Small Automatic for first time driver

RebelButtMunch

Howdy,

My daughter sent me this ; she's looking for a first car run about, has to be an automatic.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/643787098218815/?mibextid=wwXIfr&rdid=y9V2Z9TJPGZ0muA2&share_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2F1AwK9YpjND%2F%3Fmibextid%3DwwXIfr#

She got in touch and was told that the NCT failed; needing a Balljoint and 2 tyres

chat gpt says

"Average cost per ball joint (part + labour): €60–€140, depending on brand and garage.

two tyres €160–€230"

Any thoughts on the repair pricing and the the motor itself? I'll go out of course and have a little drive around, look for knocks, lights, functioning electrics and engine leaks, water in the oil etc.

Thanks in advance.

9935452

The ad says 4 new tyres and no faults.

RebelButtMunch

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123703548#Comment_123703548

huh, indeed it does. That's a bit suspect.. maybe there's crossed wires in the comms, lemme double check on that.

freshpopcorn

Read it wrong. Opps

10-10-20

"Condition: Used – like new"

😂

Facebook is a joke shop selling clown cars.

User1998

NCT is expired, if you get a recent fail sheet with the car its no problem. But you should negotiate a few hundred euros off the price. Small autos are expensive. I sold an 08 Polo the other day for €2k with no NCT. And that was cheap.

the_amazing_raisin

It's an import, so parts could be expensive. Best to do your research before buying

If it's only ever going to be a local runabout then I'd honestly consider a Nissan Leaf

Obviously it isn't the car you'd be driving from Dublin to Cork, but in terms of reliability they're pretty bulletproof. Plenty of owners haven't had any major issues in 10+ years

It's also probably the easiest thing to drive in history, it's about as complex as a go kart

RebelButtMunch

Thanks everyone for the replies. We're probably 'steering' clear of this one due to the discrepancies in the ad, and

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123703887#Comment_123703887

Cheers for the tip on the parts. I didn't know that.

I did a quick search on carzone on the leaf. It's probably coming in a bit above her budget but maybe that's just a case of saving for a bit longer.

User1998

Parts aren’t expensive for a Nissan March. What are the add discrepancies? They make it clear that the NCT is expired. Runs & drives with no fault is obviously referring to how it drives. A ball joint isn’t exactly a fault?

ELM327

If you're buying private make sure the car comes with test if you don't know much about cars (eg having to ask chat gpt about parts etc).

I'd echo the nissan leaf suggestion, I bought one at Merlins sight unseen 2 years ago and we use it, among other things, as a car for the recently provisional learners in the family to learn.

I also have a k11 micra, but most of those are probably too old to get insurance on as a new driver now. The classic learner cars were the micra, polo, fiesta and yaris for a reason.

RebelButtMunch

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123704083#Comment_123704083

"Starts and drives great - no faults" ; I'd say that's up for interpretation. My take on it is that an nct fail is a fault. It took is 2 communications with the seller to get that information out. The first answer was 'the nct is inside the car'. Aren't generally the parts dearer for an import?
Agreed, I'd be bringing anything I'm planning on buying to a mechanic before handing over the dough

ELM327

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123704135#Comment_123704135

A nissan march is pretty much the same as a similar micra but there are always some regional differences. As thats a k12 micra/march, I'd be concerned about immobilizers etc aswell.

the_amazing_raisin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123704050#Comment_123704050

The Leaf would definitely be a bit of a budget stretch but could save money in the long run. If you're looking at €500-1000 in repairs to the Micra then you're already up around the €3k mark

However, there's a few things to consider if you do go the route of a Leaf. First off is charging, you'll need to be capable of charging at home which means you'll need a driveway. You can get a home charger installed, and this is usually the best bet long term, but it does add cost. Luckily the Leaf has a small enough battery that you can charge it overnight using an external plug and granny charger. 8 hours on the night rate should give about 60km range for under €2 (cheaper than the bus)

Second consideration is range and battery degradation. The older Leaf has 24kWh when it left the factory but that goes down with time and usage

Luckily Nissan added a handy battery health indicator on the dashboard, the red area circled below

It starts at 12 bars and goes down, the closer you can get to full the better condition the battery is in

Fewer than 12 bars isn't really a deal breaker, but you'll need to factor that in when figuring out if the car has enough range available for your daughter's driving needs

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123704318#Comment_123704318

Your not going to buy an automatic car for €2k that hasn’t been imported

RebelButtMunch

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123704318#Comment_123704318

Thanks for that, especially the battery info. We have a driveway, I realise now that charging isnt a problem, as long as our other car isnt plugged in at the same time! We have a granny charger, and I cant have two cars charging on the same circuit. It's an older house so I'm not even entirely sure it's ok to have 2 chargers on separate circuits.

MrFrisp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123703756#Comment_123703756

Really?? A 08 Polo no NCT for 2k?

How the hell did you manage that?

I was hoping to get around the same price for my 2013 i40 in a few months.

Now I'm thinking it may be worth more.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123704467#Comment_123704467

Because it was automatic with a small petrol engine. €2k was very cheap for what it was. Sold within 24 hours.

MrFrisp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123704588#Comment_123704588

Fair dues.. 👏

Buddy Bubs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123704467#Comment_123704467

Supply and demand. Demand for Polo's and demand for autos.

Hyundai i40 is a discontinued large car and won't have same demand. Id guess its worth more than an older polo but not sure.

I got 3000 for my mothers 09 micra last year, it sold quickly as well.

Killer K

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123705288#Comment_123705288

Whether a car is discontinued or not matters little to the price when it is 12 years old.

I agree with the rest of your statement

kaahooters

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123703887#Comment_123703887

wouldnt consider eh leaf, its an import, parts might be hard to get, and expensive.

User1998

Lads parts for a 20 year old Nissan March are neither rare or expensive😂

ELM327

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123706382#Comment_123706382

In reality, or what insurance companies say, that is the real question.

Wood

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123706382#Comment_123706382

True. My wife has had one for the last two years. Never had an issue with parts really. Had to get a handbrake cable from the netherlands about 18 months ago for the NCT but that was sourced by the mechanic and delivered quickly. Cost of upkeep is minimal and it's fairly light on petrol. Never any issues with insurance, wife was on a learner permit when she got it and insured it handily.

Only issue is boot size. We'll have to upgrade to something a bit bigger due to a new baby, but she absolutely loves the car. She previously had a punto but the march is all round a far better car, with way less problems.

...Ghost...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123706171#Comment_123706171

The Leaf is not the car the OP was originally asking about. It was a March (Yaris). The Leaf is plentiful and easy to get parts for.

Killer K

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123714860#Comment_123714860

A March is a Nissan Micra. A Vitz is a Toyota Yaris and a Fit is a Honda Jazz.

...Ghost...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123714885#Comment_123714885

Yes. Sleepy mistake on the March. The relevant point was the availability of the Leaf and parts. Very few Japanese import models and only from the early days 2011/12. The rest from 2013 and newer were made in the UK with parts available from all over the place.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123714885#Comment_123714885

All incredibly easy to get parts for

kaahooters

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123714860#Comment_123714860

wouldnt consider the yaris either, its an import, hard to get parts and super old

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123715307#Comment_123715307

Super old? So what do you want them to do? Just magic up another 5 grand so they can buy a newer car? An old Yaris is more reliable than any newer car on the road. And they aren’t hard to get parts for. The only problem with them is that some of the Jap ones don’t come with alarms/immobilisers

...Ghost...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123715307#Comment_123715307

I didn't recommend the Yaris.