Car dealers

[Chris Harte]

What is the best and worst car dealer you have been to in the north east?

I am looking to buy my first car and want to choose a reliable and honest dealer. I have heard many a tale about stoneacre so they are out the question already.

Chris

[Col]

Do you mean main dealers?

[Chris Harte]

Yes either main dealers or franchasied dealers or small independent dealers.

[Col]

So anybody that sells cars really...

Always cheaper to buy privately.
Do you have a particular type of car in mind, and what's your budget?

[Chris Harte]

I have done my facts and figures and its down to either a diesel 1.4 citroen c3 or the 3 door version the c2.
A ford fiesta 2002 to 2008 model either in petrol or diesel as the costs work out the same roughly over a 4 year period.
My third choice would be a vauxhall club or above in the new funky shape, so 2006 onwards.
My last choice would be something that looks cool and runs well and isn't something I have considered.

My budget is 5k to 6k

Chris

[bodgit]

Why not take a look at private cars. You are paying well over the odds for a second hand car at a dealers for probably just a three month warrenty. A good private car with full service history would save you a lot of cash that could if in the unlikley event of a breakdown arrives be used to pay for any repair. I got my C-max 2.0Tdci ghia privatley with history saved over £1000 on dealer costs 16 months ago its not missed a beat. All its cost me is the usual service and wear and tear items.

[rcmadd]

if you buy privatly you have no comeback if there is something wrong (legally) whereas if you buy from a dealer no matter what warrenty the say if a car has something wrong within 6mth then they have to put it right

i know as i was informed by trading standards a while ago

[Chrislong]

Changing cars is always full of risks. Do your homework and research and you can minimise the risks by being aware of them.

Do your research, know what you want down to the car make/model/trim and exactly what it should have. Know about all its problems and common faults, know about all its areas of corrosion and weak points...

Then go viewing, don't buy with your heart.... have a thorough poke and prod and crawl underneath, and buy with your head. If something seems wrong and your uncertain - just walk away, there are plenty of choice of all cars, so certainly don't buy the first you view without seeing more, no harm in going back to the first you viewed if by viewing more you have only proved that the first one was the best.

A Full manufacturers service history is shite, I have had cars serviced at manufacturers to maintain warranty and then found loads missed. They just employ kids to tick boxes rather than actually do the work - take the car to a one man independent garage and he'll do a proper job as his "bread and butter" is in you going back again and again.

Also, some big cars have depreciated really fast compared to small, yet the big diesel cars can be as cheap to run as small. I was looking for a 1.6Tdci Fiesta and after not finding any bargains, stumbled across a Mondeo 2.2Tdci for peanuts and now have a lot of car in comparison to a Fiesta for the same money, which costs me a heck of lot less to run than the Focus I had before it.... parkers.co.uk/reviews is good for comparing stuff like this.

[jcb]

I just bought my Clio 182 from a Renault Garage rather than going private, part of the reason was backup incase things go wrong but more surprisingly in the long run it will work out cheaper.

Going private I would have needed to at some point during the year got an MOT, Service, Road fund and Cambelt (they only last 4 - 5 years on clio's) which going by Renualt garage prices is the thick end of £900. Well thats unless your really lucky and someone has left you with 12 months MOT and recently serviced it etc etc all a bit unlikely when it comes to buying privately.

Also into the deal I got 2 new tyres, and a few other bits and bobs that a private sale simply wouldn't have been able to do.


There are advantages for both, but I know in the East Anglia area you can get some pretty good deals from garages at the moment!!

[Chris Harte]

I take all your points on board and have decided to buy with my head, giving the car a good once, twice or even a three times over.
I have been suprised by how nice dealers have been in letting me test drive knowing that I am going to buy in the summer hopefully if all goes to plan.
The dealer versus private changes all the time, in the height of summer I expect the private market to be cheaper but at this current climate it could be the dealer thats cheaper for once!

[Jonathan]

My piece of advice.

When buying from a dealer, get all of the things you pick up on and they promise to put right, supply or do for you in writing, no matter how small.

When you turn up on the day, insured and with the cash, eager to drive your car away, without those things in writing I will guarantee they wont have done them all, or the man who promised it to you will be on his day off or some other excuse.