaiser_

frankiekk wrote: »

Thanks buachailldana, yeah I'll definitely go the dealer route, I don't think I'd have the backbone to argue with a private seller if thinks went wrong!!!

You actually wouldn't be able to argue with a private seller if it went wrong as you have no comeback at all. It's sold as seen - the risk is entirely yours as the buyer.

If you want a warranty you go through a dealer but you'll pay more for it - personally I think it's worth the extra but that's me.