First car - 5k budget

Redgirl82

Im posting this on behalf of my little sis but just wondering for advice. We have no ideas about cars.

Just something that is standard looking. Nothing funky. Have a max budget of 5k and as first car in her own insurance she doesn't want huge insurance costs.
Mileage is tiny, 5k to maybe 10k max per year. Public transport get used most day but will need a car for the odd day.

I have looked on donedeal and carzone and no idea where to start. I was going to stick to cars with full service history but they seem to be few and far between for that budget, no search option either means its incredible difficult

Should I just go to a garage and buy?

Car does not have to be a rocket ship, just something reliable that she won't have to worry about it exploding. Diesel/petrol she has no preference. Her description of diesel was "stinky" after I had her fill my car.

Cee-Jay-Cee

Forget about diesel, she doesn’t do the mileage for it and with her budget she’ll be buying something with high miles.

My recommendation would be to buy a small Japanese car, Micra, Yaris, Mazda 2 or Honda. A Honda Jazz would be my preference from that list.

Gonad

As previous poster said , you couldn’t go wrong with a Honda Jazz . Brilliant little cars

Redgirl82

Doesn't seem to be many of them around.....

jellybear

Highly recommend a Mazda2, sport if possible. Have had mine 9 years and *touch wood* I've never had an issue with it.

eagle eye

Toyota Corolla, good first car. It's not too small but nit very big either. They don't need much maintenance which is a good thing for a young inexperienced driver I think.

Philb76

U wud get a jazz in the North imported for ur budget if they are thin on the ground here i wud add Hyundai i20 as well

Midnight_EG

Redgirl82 wrote: »

Doesn't seem to be many of them around.....

There's 40 on Donedeal

w211

If you have a 5k budget then do not spend over 2-3k for car. Rest of the money goes spare parts and repair hours. You can save a load of money, if you to do it yourself.

I like to explain more about car testing, but that are off topic. Just make clear the basics or look somebody who can help you.

Redgirl82

Midnight_EG wrote: »

There's 40 on Donedeal

I am sticking to 2009+ because of the 10 year insurance rule. Or does that no longer apply?

Redgirl82

w211 wrote: »

If you have a 5k budget then do not spend over 2-3k for car. Rest of the money goes spare parts and repair hours. You can save a load of money, if you to do it yourself.

I like to explain more about car testing, but that are off topic. Just make clear the basics or look somebody who can help you.

Please explain more, the plan is we both go and test drive and if we find something we like/think is good. Then get a favour from mechanic to look it over....

Midnight_EG

Redgirl82 wrote: »

I am sticking to 2009+ because of the 10 year insurance rule. Or does that no longer apply?

Any insurance company I've spoken to has been 15 years, some may be 10

Redgirl82

Midnight_EG wrote: »

Any insurance company I've spoken to has been 15 years, some may be 10

Ok, maybe I need to ring around. That would open up options

Redgirl82

Philb76 wrote: »

U wud get a jazz in the North imported for ur budget if they are thin on the ground here i wud add Hyundai i20 as well

https://www.usedcarsni.com/
Is that best website?

Anastasia_

Be careful getting an import. You have to declare it to most insurers and they'll take any reason to bump up the cost, especially for a first timer. I looked at doing it too but not worth it.

corks finest

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

Forget about diesel, she doesn’t do the mileage for it and with her budget she’ll be buying something with high miles.

My recommendation would be to buy a small Japanese car, Micra, Yaris, Mazda 2 or Honda. A Honda Jazz would be my preference from that list.

Honda fit hybrid, automatic,Japanese import ,loaded with extras, dependable/Uber reliable

corks finest

Anastasia_ wrote: »

Be careful getting an import. You have to declare it to most insurers and they'll take any reason to bump up the cost, especially for a first timer. I looked at doing it too but not worth it.

No problems ref import cars ,I'm with liberty ,3 rd Japanese import

Anastasia_

corks finest wrote: »

No problems ref import cars ,I'm with liberty ,3 rd Japanese import

How old are you? I know when I was 18 I looked at it but they'd put the price up even for an import that had already been registered an insured here. No idea why.

w211

Redgirl82 wrote: »

Please explain more, the plan is we both go and test drive and if we find something we like/think is good. Then get a favour from mechanic to look it over....

First thing, never ever check the car on rainy day. You can not see everything clearly.



Look the tires. The wear should be even. If one side is more wear than other, walk away. I put that test by purpose for first, because it does not need any tools. That kind of car may had a previous accident. To proof that look the car sides. It must be streamlined. Any damage could easily made the doors, hood or trunk caps uneven.



Easy test is relative compression test. The difference should be not bigger than 10%. Also there must be enough pressure. This part varies because every car have a bit different pressure. If it drops under 90PSI it means that car are basically junk and the further testing are not required.



Next have a decent scanner to see not only the error codes, you need to check the monitors readiness too. If something is not ready it indicate the owner are recently erased the error codes. Typically CO2 and catalyst needs longer driving distance to be marked ok. If you have a scanner then check the live data too. There is load of hints what is going on (or what is not going at all).



Use the jack and lift the car little bit up from the ground and check the wheels movement on 3,9 and 6,12 o'clock. You should feel the bad bushing, bearing or ball joint if there is some kind of movement.



Check the shock absorbers. If there are dust and oil mixture, it means there are leak.



Check the under car any leaks (engine oli, gearbox oil, axle oil, coolant, brake fluid). It is good if you can use the small camera to check the oil sump, both end of crankshaft and oil filter area.



Ok that list goes already big, but that is only the basics. You need the healthy engine, no any kind of leaks and wheels stays on right place. Never trust the previous owner story about fluids, you need to change all of these immediately. Engine oil, gearbox oil, axle oil (typically rear wheel drive or 4WD/AWD cars), brake fluid, coolant, power steering fluid (if there hydraulic one, electric power steering does not need almost anything), and screen wash (if previous owner used only the water then it can damage the tank - ICE). If all fluids are replaced then I suggest to replace the belt, idler wheel and the tensioner too (if you buy a honda). Yes the belt last about 60 000km or 5 years but you never know how the previous owner used the car, especially on the last months before the sale.

There is load of cars on market what was not used on last months or even years. These cars can be very cheap but that are the minefield. Cars are designed for running, not only for parking. Avoid these cars what was not taxed recently.

pah

Anastasia_ wrote: »

Be careful getting an import. You have to declare it to most insurers and they'll take any reason to bump up the cost, especially for a first timer. I looked at doing it too but not worth it.

No difference to my insurance. Had it on UK plates with them for a week or so first.

Isn't every car an import?

dodzy

w211 wrote: »

If you have a 5k budget then do not spend over 2-3k for car. Rest of the money goes spare parts and repair hours.

What rubbish.

w211

dodzy wrote: »

What rubbish.

where is your point?

eagle eye

w211 wrote:

where is your point?

Probably that you buy a decent car and don't need 2k to fix it.

corks finest

Anastasia_ wrote: »

corks finest wrote: »

No problems ref import cars ,I'm with liberty ,3 rd Japanese import

How old are you? I know when I was 18 I looked at it but they'd put the price up even for an import that had already been registered an insured here. No idea why.

All changed,done insurers put u through the ring,but my last 3 imports( 4 months ago latest) Liberty had no problems,

w211

eagle eye wrote: »

Probably that you buy a decent car and don't need 2k to fix it.

Show to me any decent car what cost 5k. Do not show to me any brand or model, it does not show anything. All depends how owner used the car and maintain it. So actually you need to look decent owner not car :pac:

w211

w211 wrote: »

Show to me any decent car what cost 5k. Do not show to me any brand or model, it does not show anything. All depends how owner used the car and maintain it. So actually you need to look decent owner not car :pac:

Fine then, 'look decent owner' car for 5k then don't need 2k repair, yadda yadda.

The only advice the OP needs is not to go shopping for a car on their own. If you don't know what you're doing, find a mechanic you can actually trust (family/friend) or buy from a dealer with 12 months bumper to bumper warranty.

You won't be able to test all the things W211 mentions in his post if you don't have the experience to know what you're looking at and just paying a mechanic to look at some car you already want to buy is a crapshoot.

He/She won't be giving any warranty to you, so what are they going to do for you that's really worth anything?

5k will get a decent used car from an independent dealer with a warranty that's worth something, a fresh NCT and some trouble free miles. Start looking, get a short-list of maybe 10 cars your sister likes and thinks are in budget (4500-6000 asking), then come back here and start picking the collective brains of boards.

When you've narrowed it down to 2-3 that seem to fit the bill and are from dealers folks here wouldn't be worried about, you're at the races. Then, it's up to you OP to either buy and trust the warranty, or pay properly for an independent inspection (AA Ireland or the likes).

joombo

My first car was Skoda Octavia. I got it on second hand skoda cars at affordable price. It was the only car that I could afford but I loved that car and I bought it in reasonable running condition! I started driving at 18. By age 22 I was doing all kinds of basic SO maintenance.

Mad_maxx

w211 wrote: »

Show to me any decent car what cost 5k. Do not show to me any brand or model, it does not show anything. All depends how owner used the car and maintain it. So actually you need to look decent owner not car :pac:

Tonnes of them, oceans of difference between the 2k bracket and the 5k one

w211

Mad_maxx wrote: »

Tonnes of them, oceans of difference between the 2k bracket and the 5k one

Are you ever seen a car seller, who telling to you anything bad about the car? Once I seen such a seller and I bought that car because I like honesty. Worth every cents

Redgirl82

w211 wrote: »

First thing, never ever check the car on rainy day. You can not see everything clearly.

Look the tires. The wear should be even. If one side is more wear than other, walk away. I put that test by purpose for first, because it does not need any tools. That kind of car may had a previous accident. To proof that look the car sides. It must be streamlined. Any damage could easily made the doors, hood or trunk caps uneven.

Easy test is relative compression test. .

Thank you for the advice but out of all of that I would be able to check the wear on the tires

No idea what a compression test is...I think I will leave that to mechanic

Thank you for advice...it is appreciated

Mad_maxx

w211 wrote: »

Are you ever seen a car seller, who telling to you anything bad about the car? Once I seen such a seller and I bought that car because I like honesty. Worth every cents

So you have doubts about the reliability of a 5k car yet advocate buying a 2k one?

galwaytt

Clio 1.2 is a great first car for anyone.

w211

Mad_maxx wrote: »

So you have doubts about the reliability of a 5k car yet advocate buying a 2k one?

5k or 2k, both needs a hundreds or even thousand(s) of repair/service. If you want trouble free, buy the brand new. My suggestion remains the same, never go to full bank and hope to get something decent. Better buy cheaper and spend some of money for repair. After the repair the car are almost same good as new :pac:, at least the replaced part(s).

Mad_maxx

w211 wrote: »

5k or 2k, both needs a hundreds or even thousand(s) of repair/service. If you want trouble free, buy the brand new. My suggestion remains the same, never go to full bank and hope to get something decent. Better buy cheaper and spend some of money for repair. After the repair the car are almost same good as new :pac:, at least the replaced part(s).

Bizzare logic but whatever works for you.

U_Fig

I don't agree with this logic that cheaper means worse.

Like any market the price of a car is mostly based on supply and demand. Not so much the condition of the car as most buyers are ignorant.

Just because a car is priced at 2k doesn't automatically mean its in worse condition to a similar car that is 4k. It may boil down to something like the obvious indicators such as milage ect why it is priced lower as demand for high mileage cars is generally lower. A high mileage car may very well be in better condition via proper servicing than a lower milage car that may not have this.

Each car is unique in the way it's been driven and the way it's been treated.

No matter what the price is you need to do thorough checks to ensure it's in as good a condition as you would expect for the age of the car and the milage and it is not dangerous or a potential money pit.

Mad_maxx

U_Fig wrote: »

I don't agree with this logic that cheaper means worse.

Like any market the price of a car is mostly based on supply and demand. Not so much the condition of the car as most buyers are ignorant.

Just because a car is priced at 2k doesn't automatically mean its in worse condition to a similar car that is 4k. It may boil down to something like the obvious indicators such as milage ect why it is priced lower as demand for high mileage cars is generally lower. A high mileage car may very well be in better condition via proper servicing than a lower milage car that may not have this.

Each car is unique in the way it's been driven and the way it's been treated.

No matter what the price is you need to do thorough checks to ensure it's in as good a condition as you would expect for the age of the car and the milage and it is not dangerous or a potential money pit.

Not what was being argued

He maintained it was better to buy a 2k car but to have a 2k plus budget for repairs

Most 2k cars are 2009 and below, most 5k cars are 2012

w211

At least somebody understand my point!

Sorry if somebody understand me wrong. The car price does not reflect the car real condition. If you have a fixed (tight) budget, it is always good idea to keep part of that for full servicing.

One of best way to supply the "repair fund" are to knock the original price down. If you pay by cash you can easily ask 15-25% cheaper price. For older car over 50% off!

The second good option are to look cars what comes by full trunk of brand new spare parts. On that trunk can be more value than owner ask from the car.

Redgirl82

Ok, I think I got the point....keep some money in reserve in case it blows up :-)

To throw a small spanner in works, little Sis would know like a "Qashqai type car" is her description. She likes the look of the Qashqai but based on the above shoul she reduce to 2k? will she get a Qashqai type thing for 2k?

w211

Check the list https://www.carzone.ie/search/result/cars/make/nissan/model/qashqai/sort/price-asc
2k are not enough for SUV, sorry.

Redgirl82

w211 wrote: »

Check the list https://www.carzone.ie/search/result/cars/make/nissan/model/qashqai/sort/price-asc
2k are not enough for SUV, sorry.

I would be up around the 3-4k, I guess in this bracket no chance of getting a service history?

Redgirl82

Also not restricted to Qashqai, just a crossover....

w211

Redgirl82 wrote: »

Also not restricted to Qashqai, just a crossover....

Qashqai are pretty popular. It is good because there are load of donor cars too on junkyard. Never know when it could be handy.

Shefwedfan

Redgirl82 wrote: »

I would be up around the 3-4k, I guess in this bracket no chance of getting a service history?

I think you might struggle for service history. I am looking for a little run around, was thinking Qashqai might be answer....asked a few people about service history and only one really snotty reply telling me not to expect a service history on a car that age


It baffles me, I service all my cars my the date required and I will always get the booked stamped, even if it is my local garage. Not sure why other people would not follow the same path.....