Buying a used car in Ireland guide

colm_mcm · 28-01-2018 08:19PM

Are you talking about a crewcab Robfowl?

colm_mcm · 28-01-2018 08:21PM

gandalfio wrote: »

Hi. I'm considering buying a 1.7 petrol Hyundai i40. Any advice or experience of this car? Reliability, Mpg etc.
It's hard to find details online as the petrol version was discontinued a few years ago and there aren't many around.

That would be the same 1.6 GDI engine as in the Veloster and the current Tucson as well as the Ioniq and Kia Niro hybrids.
There aren’t that many out there, but certainly as with a lot of other GDI type engines there are problems with carbon buildup documented in other countries. This can be down to poor fuel or oil making its way into the inlet manifold. Not sure what the chances of this being a problem are.

RobFowl · 28-01-2018 08:23PM

colm_mcm wrote: »

Are you talking about a crewcab Robfowl?

Yes though one other lad is trying to tell me a 2 seater Land Rover can just bolt on a few seats if needed as well

colm_mcm · 28-01-2018 08:26PM

RobFowl wrote: »

Yes though one other lad is trying to tell me a 2 seater Land Rover can just bolt on a few seats if needed as well

Not that simple, you’d have to pay VRT as a passenger car on it. Likely to be at one of the highest rates (36% of the passenger version open market selling price unless passenger VRT was originally paid, say if it was converted from an Irish reg passenger to commercial)

gandalfio · 28-01-2018 09:03PM

colm_mcm wrote: »

That would be the same 1.6 GDI engine as in the Veloster and the current Tucson as well as the Ioniq and Kia Niro hybrids.
There aren’t that many out there, but certainly as with a lot of other GDI type engines there are problems with carbon buildup documented in other countries. This can be down to poor fuel or oil making its way into the inlet manifold. Not sure what the chances of this being a problem are.

Thanks for the reply. It's difficult to narrow it down when there's so many makes and models out there. My main requirements are solid reliability and decent Mpg. Something around the same size as the i40 but no smaller than the i30. Petrol.

Is there an Irish website out there which details studies done on the Irish car market and tables detailing reliability etc?

colm_mcm · 29-01-2018 12:11PM

gandalfio wrote: »

Thanks for the reply. It's difficult to narrow it down when there's so many makes and models out there. My main requirements are solid reliability and decent Mpg. Something around the same size as the i40 but no smaller than the i30. Petrol.

Is there an Irish website out there which details studies done on the Irish car market and tables detailing reliability etc?

What’s your budget?

gandalfio · 29-01-2018 03:23PM

colm_mcm wrote: »

What’s your budget?

12k max

Urindanger · 16-02-2018 02:02PM

Hi there. Looking to buy my first car in a few weeks depending if I pass my test which is soon... Budget wise, probably 6k max but wouldn't sweat a few extra hundred for the right car. Between the 4-6k mark would be golden, obviously not looking for a complete bucket. Looking for the standard 08+, less than 130km, less than 400 tax wise.

What brands should I be looking out for and what should I be looking to avoid?

Any tips on what specs I should be looking out for?

Astras and Focuses seem to be catching my eye from the little searching I have been doing.

colm_mcm · 16-02-2018 03:23PM

Look at a little Ceed/Hyundai i30 if you want something focus sized with low tax. I wouldn’t bother looking at Focuss. They’re just a mine field.

Tipsy McSwagger · 12-03-2018 03:46PM

Is it normal to be really nervous when buying a car for over 10K? Just asking as my first car was only €1200 but is on the way out now. I think it's because it will be the most expensive purchase I've ever made.

colm_mcm · 12-03-2018 08:18PM

Tipsy McSwagger wrote: »

Is it normal to be really nervous when buying a car for over 10K? Just asking as my first car was only €1200 but is on the way out now. I think it's because it will be the most expensive purchase I've ever made.

yes, perfectly normal. You just have to make sure you do things right.

angrybeaver · 13-03-2018 09:19AM

Just moved back from the UK recently and need a commuter wagon. Not a massive commute. 70kms Round trip daily and then roughly twice a month 400km round trip to Dublin-Limerick.

I may not be in diesel territory but struggling to find any decent petrol equivalents of Focus. They all seem to be 1.6tdci. Same with VW. Majority are Diesel.

Yesterday when I explained my situation to a local mechanic he told me the 2.0 Tdci focus/mondeo 2010 + would be his choice of car. I do like the look of the Focus 2011+.

I've around 7-8K to spend. Not concerned what badge just something relatively reliable and economical with 5 doors (2 small Kids)

Any advice would be great.

colm_mcm · 13-03-2018 02:07PM

I would avoid the 1.6 TDCI engine where possible.

murphyebass · 13-03-2018 02:11PM

angrybeaver wrote: »

Just moved back from the UK recently and need a commuter wagon. Not a massive commute. 70kms Round trip daily and then roughly twice a month 400km round trip to Dublin-Limerick.

I may not be in diesel territory but struggling to find any decent petrol equivalents of Focus. They all seem to be 1.6tdci. Same with VW. Majority are Diesel.

Yesterday when I explained my situation to a local mechanic he told me the 2.0 Tdci focus/mondeo 2010 + would be his choice of car. I do like the look of the Focus 2011+.

I've around 7-8K to spend. Not concerned what badge just something relatively reliable and economical with 5 doors (2 small Kids)

Any advice would be great.

I have a Mazda 6 in the adverts section that could suit you.

angrybeaver · 13-03-2018 02:23PM

colm_mcm wrote: »

I would avoid the 1.6 TDCI engine where possible.

Thanks,

Do the same issues with the 1.6tdci exist with the 2.0tdci?

Any advice on the 1.6 petrol focus same era?

ELM327 · 13-03-2018 02:26PM

angrybeaver wrote: »

Thanks,

Do the same issues with the 1.6tdci exist with the 2.0tdci?

Any advice on the 1.6 petrol focus same era?

Isnt that the PSA sourced 1.6 diesel? If so, the 2.0 is much better (but still not amazing in itself). The aul lad has the 2.0 in a Peugeot 407 with 300k+ on the clock.

angrybeaver · 13-03-2018 02:31PM

murphyebass wrote: »

angrybeaver wrote: »

Just moved back from the UK recently and need a commuter wagon. Not a massive commute. 70kms Round trip daily and then roughly twice a month 400km round trip to Dublin-Limerick.

I may not be in diesel territory but struggling to find any decent petrol equivalents of Focus. They all seem to be 1.6tdci. Same with VW. Majority are Diesel.

Yesterday when I explained my situation to a local mechanic he told me the 2.0 Tdci focus/mondeo 2010 + would be his choice of car. I do like the look of the Focus 2011+.

I've around 7-8K to spend. Not concerned what badge just something relatively reliable and economical with 5 doors (2 small Kids)

Any advice would be great.

I have a Mazda 6 in the adverts section that could suit you.

Thanks will take a look.

grogi · 13-03-2018 03:53PM

colm_mcm wrote: »

I would avoid the 1.6 TDCI engine where possible.

The 8V versions (DV6C, DV6D, DV6FC and DV6FD) installed in the Focuses from 2011 are much better than the older 16V design.

2.0 HDi/TDCi is safe regardless of the generation.

Ejeca · 13-03-2018 05:52PM

This caught me eye. What do people think?

donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/2008-118i-msport-3dr/16598093

Esel · 13-03-2018 06:47PM

Ejeca wrote: »

This caught me eye. What do people think?

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/2008-118i-msport-3dr/16598093

Fixed link.

bazz26 · 13-03-2018 09:37PM

Ejeca wrote: »

This caught me eye. What do people think?

donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/2008-118i-msport-3dr/16598093

Just be aware that the seller has two other cars for sale also so he's no stranger to selling cars.

colm_mcm · 13-03-2018 09:43PM

You’d be the 5th owner, which is a good few in 10 years. Doesn’t make it a bad car of course, but it’s certainly high.

Ejeca · 13-03-2018 10:53PM

Thanks for fixing the link.

Yeah five owners in ten years is a little odd. And the car looks a little too good to be true doesn't it? Decent price, decent mileage, low tax and looks in good shape. There must be a reason why it hasn't been bought already as well as I remember seeing the car a advertised a few weeks ago as well.

colm_mcm · 13-03-2018 11:05PM

It’s a niche product though, not everyone wants a petrol 3 door 2.0 1 series. It’s also 10 years old now.

I quite like the idea of one, especially a 3 door.

whitewave · 19-03-2018 10:52PM

First time buying a car (previous car was a hand-me-down) - this thread has some fantastic advice for someone with no experience.

Looking at this:

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/ford-focus-1-year-nct-1-month-tax/18286520

Any advice?

I'll be asking a mechanic to take a look over it for me.

bazz26 · 19-03-2018 11:13PM

James is selling a number of other cars too which miraculously only went up for sale 10 hours ago, if you google his number it shows that he has been wheeling and dealing in alot of cars. That makes him a part time dealer in my books so he knows more about selling cars than you know about buying them.

That 1.6d engine is not known for its reliability and there are more bad examples out there than good ones. Do you actually need a diesel? It's also rather cheap for a 08 Focus diesel given the cheap tax would make a bit more valuable, this would make me suspicious straight away as usually cheap cars are cheap for a reason. It's a UK import too so I'd be doing background checks especially on the UK history as 110k miles is very low on a ten year old diesel. It's also the UK base model which is a very drab and bare place to be in.

If it were me I'd just keep looking for something else.

mrcheez · 31-03-2018 11:58AM

If buying a used car from a reputable showroom, and it comes with 2 year warranty, is there any reason to bring along a mechanic, or can I generally assume a showroom wouldn't sell rubbish?

I know zilch about cars, beyond how to check oil and refill petrol and pump tires

bazz26 · 31-03-2018 01:27PM

The risk is lower but if your not savvy yourself then it's best to bring someone along who is a bit car savvy as they might spot something that the dealer needs to sort before finalising the sale. I'm talking about things like worn tyres, scuff marks, etc. Some dealers are better than others at preparing cars for resale while others will wait until the buyer points them out. Bring a mate or relative who knows their way around cars where you can reward them with a few pints for their trouble. It can be alot easier to get things fixed at time of purchase before you hand over the money than afterwards.

mrcheez · 31-03-2018 06:10PM

bazz26 wrote: »

The risk is lower but if your not savvy yourself then it's best to bring someone along who is a bit car savvy as they might spot something that the dealer needs to sort before finalising the sale. I'm talking about things like worn tyres, scuff marks, etc. Some dealers are better than others at preparing cars for resale while others will wait until the buyer points them out. Bring a mate or relative who knows their way around cars where you can reward them with a few pints for their trouble. It can be alot easier to get things fixed at time of purchase before you hand over the money than afterwards.

Hmm don't know of anyone that could assist with that living nearby, unless there's a hire service I can use

Is there a general list of things to look for like scuff marks online anywhere?

colm_mcm · 31-03-2018 06:45PM

Ask about the warranty, it could just be a 3rd party warranty which a lot of sellers think gets them out of any consumer rights you might have.

Buying a used car in Ireland guide

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