£3/3.5k What car thread
- Thread starter _James_
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I have actually noticed how accurate your opinion is.
My E46 breaks the theory
I bet you're fun at parties
My yoke runs long enough to get me to parties!
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surprising_skoda
RMS Regular
This may seem like a rant, and that'd be accurate, but one based on what I think is some pertinent facts.
You used to be able to get all sorts of half ropey machines at £500 or less, certainly some brave choice with a grand or £1500 to play with. I'm talking about 5-10 years ago when you could (and I did) but yokes at £200 with three months T&T and run them into the ground, and "eat sleep repeat". That's all but gone now. The scrappage scheme maybe helped that disappear. maybe it was that 90s cars were more reliable at 12-16 years old, nowadays that buys you a 00-05 car and those maybe weren't as reliable (after aging) or maybe more people run them into the ground with worse maintenance now.
What I'm talking about is that in 2006 I was looking at 10 year old 306s at small money and sure there were some heaps but there was a choice of cars that would have lasted a while.
Looking at a 2006 307 now, if you could find one that wasn't hanging you'd be doing well, never mind getting another 10k out of it before it blows.
So now you have a smaller choice IMO of sub-1k cars that are any good. OTOH if you like a big petrol then you have a massive choice, but everyone wants little diesels now. maybe it's the 00s drive for Euro 4/5 legislation that has made all those little stressed out lean running 4 cyl tds collapse at 150k.
Moving up the range and you have 1.5k cars. J44nty reckons that up to 3.5k cars they are all the same, and I agree, but for a different reason. I see all the cars in this range as being the same cars, with the 2k variance in price being on whether it is a good example or not. The same cars go into this bracket and the good ones are the higher end and the cheap ones the rougher examples. So yes, Spend 1.5k or 3.5k and you'll get the same car, but the dearer one would be a lower mileage, one owner, FSH one from a dealer with warranty, and the 1.5k a high miler, odd colour, low spec, "one tyre on limit but good spare in boot" example. Same car... but not exactly.
passing that figure and you are into cars that people usually want to finance to purchase, and that usually means they are not as fussy. A 3k car you've saved up for needs to be the best you can buy, a 4k car you're paying £115 a month for through a bank loan or finance package, not as financially "involved" shall we say, as handing over hard earned.
Now of course I'm not talking about the likes that buy 10-20k cars in cash, same principle may apply but its not the subject matter of this particular thread, but that's what I see in the under 5k market.
One other thing I will say is that if you are patient or have a good source, small money can buy you an excellent car. I've picked up many cars for absolute buttons just by being in the right place, right time etc. Or putting some work in to a good base.
One example of each I can give, both of which have ended up as my mums cars -
2000 BMW 528i Touring, auto, black leather, bought for £600 with short MOT about three years ago, was intending to break but it drove so smooth, had history, few owners, straight body, and everything worked 100%. It still does. I've kept up the SH and it's been entirely faultless, even subbing in as a workhorse here when the van broke down! couldn't have asked more of it, mileage growing steadily.
2003 Seat Arosa, 1.0 manual in red, something I had to do to drive away guilty memories of an ill-fated R plate incident, bought from the second owner with just 44k odd on it. Needed complete suspension replacement and other arms etc but once done stands me a grand, new tyres, serviced and now also steadily increasing in mileage and unlikely to be sold, probably end up my sisters first car in a couple of years.
A grand can buy or make a reliable, well looked after car that will do a solid few years hassle free, if you buy right, and the same principle applies to each price point moving up the scale.
Like I said, a disconjuncted rant but hopefully there is a point there that makes it out of that discombobulated prose.
m00k
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G N K
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Move to mallusk, you get AMG merc you are closer to Belfast and you are out of LARNE.
Basically you'll think you've won the lottery 10x over.
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G N K
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Never accuse me of living in Larne ever again!
Close enough you are within the catchment area lol.
Brennan
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G N K
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suckindiesel
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Have this at the moment....ticks nearly all of your boxes and is really exceptionally clean and fresh, would shame most cars I see 10 years younger. Bit of negotiation in the price, might get pretty close to your budget.
Used Bmw 3 Series Hatchback 2.5 325ti Sport Compact 3dr in Lisburn, Antrim | Authentic Autos
Ps. Some interesting opinions in this thread.
@surprising_skoda
You make some points I totally agree with and have seen this change myself. IMO traders are the only ones who truly and fully know the car market, physically buying and selling, day in day out, week in week out, year in year out. Not based on one-off finds, adverts they see that aren't in reality as they appear, one off experiences 5 years ago etc and seeing cars through from purchase right through to the end of warranty period. Not everyone is a car enthusiast, not everyone is hands on and unphased by certain issues etc (a short MOT is a major worry to some people!), and these are the type of people who make up the vast majority of buyers. A car is worth what an informed person is willing to pay for it in an open market, some people appreciate and realise the reasons for the difference in price - appreciate the value of low mileage, service history, 1 owner, original paintwork etc and are happy to pay for it. There are exceptions to any rule, I have had some unreal cars for little money, thats called getting lucky, or being in the right place at the right time with a bit of determination/effort thrown in, it still has a market value even if you didnt pay close to it!
Used Bmw 3 Series Hatchback 2.5 325ti Sport Compact 3dr in Lisburn, Antrim | Authentic Autos
Ps. Some interesting opinions in this thread.
@surprising_skoda
You make some points I totally agree with and have seen this change myself. IMO traders are the only ones who truly and fully know the car market, physically buying and selling, day in day out, week in week out, year in year out. Not based on one-off finds, adverts they see that aren't in reality as they appear, one off experiences 5 years ago etc and seeing cars through from purchase right through to the end of warranty period. Not everyone is a car enthusiast, not everyone is hands on and unphased by certain issues etc (a short MOT is a major worry to some people!), and these are the type of people who make up the vast majority of buyers. A car is worth what an informed person is willing to pay for it in an open market, some people appreciate and realise the reasons for the difference in price - appreciate the value of low mileage, service history, 1 owner, original paintwork etc and are happy to pay for it. There are exceptions to any rule, I have had some unreal cars for little money, thats called getting lucky, or being in the right place at the right time with a bit of determination/effort thrown in, it still has a market value even if you didnt pay close to it!
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