mileage

cormie

Hi,
I'm looking at buying a car and was wondering how much I should take mileage into consideration when buying. I'm looking at a 98 polo 1l with 90K on the clock for €3650. I know 90K is allot, so should I let this get in the way?
thanks

Shrimp

not to be a nit-picker.. but seein as we've gone metric.. shouldn't that be kilomage..

Our man in Havana

Shrimp wrote:

not to be a nit-picker.. but seein as we've gone metric.. shouldn't that be kilomage..

No! Most odometers are in miles and will stay in miles.

AMurphy

It depends.
High mileage of itself is only part of the equation.
High mileage on a small 4cyl is more detremintal than high mileage on a large 6cyl engine.
and what loading, eg, was it a taxi, towing or simple long/fast commuting on good/bad roads.

Check for pedal/clutch/seat and suspension wear.

90K on a 6yo car is not excessive.
Frankly, I'd go for lowermileage myself, ~60K. Unless everything else, suspensions, body, electrics, etc were in excellent condition or better.

here's high mileage on a 92-3.3L-V6 minivan.

Eoin

I think the average mileage per year is 12 - 15,000 miles (or 19200 - 24000 KM to keep Shrimp happy ) so it is not too far off for the year.

If you are buying privately, have the car checked out by a mechanic (shouldn't cost more than 75 Euros). They will be able to tell you if the car will need any work done to it in the immediate future.
If you are getting it through a dealer, get a decent warranty from them (nothing less than 6 months).

If I was looking at a car with 90K miles, I would probably be a little more careful when checking it out, but I wouldn't rule the car out immediately.

Check out www.carzone.ie and www.cbg.ie to see what the average price is for the car.

cormie

well the avg. price off a dealer is about 4-4.5 k

My plan for buying privately is tell them that I will only buy it once a mechanic has given the go ahead.

If the mechanic says not to buy it, they pay the mechanic fee. If the mechanic says to buy it, I pay it. If I say to this before meeting for the car, this particular seller is based in Carlow so if they knew of any hidden surprises they surely wouldn't bother coming long distance only to get no sale and be down a mechanic fee and drive all the way back. So they would want to be confident in the car to sell it to me;)

Well if average mileage per year is 15K then supposing they bough it Jan 98 and I'm buying it Jan 05 then that is roughly 90K so should I just go for it?

The man said there was a new belt and tyres put on. Would the mechanic check the clutch and all that? I wouldn't jhave a clue what I was at.

There is nothing on either cbg or carzone that I want:(

so anyone advise against this? He said it was owned by a lady probably doing work runs. Anyone know what the road in Crlow is like?

Given the facts, what would you guys suggest?
Thanks!

lomb

if its had timing belt, water pump , clutch,possibly shocks (bounce the car and see if it rebounds if it does forget it) replaced then consider it otherwise forget it.
if it does have the above done with proof then listen carefully to the engine when hot ur listening for ticking rattling and thumping noises. this get louder as the engine warms. drive the car from cold and see how smooth it is. if its rough and shakes look elsewhere.
finally look at tyres. c they are good brands and are in matched sets. if they arent walk away.
generally many owners sell cars around 90 that are shagged so its a minefield but there are some nice ones about. once u know what ur looking for these stand out and are excellent bargains.
also light cars like polos dont need expensive suspension work at 90 whereas luxury saloons may need all the busings changed.
dont be scared of the miles its a question of maintainence. trucks are driven for 1000000+miles but are well maintained

cormie

Ok, I wouldn't really have a clue about knowing if anything was replaced or wether it was shaky or not. Do you reckon if the mechanic says go for it, to go for it even though it has 90K?

lomb

u need to c receipts for work or at the least ask them what has been done.

is_that_so

First if it's 98 it should have be NCT, ideally with two yeasr on it. That ensures that most of the basic parts should be OK. VW Polos are fairly solid. If the mechanic says yes then go for it.The only problem that can occur with high mileage cars is that when things break, instead of one thing going you can end up with two or three things. My own preference for a car of that type would be a "second car" ie shopping, school runs etc., and therefore low mileage. You will have to pay more than for this one but the likelihood is that it hasn't been doing laps around the country, but it might be worth the wait.

cormie

he said he had the full vw service history! does this mean anything?

is_that_so

cormie wrote:

he said he had the full vw service history! does this mean anything?

Yes it does. It means it has been serviced regularly by VW and not by cowboys.
If you're happy with the price you're likely to get a few years out of it.

cormie

well €3650 is pretty good compared to other prices I have seen for similar year etc. I'll give it some more thought anyway, thanks again

posiedon

Personally, I wouldn't touch a 1 litre car with 90K on it.
It won't be long before all sorts of things start to happen, clutch, gear box, cylinder head gasket, petrol pump, ignition, electrics.....
That's pretty hefty mileage, not runabout miles.

However if the car has been perfectly maintained with full VW service history, it could be ok. Check their last NCT results, and find out if it passed on a retest or not, this will give you an indication of weather stuff is starting to go. It's only natural on a little car that wear and tear will take it's toll. These were built for small trips in the city. Driving on Motorways and long distance is not good for these cars. If the engine were bigger, you'ld be laughing. Also, I've never come accross anyone who accepts to pay for the mechanic to check out the car. This is usually an independent job, you sort out yourself. After all the car is being sold as seen, regardles of what they might tell you. I'm also surprised that they are driving all the way from Carlow. Sounds eager to me. One of the golden rules when buying privately is to go to the house of the seller. That way you can also check the paper matches up with the registered address, an it's not a trade car for sale that they can't flog fom the garage, etc...

Also remeber you gotta sell the car on one day, and you'll be stuck with the high mileage yourself, unless you decide to run it into the ground. For the budget you have, there are some really good deals out there, especially if you moved up to a 1.4 car.

Anyway, jut my 99 cents worth, but I hope it all works out for you.

cormie

Well you see, I'm only 20, so insurance on a 1.4 would be far too much. I currently drive a Nissan Micra 1L. It's a 96, I would keep it but I want to use my car to advertise my company and have the logo below put on the rear, bonnet and sides. I think a polo is the best looking 1L car for this purpose and I've also heard that it's one of the best 1L cars you can get anyway. A Ford Focus would be nice for advertising on but they don't come cheap and they don't come in 1L.

The man I rang said he sells cars and was selling it for a woman he knew.

€4.5K would be my max at the moment. I have to pay insurance at the end of feb too

So what would you reckon for a 98 1L Polo then? Bout 60K (as mentioned above) maybe?

EDIT: I'm on provisional too:(

posiedon

I always found the early VWs to be a bit spartan. No power steering electric windows.... Which if you're a smoker come in really handy, otherwise you'll probably never notice.

You could probably get a Citoren Saxo, Peugoet 106, Ren Clio (new version).
For in and around that money. It's not always the size of the engine that counts on insurance. When I was a wee bit younger I had a 1.3 Colt. But then I changed it for a 1.4 Brava and my insurance actually went down. And it wasn't because I was older or anything like that, becuase the colt was stolen, so I had to change car there and then. The Brava I had was a great runner, although you can be very unlucky with them. Cheap as chips and full of kit though, and the 99 models came in a 1.2 version. It really was an economical car to run all round. Sure it might cost you a little more in insurance, but it shouldn't have a huge impact, and you get more car for less money.

Look at this one:
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=183431

cormie

I think 1L (998cc) are generally cheaper than anything else though, everywhere says it magazines etc. Saying that, I think the Polo the best bet considering I want a good car that looks good for advertising on. So I'm really looking for a 98 polo (I think 98's have power steering, I'm not a smoker) 1L black, 5 door, with around 60K for under 4K.

What do you think the chances are that the one with 90K on the clock will be flawless for the next 2 years or so?

is_that_so

cormie wrote:

The man I rang said he sells cars and was selling it for a woman he knew.

€4.5K would be my max at the moment. I have to pay insurance at the end of feb too

So what would you reckon for a 98 1L Polo then? Bout 60K (as mentioned above) maybe?

EDIT: I'm on provisional too:(

60K is much better. As regards insurance have you checked out other companies. Are you getting the best possible insurance deal( high risk group, provisional licence etc.) ? Axa AFAIK will give you credit if you have done a training course/lessons. Simple solution is get the full licence .

cormie

I've applied for it so all I can do is wait and just improve my driving untill then!

I think Quinn Direct are the best price for people my age. When I get my full license I will shop around for sure!

I've paid my 1st years insurance last Feb in one go, can I pay monthly from now on? or is it bi monthly or every 6 months or what?

thanks

stratos

I would have to say the milometer would be the last thing I would use to work out the mileage of a car, especially the newer computerised ones. brake disc, pedal, gearknob,seat wear are more informative. Also strangley enough the vendor is a good pointer to what the cars like. If the owners unkempt and disorganised his car will be too.

cormie

ok thanks:)

is_that_so

cormie wrote:

I've applied for it so all I can do is wait and just improve my driving untill then!

I think Quinn Direct are the best price for people my age. When I get my full license I will shop around for sure!

I've paid my 1st years insurance last Feb in one go, can I pay monthly from now on? or is it bi monthly or every 6 months or what?

thanks

Ask them. A lot of companies do monthly payments of some kind.

posiedon

Hibernian are doing discounts on Provisional drivers now, with a new Provisional Ignition course. It's on their website. I did ignition when it first came out and saved a packet.

cormie

That's great news! I'm going to get onto them right away! I wonder how they will compare to Quinn Direct anyway (without ignition)

I don't like the fact I have to sit the test in another car, one that I wont be used to. Hopefully I'll be able to adjust easily enough...

Can you ask to have a spin before they examine you just to get a feel for the car I wonder? :cool:

bazz26

You can do the test in your own car.

As for 90k on a 1.0 engine, I would say look around at others. Most of these small cars are only used as second cars or runabouts and would not cover huge miles.

Have a look at this, I know it is a year older than the one you were looking at but it has 20k less miles covered which could be 2 years driving to most owners of these cars. There would also be negotiation on the price I am sure.

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=186571

Don't expect anything like power steering or central locking, plus the Polo is not as nippy as your Micra as it is a heavier car.

cormie

is a 98 model guaranteed to have Power Steering or central locking though?

Pitty about the colour, I may have considered it if it was black.

What I'm looking for is:

VW Polo
97/98/99
1L (998cc)
5 Door
Black

as for the 2nd car thing, well this will be my main car. Probably about 15K per year average I will travel.

thanks for your help and advice.

cormie

Well here are a list of adds from the buyandsell I have singled out.

Would a 97 with 45K be a much better option than a 98 with 90K?

I'd really like to keep it under €4,000.

Any deals look as if they are worth dishing out an extra few shillings for?




VW Polo 1.0 '98.5 dr, lady owner, 86k kms, very clean, new tyres, brakes, serviced, e/m, #3,500 ono.

**VW POLO, 1.0, 1998, black, 5dr hatchback, lady owner, NCT 07/06, taxed 03/05, 90k, Irish car, excellent condition throughout, perfect mechanical order, #3,650. (Carlow area).

VW Polo 1L '98.CD/MP3, alarm, alloys, 50k mls, 5dr, NCT 06/06, #4,700. Contact:

VW Polo '97.45k mls, 5dr, NCT '06, ex cond, lady owner, n/s, #3500. Contact:

VW Polo 1L '97.5 dr h/b, 70k mls, NCT '06, just serviced, #3,200 ono. Contact:

VW Polo 1L '97.Black, alloys, CD, 70k mls, NCT 09/06, new tyres, immac cond, #3300. Contact:

VW Polo '98.1000cc, h/b, 49k mls, taxed, NCT, s/r, royle blue, ex cond, owner emigrating, #4200.

VW Polo '98.75k mls, 13 mths NCT, 7 mths tax, 2 lady owners, #3500. Contact:

VW Polo '99.NCT & taxed, immac cond, CD player, alloys, 5 dr, black, #4,800 ono. Contact:

VW POLO 1998. 5dr, 63k mls, NCT tested, fsh. #4,650

VW Polo 1L '98.CD/MP3, alarm, alloys, 50k mls, 5dr, NCT 06/06, #4,700.

VW Polo 1L '99. 5dr, 37k miles, excellent condition, navy blue, tax 05/05, NCT 06/05, service 05/05, #5000.

VW Polo 1L '99.55k mls, NCT 04/05, tax 05/05, blue, twin a/b, p/s, alarm, 5 dr, great cond, #4,500 ono.

VW Polo 1L '99.5dr, h/b, pmo, very clean, radio/stereo, NCT till 07/05, #4,500. Contact:

bazz26

The Polo didn't get power steering or central locking as standard until the face lifted model of 2000. VW charge extra for most things.

You will find it hard to find a 1.0 Polo of that year with power steering unless the first owner paid extra for it. I think the 1.4 Polo had it alright.

cormie

Well my current car hasn't got PS or an alarm so it wouldn't really make a difference as far as what I'm used to driving goes! so from the list above, what would you go for?

posiedon

I would go for the second last one.
VW Polo 1L '99.55k mls, NCT 04/05, tax 05/05, blue, twin a/b, p/s, alarm, 5 dr, great cond, #4,500 ono.

You should be able to get this for 4,200 cash. Wave the money in their face and they will surely sell for that price. Just find something to complain about and it will make it easier. Odds are its sold already.

cormie

The only bad thing about that (aswell as the highish price) is the colour.. blue!

If it was black I would definitely go for it.


So what would you choose 2nd to that one?

is_that_so

bazz26 wrote:

You can do the test in your own car.

.

If your test comes up in the next few months you really SHOULD do it in your current car or a car you are very familiar with. It can take a while to get used to a new car and you need to use any advantage you can get with the test. My tuppence worth is stretch up a few euros on the price. Power steering is overrated, having none will keep you fit. Not the most important thing here.

Silvera

cormie wrote:

The man I rang said he sells cars and was selling it for a woman he knew.

I'm surprised nobody picked up on this point ?!

I suspect a possible 'dodgy dealer' here !

He was obviously advertising as a "private seller" (i.e. not a dealer advert) or you would have known BEFORE you phoned that he was a dealer just by looking at the ad.

It's always a good idea to say "I'm phoning about the car" when calling, as if the seller has more than one car for sale (i.e. probably a dealer posing as a "private seller") he will have to say - "Which car ?"



N.B. I'm not saying that the car IS dodgy - just buyer beware!

Silvera.

cormie

thanks for the tip, will use it in future!

I'll post on any progress in the buying selling:)

AB03

Youd be suprised with quinn direct. They were quoting me 3.9k on a micra, first time insurance on a provisional. I didnt expect to get any better with em (I tried everywhere else), so I just didnt really think of upping the engine size. But low and behold, thanks to someone in work, I did, just for the laugh originally. 94 1.3 Civic hatch. Quote moved to 4011e. Then, a 96 1.4 Civic hatch, same quote. 1.5 Civic Lsi saloon - same quote. Dunno how or why or what happened, but it did, and I bought a 1.5!
So just try a bigger engine size, all they are doing is quoting you!

lomb

once u have a few years under your belt with a few years ncb ul b laughing. i got aa quote on a 99 BMW 730 ( late twenties with 3 years ncb) and it is just 2000. i reakon i could insure a 740 with 4.4 litre v8 for 2500euro not bad not bad at all.

cormie

I think generally though, a 1l and a 1.1 are around the same, and from either 1.3 or 1.2 there is a gap of maybe 6-700 euro. Sure once you get going on the road it's all the same right? It's just accelleration and going up hills that 1l have problems with? What other advantages do the bigger engines have? 1l are more fuel efficient too yes?

lomb

when your older and wealthier take a test drive of an s class or 7 series and ul understand. fuel economy will go out the window on relevancy.

cormie

maybe some day! Gotta stick with the 1L's for now though.

cormie

Ok!!! I think I have found what I am looking for!! A 98 1L polo, 5 door, black for €4.5K with 45K miles on the clock, from a dealer! I think I will be making a deposit on this asap!!!! I hope it's not already gone, the add had been viewed 45 times by the time I saw it:(

Do you think this is a safe bet since it's from a dealer etc? Should I drive to meath tomorrow before opening time to secure the deal??

View the car here

I also got my insurance renewal form in the post today, €1,400 cheaper than last year!!!! from €3.6 to €2.2!!! Nice!!! Now, where can I get €4.5K by tomorrow? haha.


Only bad thing I can see is that it has alloys, yeah, they make it look nice but this could be the investment of a little boy racer reving the life out of the engine and doing other bad things to make him look good.

Now, anyone recognise the location? It says nothing on cbg about where they are, just a phone number.

edmund_f

regarding the point of why buy a 1.8+ litre engine above, say a polo (example given)

1. safer overtaking - yes there is such a thing
2. safer car generally, a car built to travel for extended periods of time at motorway speeds will have bigger brakes, better suspension, bigger tires, better road management systems, traction control, abs etc etc

totally off the point.. hope the polo goes well for you, but my advice would be to test drive something like the civic lsi, a 146, something along thoes lines?. had a lsi for a few years, excellent car, if a bit light.

in my opinion as far as the boy racer thing goes, in Ireland, if you are male and still have all your own teeth and, literally, drive anything bigger than a shopping trolley you are by default a boy racer, alloys or no alloys?

cormie

I suppose boy racers could own any type of car! Sure there are even alloys on my 96 Nissan Micra! haha, who would put alloys on a Micra?!! I'm probably being ignorant, I don't know if they have any other use besides looking good?!?!

I couldn't go to a 1.8! Insurance would kill me and I don't want to upset them after my nice new quote. I'm going to have to go for a 1l for now with my financial situation. So you reckon the above deal is good to go for?

edmund_f

in my humble opinion,
do not know much about buying/selling cars, so would not presume to advise you on that. Perhaps a visit to a garage to get it professionally checked over may be worth the investment and time?

Insurance, did come across a minor point, discovered that if someone over 28 is insured as a named driver on a policy of a young driver, in some cases the price actually comes down. May be worth checking out getting someone named on your preimum who is 28+, and living with you.

(think the idea may be that they are driving the car also, so some of the milage would be driven by an 'expert' driver,)

good luck with the car

cormie

Unfortunately I just rang and the car is gone:( He sounded legit, he took my number and will ring me if he gets a car that matches my request. With the purchass you get 3 or 6 month warranty (depends on mileage) and each car has NCT of approx 2yrs at least.

I really wanted that one.

Alas.

lomb

the way i llook at it, even if u get one and it needs stuff doing then it as a percentage wont cost much. for example you pay 2200 in insurance, 200 in tax, 1000 in fuel and 400 in interest in borrowing for car, and say 100 servicing and 1000 depreciation. so total is 5000euro per year. now even if it needed say a clutch one year or a water pump another year it isnt going to be much considering ur already spending 5000.

my advice if u really want a black one and u dont want to spend forever finding right one, is go for something fairly straight and haggle a bit on price and get it into the ballpark. only when there is an infinate choice can you afford to be choosey and if you insist on black your limiting your choices alot. hopes this helps and best of luck

cormie

lomb wrote:

the ballpark.

should I know what that is??... thanks or advice again!

lomb

of course you should know try the vrt calculator or just guess id say 4500 for a good 98 one. thats the ballpark. it doesnt matter if u pay 500 more or get for 500 less as in the grand scheme ur going to b paying 5grand a year regardless.

ive just checked the www.ros.ie site and revenue reakon a 98 one with no ptions is worth 3500. if u can get a uk one expect to pay just 800 euro in vrt.
therefore considering polos are sought after pay no more than 4500. this is your target+/- 250 euro so no more than 4750 with gaurantee or 4000 privately. but like i said +/- 500 euro doesnt matter as it will cost 5000 grand a year to run regardless.
according to autotrader.co.uk the dealer price for a 98 1l 3dr polo (66000 miles) is 2200, the private price 2000, and trade is 1500stg. so if u bought from a dealer for say 2000 which u will do, including costs this is 3100 euro, and vrt is 800 euro so import with a warranty (if bought in northern ireland) is 3900 euro. 4000 is the max id pay, but for convenience 4500 isnt too bad as like i said ur spending 5grand anyway its all irrelevent apart from human nature to get the cheapest possible.

cormie

I don't think a car with a uk reg and a poker.ie logo would go down too well with the general public though!!?? I'd imagine at least one in a hundred people would comment on it!haha.

I understand what your saying anyway regarding the annual running costs. Will take into consideration anyway. If you see a Black 98 1L 5door Polo for sale check the miles and let me know;)

thanks for all your help!

lomb

cormie wrote:

I don't think a car with a uk reg and a poker.ie logo would go down too well with the general public though!!?? I'd imagine at least one in a hundred people would comment on it!haha.

I understand what your saying anyway regarding the annual running costs. Will take into consideration anyway. If you see a Black 98 1L 5door Polo for sale check the miles and let me know;)

thanks for all your help!

yeah but shed only have a uk plate for the first day, once u pay the 800 euro and 20 euro approx for plates she will be irish then.

this is a better buy and theres one in black on carzone
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=186241

or heres a 98 northern irish polo with a warranty and resonable miles 1998 S Reg, Volkswagen Polo 1.0 LBlue 50,000 miles, 3 Doors. Radio and stereo, very clean car,


Quigley Motors
Down

Tel:
Price: Stg £ 1,895 (€ 2,817) so 2800euro+800euro vrt+20euro plates+10 euro in fuel=3700euro. paying any more than 4500 really is bonkers. ring up a few vw dealers in the north theyl sort u out

cormie

I don't think the Yaris is as visually appealing as the polo. Especially for commercial advertising. I don't have €6,700 either

I'll keep looking for the Polo's.

Do you think it would be worth my while to ring around every dealer I find in golden pages asking to they have what I'm looking for or do you reckon they all post their cars on carzone/cbg/autotrader??

Thanks again!

cormie

what is so much better about buying from the North? Are cars generally cheaper there? What exactly is VRT? Whats involved in it, also, if I was to get a new reg, what year would be on it?

Thanks again!