1st car!

[cjtj]

hey!
I passed my driving test yesterday, and no-one else in my whole family drives , so to be honest i have no idea about getting a car...


So i was just wondering:
how much is a good price for a first car...
what kind of questions etc i should be asking...
Cars advertised in newspapers are they a good idea?

Thanks for any help

[J5545]

You need to decide if you would like a small/large car etc. are there any cars that you would like? what age are you?how long would you be holding onto the car for? and what kind of milage and what type of driving will you be doing mostly ie, motorway town country?

All helps to choose a car that suits you.

[cjtj]

I was looking at a car like the Peugeot 206 or something that size...
I'm 19years old...
the type of driving will be town 99% of the time...

[Exodus]

Well, it depends what you are looking for. Fun, speed, economy, port, etc. The more power, options, etc will cost more. At 19, your car insurance is going to suck if you go for a newer car, or for anything fast. Stick with something simple if thats what your looking for (the car you suggested works fine).

[AussieAdam]

Agreed the 206 would be a good choice...Nissan Micra another and of course the Clio or Fiesta or Ka...

Small cars are gonna be cheaper to run and tax and insure.

If you buy privatley then look for cars that are priced at £xxxx Or near offer - That means that they are very willing to accept a good deal less.

If it comes to the haggle always remember the price is generally inflated. There is the TRUE value of the car, the price THEY would LIKE ( if a sucker comes along ) and of the course the price they will accept.

Then there is the price YOU will pay.

Whatever the sale price is - ignore it. If the seller wants £2000 offer him £1500. If he/she wont deal then tell them straight you WANT to buy the car but will not pay the £2k so you have to find common ground. If they wont budge at all then walk away and leave ya number. Its getting close to Christmas a person with a car for sale WANTS to sell their car ASAP before the papers get full of them.

Also ask the seller if its ok to get an RAC check done or a local garage check it out first..If the seller says no then you need to walk away because he/she is clearly worried what you might find.

There are several car price guides available in the newsagents so use them and take one with you when you come to buy - That way the seller knows you have done some research.

Good luck

[baby2006]

you should ask about your friends see if they have any good used cars; get an old ka / peugeot 306 / yaris or something like that and keep it insured (in case you run into things). do NOT buy a new car for the first year because there're dos and donts you'll learn over time. it may not be the coolest thing on the road but if you make mistakes on a new car, the cost will be too high.

also get a manual car if you could manage to because old automatic are thirsty and unrealiable.

donno if u r living in the uk, so i cannot recommend how much money you should spend.


drive safe and have fun

[cjtj]

hiya!
yeah i am living in the UK- good old Peterborough. LOL
i will def get a manual car cause i HATE automatics.

Everyone i speak to says take someone with you who knows alot about cars but i really dont know anyone- my mates dont drive none of my family do. so im not sure what to do.

I'm just worried that i'll get a S*** car!

[baby2006]

hiya!
yeah i am living in the UK- good old Peterborough. LOL
i will def get a manual car cause i HATE automatics.

Everyone i speak to says take someone with you who knows alot about cars but i really dont know anyone- my mates dont drive none of my family do. so im not sure what to do.

I'm just worried that i'll get a S*** car!

i see. if you really donno anyone who knows cars, do your research on the internet find some motoring forums and ask questions, and look up how much you should be paying; or maybe rent a car similar to the one you have in mind during the weekend or holiday to get to feel what it should drive like, pay attention to the noise level and response and cornering, etc. eventhough you don't have a friend who drives you should definitely bring a friend with you because dealers and some private sellers will put pressure on you to buy when you haven't made up you mind. there are a lot of cars out there, don't be afraid to walk off when you are not ready. also, you should not pay extra for the sun-roof, cd stacker or alloy wheels in a second hand car eventhough the seller says it's worth it. you should steer clear from performance car and the ones that are performance modified becaue some owner really don't know what they are doing with their own cars and always get one with power steering (if you are buying base model cars second handed). inspect the car during the day whenever possible because you can tell from the panel if the car had had any bad accidents before (not the small dent marks caused by supermarket trolleys, those are okay, i think). look at the muffler, if the engine is not healthy, there will be signs like excessive stain caused by grease and smoke.

hope that helps.

[Guest]

hiya!
Everyone i speak to says take someone with you who knows alot about cars but i really dont know anyone- my mates dont drive none of my family do. so im not sure what to do.

I'm just worried that i'll get a S*** car!

You can pay for a car inspection or get a mechanic to look at it for you. Compared to the cost of the car, these precautions are fairly cheap.
If you're buying a used car, always get it MOT tested. This is the cheapest test available. Don't rely on the one that comes with the car. If you can take it to a garage of your choice, so much the better. A good independant garage is the best sort as they see all sorts of cars where the main agents only see their make. If you can speak to the mechanic while he's doing the test, explain why you're there and most will look for little things that aren't in the test such as rust etc. A smile and a nice outfit will work wonders. A box of chocs to a helpful guy always goes down well and means you can go back again if you need another car tested. This is also a good way to find a good garage as you will need the car servicing in future.
Good luck. Tell us how you get on.