My car died today

makingmecrazy

Well, it finally happened and my old faithful went to the scrap yard in the sky today.

I had 6.5k in the Credit union (bye bye savings!)so will have to spend it on something to get me around. Only I haven't a clue(my old car was a family hand me down) where to start with makes/models, even after reading practically everything on here.
I need it to be 1.6 or less(for insurance purposes)and must be diesel(as I regulary have to make long journeys).
Must also last me till I can manage to get another 6.5k save in the credit union(that may take me some time )
So reliabilty is a major factor.
So any advice on what's a reliable choice? I really need help and a car as would have to resort to WALKING/BUS otherwise :eek:
Thanks lads

monkeysnapper

Why do you need to use 6.5 k .

I bought a 1.4 2006 car last year 80k miles . for 2300 , done deal is full of them . add 50 of quid to pay a Indy to come with you to look at it .

My car was like new , full service history .

jumbone

What had you? What went wrong with it?

makingmecrazy

monkeysnapper wrote: »

Why do you need to use 6.5 k .

I bought a 1.4 2006 car last year 80k miles . for 2300 , done deal is full of them . add 50 of quid to pay a Indy to come with you to look at it .

My car was like new , full service history .

I have up to 6.5k(really great if I got something reliable that would last me and do what I need it to do, be economical etc)

I am just mind boggled after all and sundry last night telling me "Ah dont touch one of them, they're junckers" etc so was looking to see what make/model would best fit my needs

What make was the one you got btw?

edit just to say I have been trawling adverts/donedeal etc since yesterday and cant find anything

makingmecrazy

jumbone wrote: »

What had you? What went wrong with it?

It was an ancient fiesta and it died of old age

colm_mcm

hyundai i30 1.6 diesel. the ones in your budget won't have a DMF or DPF which is good for avoiding expensive repair bills.

makingmecrazy

colm_mcm wrote: »

hyundai i30 1.6 diesel. the ones in your budget won't have a DMF or DPF which is good for avoiding expensive repair bills.

I was looking for one of those but can find anything in my budget. The was the only one that people seemed to agree on tbh. I'm going dizzy from searching the usual sites!

emo72

any car can give problems unfortunately. even expensive german ones.

makingmecrazy

True. Its just after reading the threads here I realise I haven't a clue how to spot a car that isn't genuine(milage etc also if imported has it issues, a friend bought one, the car online check showed is being a-ok and it was a juncker having been crashed in the UK)

monkeysnapper

I think people get caught up buying more expensive diesel s to save on the fuel when in reality the money they will save buying a small petrol will pay for itself in advance.

I bought a Citroen c4 1.4 . mint condition , she's really about 40 to the gallon. Aircon , cruise control , parking sensors . granted I don't do a huge amount of miles.

I wasn't sure if it had a timing belt done, had service history but couldn't see if it had it and was late 70s in miles so I decided to get it done and while my Indy had her stripped I got him to do a head gasket because they're seem to go around this miles plus we had suspicion there was a tiny bit of oil in water , and a few on done deal advertised them with having them done do it was less than 200 extra to get it done while doing belt,

But she runs pretty good . I test drove tons of cars in last 12 months , looking to spend around 10k , considered new very small cars, wrecked my head, then looking at loans for new cars. So I bought the Citroen . had it nearly a year and she cost 2800 all going well touch wood .
..

My last car was a 1.9 TDI Audi . great car and as another poster said , she used to eat into the funds on a regular basis .

colm_mcm

47 i30 diesels for under 7k asking.

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars/Hyundai/I30?price_from=3000&price_to=7000&fuelType=Diesel

Obviously some are uk reg and don't include VRT.

makingmecrazy

I've been getting nothing but "stay away from x,y,z" makes ie peugeot/renault etc as I definitely need a diesel.

Sounds like you got a great little car Monkeysnapper

makingmecrazy

colm_mcm wrote: »

47 i30 diesels for under 7k asking.

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars/Hyundai/I30?price_from=3000&price_to=7000&fuelType=Diesel

Thanks Colm, I'm in there atm (although that link is only showing 29 ads not 47, I must be doing something wrong)
The estates are out as I dont need anything that big and I assume the bigger the car the more fuel consumption(?).

I'm very wary of the UK imports tbh. Should I be?

I mean this appears to be a peach but as was said to me "if it hasnt been snapped up, be wary"

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/hyundai-i30-reduced/10456686

And also, I reckon this is somewhere I could make a big mistake.
This one even though its an estate looks to me, to be great. However, with all of those views and sfs, what am I missing?

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/hyundai-i30-2010/11941857

monkeysnapper

makingmecrazy wrote: »

I've been getting nothing but "stay away from x,y,z" makes ie peugeot/renault etc as I definitely need a diesel.

Sounds like you got a great little car Monkeysnapper

Time will tell my friend.....time will tell????? I've been wrong before with a French car , ppppppeugeot bastard .

The lion goes from strength to strength my ars

emo72

the french cars had trouble with electrics, a lot of dealers dont want them. hassle. as for diesel, if you dont do the miles you dont need it. a good petrol engine is easier to keep. im diesel at the moment but will probably get a petrol next time, egr, dpf, turbos. you dont need the hassle. small toyota perhaps?

colm_mcm

makingmecrazy wrote: »

Thanks Colm, I'm in there atm
The estates are out as I dont need anything that big and I assume the bigger the car the more fuel consumption(?).

I'm very wary of the UK imports tbh. Should I be?

I mean this appears to be a peach but as was said to me "if it hasnt been snapped up, be wary"

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/hyundai-i30-reduced/10456686

And also, I reckon this is somewhere I could make a big mistake.
This one even though its an estate looks to me, to be great. However, with all of those views and sfs, what am I missing?

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/hyundai-i30-2010/11941857

The
The first blue one is very basic uk model, it has less spec than the Irish base model. I wouldn't bother.

I wouldn't bother with the U.K. stuff being sold over here.

I'll have a look at some of them ads and see if there's a nice one in there.

makingmecrazy

monkeysnapper wrote: »

Time will tell my friend.....time will tell????? I've been wrong before with a French car , ppppppeugeot bastard .

The lion goes from strength to strength my ars

So the lads were right about the peugeot even with a few bevvies in them

colm_mcm

It's a bit of a generalisation, there are some good French cars, just none that fit your criteria. Possibly a mk3 Megane m but I think the i30/Ceed is a much safer bet.

makingmecrazy

colm_mcm wrote: »

The
The first blue one is very basic uk model, it has less spec than the Irish base model. I wouldn't bother.

I wouldn't bother with the U.K. stuff being sold over here.

I'll have a look at some of them ads and see if there's a nice one in there.

You're a gent

I will get a mechanic to go with me and check it out but have sadly had a good few female friends get stuck with lemons(Im also of that gender )
It can happen to anyone I suppose

makingmecrazy

colm_mcm wrote: »

It's a bit of a generalisation, there are some good French cars, just none that fit your criteria. Possibly a mk3 Megane m but I think the i30/Ceed is a much safer bet.

That was the general consensus, to avoid French made, among my "advisors" over a few to send off's
Which was interesting as I wouldn't have know to avoid them at all!

They said Hyundai/Ford Focus etc, but if my mates down the pub know these are the models to go for, surely all the best ones get snapped up?

monkeysnapper

Personally I'd stay well away from Peugeot and renauts s ( says the guy with a Citroen ) credibility gone into pieces!!!!!!

The car I was seriously thinking about was a hyuandai i10 (2014 new shape) or i20 . ( where did it all go wrong!!!!!

makingmecrazy

monkeysnapper wrote: »

Personally I'd stay well away from Peugeot and renauts s ( says the guy with a Citroen ) credibility gone into pieces!!!!!!

The car I was seriously thinking about was a hyuandai i10 (2014 new shape) or i20 . ( where did it all go wrong!!!!!

I just want something that can do the mileage leaving me with money left over at the end of the week and more importantly, not breaking down and making me walk 5 miles in 4 inch heels to get help

colm_mcm

This

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/kia-ceed-ceed-gs-1-6-crdi/12236478

Main dealer, handy mileage, will have warranty etc.
You should be able to get a few hundred off that price.

One thing I'd do is bring a mechanic, that garage will sometimes retail what would be regarded as rough looking cars. I don't think they sell bad cars, just that they wouldn't pay much heed to scrapes and dents.

If it crunches going into reverse, the clutch is on the way out, not that expensive on those, around €500 from an indie mechanic.

Kia Ceed is the same car as the i30, just cosmetic differences.

makingmecrazy

Thanks Colm, really appreciate you pointing me in the right direction
Its a minefield

makingmecrazy

Ok...having a go at this myself

Opinions in comparison to the one above, is the much difference? (apart from the price etc)

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/kia-ceed-5dr-red-met-full-history-bargain-buy/12485256

Is it down to "extras" etc?

colm_mcm

Wouldn't buy a newspaper off the seller, also that one has the stop/start, particle filter and dual mass flywheel, all potential wallet emptyers.

That one is a later model, you can tell by the different grille, lights etc.
I'd rather take my chances on the older type. Same with i30 too.

makingmecrazy

colm_mcm wrote: »

Wouldn't buy a newspaper off the seller, also that one has the stop/start, particle filter and dual mass flywheel, all potential wallet emptyers.

That one is a later model, you can tell by the different grille, lights etc.
I'd rather take my chances on the older type. Same with i30 too.

Oh lord :eek:
I reckoned there was a difference alright :pac:

You see, thats where I'm going to go wrong. I wouldn't have a notion as to the calibre of a garage and where/where not to go(I'm going to have to ditch the heels and put on serious shoes to add an extra element of "I have a clue what I'm doing" )

colm_mcm

TBH if you knew your stuff more you could probably get one cheaper, but in your case, I think there's a lot to be said for buying from a Kia dealer and getting the warranty/comeback/security that offers.

makingmecrazy

colm_mcm wrote: »

TBH if you knew your stuff more you could probably get one cheaper, but in your case, I think there's a lot to be said for buying from a Kia dealer and getting the warranty/comeback/security that offers.

Agreed.
They are going to see me coming a mile off. I would have walked in there and thought "Sure this is a garage, what could go wrong?"
Even though I will have a mechanic with me on the day, if I were to keep making bad choices like the one above, I could easily double my budget just on bringing a mechanic with me every time I picked something undesirable

colm_mcm

the car could be grand. it's just about minimizing the risk.

makingmecrazy

colm_mcm wrote: »

the car could be grand. it's just about minimizing the risk.

I really don't want to take on a car where anything that has been known(to people in the know, obv not me )to give trouble or be a bit of a risk of going and being very costly to fix(credit union will be empty by then on the cost of the car)so I really appreciate the advice(and all the other threads).

I have been looking over Ford Focus's there(apart from the hyundai) that was the other model recommended to me but again I have not a clue whether it would a good choice for me.
The are coming in a bit cheaper than the Kia(as I'm rethinking spending the entire amount on the car just in case something does go wrong after the purchase and needs to be fixed).
This may take some time

Also, having no male relatives(Dad died a few years ago but tbh he wouldn't have been much help as he never even drove!)so my only input is from male friends(none of which are in the trade)

colm_mcm

nah. I wouldn't rate a focus anywhere near the i30/ceed for risk.

makingmecrazy

colm_mcm wrote: »

nah. I wouldn't rate a focus anywhere near the i30/ceed for risk.

And they were doing sooo well with the Hyundai(see post edited above).
I'm going to pretend I know all about it the next time the ask about the car :pac:

Just one thing?
If the don't state its a UK import, are the signs/things I could look out for that would tell me more about the car itself?

colm_mcm

mph clocks instead of kmph.
you can put the red into www.motorcheck.ie and it will tell you if it's an import.

makingmecrazy

colm_mcm wrote: »

mph clocks instead of kmph.
you can put the red into www.motorcheck.ie and it will tell you if it's an import.

I thought that!
I'll be doing a motor check on the ones I like as its 3 for €60 something I think.
Just seen an "interesting" one. Outed as a crashed/repaired car. Not by the seller though, he never made mention.
Do they not have to declare if its been damaged and the repaired?

colm_mcm

I wouldn't spend the money on checks unless I was on the point of leaving the house to go and see it.

makingmecrazy

colm_mcm wrote: »

I wouldn't spend the money on checks unless I was on the point of leaving the house to go and see it.

I'm going to try to whittle them down as best as I can, given my knowledge on the subject though I would hazard a guess that the car check crowd are going to do well out of me :D
I've actually seen something but again it probably falls into the category of "too good to be true"

colm_mcm

stick a link up here

makingmecrazy

colm_mcm wrote: »

stick a link up here

Will I not be showing my hand?
(Im better at poker than cars )

Its not to far from me either but its a private sale

colm_mcm

I doubt the seller is watching!

makingmecrazy

colm_mcm wrote: »

I doubt the seller is watching!

Its the other punters grabbing it I'd be afraid of

Yes..I am desperate not to have to take the bus or walk

bazz26

Car history reports only tell part of the story so don't rely heavily on them. The car would still need to be looked over by someone who knows what they are looking at under the bonnet.

makingmecrazy

bazz26 wrote: »

Car history reports only tell part of the story so don't rely heavily on them. The car would still need to be looked over by someone who knows what they are looking at under the bonnet.

I think I said something similar in an earlier post. A friend of mine did a motor check, came back UK import but no red flags. Long story short it was looked over, seemed ok. She bought it. Turned out it was crashed and was in bits after a year. Literally fell apart. She is now taking the bus as is still paying for it

gercoral

if you have your eye on a certain car, i would defo recommend buying the online report. i was just about set to part with 10k for a car, and the night before i did a quick online check.. thank jaysus i did.

when i went to view the car the few days before, garage told me it only had one owner from new, i could "call her" if i wanted etc etc.

i bought the report...turns out it had had FIVE owners before hand. this was back in january. the same car is still for sale in the same garage (or at least it was when i checked last week)

bloody delighted i bought the report, so i would *STRONGLY* recommend

makingmecrazy

gercoral wrote: »

if you have your eye on a certain car, i would defo recommend buying the online report. i was just about set to part with 10k for a car, and the night before i did a quick online check.. thank jaysus i did.

when i went to view the car the few days before, garage told me it only had one owner from new, i could "call her" if i wanted etc etc.

i bought the report...turns out it had had FIVE owners before hand. this was back in january. the same car is still for sale in the same garage (or at least it was when i checked last week)

bloody delighted i bought the report, so i would *STRONGLY* recommend

They're waiting for the likes of me to come along I'll wager
The checks are a great resource, no doubt about that.

alastair

I drive, and am a big fan of the Audi A2 TDI. It checks a lot of boxes for you. 1.4 3 cylinder diesel (same as the Polo, and small Seat, but on a safer, lighter aluminium spaceframe body), with good legroom for 4. The earlier 75bhp models don't have a DMF, and none of them have a DPD. Very economical, and great for long motorway journeys. Engine is mappable up to a tad over 100bhp without any impact on economy. Pretty much all of them are UK imports though - they cost a lot new, and very few here were prepared to stump up for a fancy-pants aluminium compact hatchback when there were far more affordable options. They're cheap as chips to buy now though - pretty much the bottom of their depreciation curve.

I've run mine for a good few years now, without any real expenditure other than replacing the suspension (not their greatest feature). Extremely reliable, and as the body's aluminium, there's no rust worries.

Downsides (aside from poor standard suspension), are they're expensive to repair if they need bodywork, the look of the car is a bit marmite (though I'm a fan), and they're getting on now, so will bring you into the realm of age-related-insurance penalty nonsense sooner than younger cars. The UK thing shouldn't really bother you. I brought mine in from NI, and it had been a Scottish car originally. You normally have to watch out for road salt rust damage with UK cars, but, again, these are aluminium, so no bother there. I'd still have one over a Hyundai any day of the week (no offence to Hyundai owners - they seem to be very sensible cars).

Few on donedeal and adverts. The petrol models are pretty frugal too, but I'd opt for a TDI every time.
https://www.donedeal.ie/view/12472750

makingmecrazy

alastair wrote: »

I drive, and am a big fan of the Audi A2 TDI. It checks a lot of boxes for you. 1.4 3 cylinder diesel (same as the Polo, and small Seat, but on a safer, lighter aluminium spaceframe body), with good legroom for 4. The earlier 75bph models don't have a DMF, and none of them have a DPD. Very economical, and great for long motorway journeys. Engine is mappable up to a tad over 100bph without any impact on economy. Pretty much all of them are UK imports though - they cost a lot new, and very few here were prepared to stump up for a fancy-pants aluminium compact hatchback when there were far more affordable options. They're cheap as chips to buy now though - pretty much the bottom of their depreciation curve.

I've run mine for a good few years now, without any real expenditure other than replacing the suspension (not their greatest feature). Extremely reliable, and as the body's aluminium, there's no rust worries.

Downsides (aside from poor standard suspension), are they're expensive to repair if they need bodywork, the look of the car is a bit marmite (though I'm a fan), and their getting on now, so will bring you into the realm of age-related-insurance penalty nonsense sooner than younger cars. The UK thing shouldn't really bother you. I brought mine in from NI, and it had been a Scottish car originally. You normally have to watch out for road salt rust damage with UK cars, but, again, these are aluminium, so no bother there. I'd still have one over a Hyundai any day of the week (no offence to Hyundai owners - they seem to be very sensible cars).

Few on donedeal and adverts. The petrol models are pretty frugal too, but I'd opt for a TDI every time.
https://www.donedeal.ie/view/12472750

Thanks for the reply alastair, all opinions very welcome indeed.
Can that mileage be genuine on a car of that age? Again, would a car check tell me that?
I'm 30 (f)and a bit (:o) so don't know if I would fall under the penalty re insurance. Although my previous car was well down in the years so maybe not.

alastair

makingmecrazy wrote: »

Thanks for the reply alastair, all opinions very welcome indeed.
Can that mileage be genuine on a car of that age? Again, would a car check tell me that?
I'm 30 (f)and a bit (:o) so don't know if I would fall under the penalty re insurance. Although my previous car was well down in the years so maybe not.

Mileage may well be correct - mine is the same age and still hasn't gone over 100k miles - it's mostly used for city driving. MOT/NCT history should highlight any clocking. The insurance issue isn't about your age, but the car's. The insurance companies have taken to loading 15 year old cars with higher premiums - irrespective of driver history or condition of the cars.