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Car Dealership Advice

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in Not Sports Related
This is a follow up to the car rental advice. I have decided to buy a car from a dealer, can anyone advise on some better ones in South East London. I've been out to Erith and Crayford today, but had no luck. I'm after something along the lines of a Focus, Civic, Golf or an Octativa. Sub 50,000 miles, manual, petrol, 7k max.


Not interested in buying private, thanks in advance.

Comments

  • MuttleyCAFCMuttleyCAFC
    Have you tried auto trader - find the car you want which will point you to the dealer.
  • PopIconPopIcon
    MuttleyCAFC said:
    Have you tried auto trader - find the car you want which will point you to the dealer.
    Yes, I'm on it every day, need a motor sharpish. Seeing this place is great source of information, perhaps one of our fellow addicks is a car dealer themselves. 
  • mickcmickc
    Avoid anybody called Arthur Daley pretending to be a lifer.
  • bobmunrobobmunro
    mickc said:
    Avoid anybody called Arthur Daley pretending to be a lifer.
    How is George Cole these days?
  • Rob7LeeRob7Lee
    Does age matter? 3 or 5 door? Can you travel?

    Automatic, 1.8 Petrol, in Hailsham, bang on budget, Honda approved; https://usedcars.honda.co.uk/en/used-cars/approved-cars/honda/civic/18-i-vtec-se-5-door-vdb349f

    Similar, but manual - https://usedcars.honda.co.uk/en/used-cars/approved-cars/honda/civic/18-i-vtec-si-t-5-door-jjb3ny6

    3 door sporty looks; https://usedcars.honda.co.uk/en/used-cars/approved-cars/honda/civic/18-i-vtec-type-s-gt-3-door-n5bzxev

    Buying approved used gives a good warranty, breakdown etc.
  • PopIconPopIcon
    Rob7Lee said:
    Does age matter? 3 or 5 door? Can you travel?

    Automatic, 1.8 Petrol, in Hailsham, bang on budget, Honda approved; https://usedcars.honda.co.uk/en/used-cars/approved-cars/honda/civic/18-i-vtec-se-5-door-vdb349f

    Similar, but manual - https://usedcars.honda.co.uk/en/used-cars/approved-cars/honda/civic/18-i-vtec-si-t-5-door-jjb3ny6

    3 door sporty looks; https://usedcars.honda.co.uk/en/used-cars/approved-cars/honda/civic/18-i-vtec-type-s-gt-3-door-n5bzxev

    Buying approved used gives a good warranty, breakdown etc.
    I actually tried a Honda Civic SE 2009 today, 60k on clock, 3k. There was something not right with the clutch, the guy subsequently informed me that it had a new one fitted the week prior. 

    Good to know that, thanks for the help on both this thread and the other one. I wouldn't consider myself very knowledgeable when it comes to cars.
  • MuttleyCAFCMuttleyCAFC
    What I did when buying my son's car was put in the price and distance away parameters in auto trader. Then I selected the options that were important to us. It left us around 30 cars, some more suitable than others. I think if you know somebody who knows about cars to look at the car with you it is helpful and I haggled a warranty with the dealer.  For me, that is more important than getting a few quid off, as they have to have some faith in the car to offer that, if they won't, walk away.

    The other factor was mileage or age. Ideally you want new and low mileage, but if you are working to a budget you might have to choose. Both have downsides. With age, you have to pay attention to rubber parts and maintenance of the car. High mileage is less of a problem if the car was driven properly. It is good to know the car's story. We went for an older car with very low mileage. A fiat Panda 1.3 multijet diesel. The car had one old lady owner and was garaged and fully serviced. My son has had it a year and it has been great so far. 

    I think we paid a bit more for it than you could get it elsewhere, but the full service history, condition of the car etc.., and warranty were the important things. Anyway, good luck, however you go about it. There are different ways to approach this, but if you have a doubt, don't go for it.
  • bobmunrobobmunro
    MuttleyCAFC said:
    What I did when buying my son's car was put in the price and distance away parameters in auto trader. Then I selected the options that were important to us. It left us around 30 cars, some more suitable than others. I think if you know somebody who knows about cars to look at the car with you it is helpful and I haggled a warranty with the dealer.  For me, that is more important than getting a few quid off, as they have to have some faith in the car to offer that, if they won't, walk away.

    The other factor was mileage or age. Ideally you want new and low mileage, but if you are working to a budget you might have to choose. Both have downsides. With age, you have to pay attention to rubber parts and maintenance of the car. High mileage is less of a problem if the car was driven properly. It is good to know the car's story. We went for an older car with very low mileage. A fiat Panda 1.3 multijet diesel. The car had one old lady owner and was garaged and fully serviced. My son has had it a year and it has been great so far. 

    I think we paid a bit more for it than you could get it elsewhere, but the full service history, condition of the car etc.., and warranty were the important things. Anyway, good luck, however you go about it. There are different ways to approach this, but if you have a doubt, don't go for it.
    That's interesting. I took a slightly different approach when buying our two sons first cars in that I bought brand new with the latest safety devices (ABS, airbags) and attempting to avoid buying an older car and seeing it swallow money in maintenance. I paid just under £7,000 for a Peugeot 106 for Robert and he drove it for 10 years until he got a company car - zero issues with just regular maintenance (full main dealer service history). Sold it for £2,000 so average costs for depreciation was £500 a year! The same with Danny - he got a new Fiesta and again zero issues other than routine servicing. Paid just over £8,000 and he still drives it 10 years later. He is due a company car next year so again I expect around £500 a year in depreciation.
  • MuttleyCAFCMuttleyCAFC
    I think there are lots of ways to go about it. the important thing is to make it work for you. When you are buying an older or higher mileage car, you have to be careful. We wanted to get a car that our son wouldn't want to show off in and an older car is less upsetting for the odd scrape a new driver might get. What is a bonus is the one we bought is very economical 64mpg and £35 road tax - so cheap for him to keep going. The engine looks brand new. It also has very good torque and is a joy to drive. I drove it a bit and it was a revelation to me on narrow country roads as well as town ones.


  • masicatmasicat
    Bloke called Mickey Purser has a dealership down the Old Kent Road. Not sure if he’s still there?
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  • Rob7LeeRob7Lee
    PopIcon said:
    Rob7Lee said:
    Does age matter? 3 or 5 door? Can you travel?

    Automatic, 1.8 Petrol, in Hailsham, bang on budget, Honda approved; https://usedcars.honda.co.uk/en/used-cars/approved-cars/honda/civic/18-i-vtec-se-5-door-vdb349f

    Similar, but manual - https://usedcars.honda.co.uk/en/used-cars/approved-cars/honda/civic/18-i-vtec-si-t-5-door-jjb3ny6

    3 door sporty looks; https://usedcars.honda.co.uk/en/used-cars/approved-cars/honda/civic/18-i-vtec-type-s-gt-3-door-n5bzxev

    Buying approved used gives a good warranty, breakdown etc.
    I actually tried a Honda Civic SE 2009 today, 60k on clock, 3k. There was something not right with the clutch, the guy subsequently informed me that it had a new one fitted the week prior. 

    Good to know that, thanks for the help on both this thread and the other one. I wouldn't consider myself very knowledgeable when it comes to cars.

    No problem, think a Civic would suit you from what you say around size of car wanted, ultra reliable, and compared to a lot of dealers Honda quite happily still sell ones 6+ years old, guess that's as they are confident In their product.
  • hoof_it_up_to_bentyhoof_it_up_to_benty
    MuttleyCAFC said:
    I think there are lots of ways to go about it. the important thing is to make it work for you. When you are buying an older or higher mileage car, you have to be careful. We wanted to get a car that our son wouldn't want to show off in and an older car is less upsetting for the odd scrape a new driver might get. What is a bonus is the one we bought is very economical 64mpg and £35 road tax - so cheap for him to keep going. The engine looks brand new. It also has very good torque and is a joy to drive. I drove it a bit and it was a revelation to me on narrow country roads as well as town ones.


    Fiat Panda is an excellent car for the price - very good value. Obviously badge snobbery stops people buying it so keeps prices low.
  • AddictedoldgitAddictedoldgit
    My son has just bought his first car.
    A 2016 Renault Clio diesel automatic with 35k miles on clock.

    Pristine condition only £7.5k
    He was limited, can only drive auto's.
    Bought diesel cos he will be doing more than 20k miles a year.

    From a dealer in Milton Keynes, I thought that was good value, don't have the dealers name at the moment.

    Am no expert but my experience has been you get a better deal outside of the metropolis.
  • MuttleyCAFCMuttleyCAFC
    edited July 2021
    hoof_it_up_to_benty said:
    MuttleyCAFC said:
    I think there are lots of ways to go about it. the important thing is to make it work for you. When you are buying an older or higher mileage car, you have to be careful. We wanted to get a car that our son wouldn't want to show off in and an older car is less upsetting for the odd scrape a new driver might get. What is a bonus is the one we bought is very economical 64mpg and £35 road tax - so cheap for him to keep going. The engine looks brand new. It also has very good torque and is a joy to drive. I drove it a bit and it was a revelation to me on narrow country roads as well as town ones.


    Fiat Panda is an excellent car for the price - very good value. Obviously badge snobbery stops people buying it so keeps prices low.
    As a footnote to this, he hasn't had a single problem with it. He said recently that it wasn't the car he would have bought, but knowing what he does now, he would buy it. It is perfect for a student, economical, reliable and has a surprising amount of torque, which along with its size makes it fun to drive as well as being ok on the motorway although that is not its natural habitat.
  • WilmaWilma
    edited July 2021
    Got a car recently from a place in Sidcup. Only small but family run business.

    https://www.sidcupcarcompany.co.uk

    I know next to nothing about cars but did my research before hand so I knew issues to look out for. 
  • Hal1xHal1x
    Have you tried one of the car supermarkets?
  • AddicktedAddickted
    Do your research, then Jib one.
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