• Welcome to the ShrimperZone forums.
    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which only gives you limited access.

    Existing Users:.
    Please log-in using your existing username and password. If you have any problems, please see below.

    New Users:
    Join our free community now and gain access to post topics, communicate privately with other members, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and free. Click here to join.

    Fans from other clubs
    We welcome and appreciate supporters from other clubs who wish to engage in sensible discussion. Please feel free to join as above but understand that this is a moderated site and those who cannot play nicely will be quickly removed.

    Assistance Required
    For help with the registration process or accessing your account, please send a note using the Contact us link in the footer, please include your account name. We can then provide you with a new password and verification to get you on the site.

Car advice

Joined
Oct 26, 2003
Messages
8,094
Looking into buying a new car and just thinking about the possibilty of buying an ex-fleet car i.e 3 years old and half the normal price, but 90,000 miles on the clock. It's a diesl and automatic which has been fully serviced every 10,000 miles.

We do around 5,000 miles a year tops so i don't think it would be racking up too much too quickly.

What sort of problems am i likely to encounter or should be aware of? I have no real idea on cars so all help would be welcome.

Thanks
 
Make sure it's an actual fleet car rather than an ex-hire car then you should be o.k. Check the user forums for the make and model of your car & you will get to see any known problems there may be. If you are only doing 5,000 miles a year of urban driving probably best not to get a DPF Diesel engine best check with the dealer to see if it is DPF, (do a google search to find out about DPF).

Also as it's 3 years old it would have just had or about to have it's first MOT so things like Tyres, Brake Pads, emissions, wipers, lights, steering, suspension and horn! should all be o.k.,
 
I'm looking to get a new car... I find it pretty stressful though as I don't want anything dodgy.

A few years back we bought a Seat Ibiza for my mum from a local garage in Southend, only a while after we bought it we found out that it seems someone had mixed and matched two cars (not cut and shut) as engine number didn't match log book, 4 different tyres, two v slightly different wheels.... plus after digging back to some of its former owners we found out that it had been taken to Spain and sold out there - but previous owners had got parking tickets from UK.

Ever since my parents have bought new/nearly new from dealership.

However I'm not really in that market - I was thinking about £6-7k and possible an upgrade from my Fiesta to a 3-series BMW or the such like.

Any advice on what to look for/what to do to check etc?
 
I'm looking to get a new car... I find it pretty stressful though as I don't want anything dodgy.

A few years back we bought a Seat Ibiza for my mum from a local garage in Southend, only a while after we bought it we found out that it seems someone had mixed and matched two cars (not cut and shut) as engine number didn't match log book, 4 different tyres, two v slightly different wheels.... plus after digging back to some of its former owners we found out that it had been taken to Spain and sold out there - but previous owners had got parking tickets from UK.

Ever since my parents have bought new/nearly new from dealership.

However I'm not really in that market - I was thinking about £6-7k and possible an upgrade from my Fiesta to a 3-series BMW or the such like.

Any advice on what to look for/what to do to check etc?

Having purchased my first new car after slowly upgrading through 5 or 6 sh*t-mobils, i can safely say, its the only way to go. That feeling of knowing its always going to start on a cold morning, and being the first person to drive that car is worth the £2k you lose as soon as you drive it off the forecourt!
 
Having purchased my first new car after slowly upgrading through 5 or 6 sh*t-mobils, i can safely say, its the only way to go. That feeling of knowing its always going to start on a cold morning, and being the first person to drive that car is worth the £2k you lose as soon as you drive it off the forecourt!
might be worth it for £2k, but when you start paying more it's unfortunately a whole lot more you lose, especially given that a mechanic, a tester, and the delivery driver have all driven it.
 
I'm looking to get a new car... I find it pretty stressful though as I don't want anything dodgy.

A few years back we bought a Seat Ibiza for my mum from a local garage in Southend, only a while after we bought it we found out that it seems someone had mixed and matched two cars (not cut and shut) as engine number didn't match log book, 4 different tyres, two v slightly different wheels.... plus after digging back to some of its former owners we found out that it had been taken to Spain and sold out there - but previous owners had got parking tickets from UK.

Ever since my parents have bought new/nearly new from dealership.

However I'm not really in that market - I was thinking about £6-7k and possible an upgrade from my Fiesta to a 3-series BMW or the such like.

Any advice on what to look for/what to do to check etc?
I've potentially got something that can fit what you are after, got an unencumbered merc c-class petrol that is used pretty much as a second, soon to be third car, so not worth keeping. Silver, about 60,000 miles, leather seats auto and all the usual merc trimmings. Also has just had the front shocks done, which is a common and expensive fix. Let me know if interested.

General advice - try to find a dealer you know, who buys cars for cash. Then find a private sale from them rather than an auction purchase.
 
might be worth it for £2k, but when you start paying more it's unfortunately a whole lot more you lose, especially given that a mechanic, a tester, and the delivery driver have all driven it.

True...

When me and the mrs were testing new cars for her I asked the sales guy if I could give the car I was testing a bit of a ragging to see what it'll be like under load. He said "go for it". If you ever buy an 11 plate blue Ford Ka Zetec from Essex Ford then beware, I had it kangarooing as I hit the rev limiter whilst proving it was too weak.

Never worth the 2k... If you're going new, buy pre-reg. Let someone else lose the 2k and you get the new car.
 
I bought my current car off Auto-Trader, but while it was still under the manufacturer's warranty. It has been (to date, touch wood) as sound as a pound; the only thing that has really gone wrong was the LPG Gas-unit failing at about 40,000 miles - but that was a fault on most of the models they put out (which is why they stopped making them, I think).

At 2.5 yrs old, but with only 15k miles on the clock, I paid less than half its forecourt price; definitely value for money. I'd do the same again, TBH.
 
True...

When me and the mrs were testing new cars for her I asked the sales guy if I could give the car I was testing a bit of a ragging to see what it'll be like under load. He said "go for it". If you ever buy an 11 plate blue Ford Ka Zetec from Essex Ford then beware, I had it kangarooing as I hit the rev limiter whilst proving it was too weak.

Never worth the 2k... If you're going new, buy pre-reg. Let someone else lose the 2k and you get the new car.
Although to be fair what you've described would be sold as an ex-demo. If you're happy for a car to be run in by people like the above, then ex-demo is the way to go, as it would have had several similar trial runs!

For a three year old car ex-Motability is quite good, as main dealer service history is guaranteed. Only problem is tha tthe car might smell of ****
 
Did anyone watch Top Gear last night? A second hand car may also contain traces of all kinds of nasty substances.
 
Just been searching for my parents & they test drove a Nissan Note (NTEC model so with a full spec) today as just before the August deadline they are quite cheap(!) new, including metallic paint & 2yrs free servicing it is £11,495. Personally, I bought from Network Q as an 8 month old, top of the range vehicle, was 40% cheaper than the new list price with 12K mileage.
 
Although to be fair what you've described would be sold as an ex-demo.

Here's hoping... He started it up and it had 3 miles on the clock, I feel sorry for the poor sap who buys it. If he said he'd rather I didn't try putting the pistons through the bonnet I wouldn't have, but anything for a sale eh?

...We bought one in Plaistow instead.
 
Back
Top