Car Purchase - Help and Advice needed please

From Edinburgh, 1 post

hi everyone,

im in a real dilema.firstly i know very little about cars even though im a 36 year old bloke..i get in and drive basicly.i have always had old bangers but after breaking down with my family in car 300 miles from home i decided to buy a new car.well new to us.my parents said they would sign for it and i pay so its my first real chance at a decent car thats not 10 years old..



i had been trying to find one in the £100 a month bracket but there all pretty poor as i need a 5 dr hatch at a decent size as we go away for the day alot..at moment have a 96 escort 1.6 lx.



so ive found 2 cars around the £6000 mark



2003 ford focus 1.6 lx with climate..27k.. £5700..was supposed to be £6999



2005 nissan almera 1.5 s 13k..£5988..ex company hire car

both over 60 months



these are at 2 diffrent garages..peoples and anrnold clarks.



focus is £114 per month no additiuonal charges with trade in ..no deposit



almera £118 per month..car trade in.plus £100 deposit and 95 doc fee..





focus has 2 year warranty built into pay plan..from garage i think..



almera has 2 years manufactures warranty as its only a 005



focus was good to drive but i noticed on passenger side door at bottom about 5 or 6 small marks about size of 5p maybe smaller..it looked like tar..but it was smooth almost like paint so i scraped off marks and it was lighter grey underneath..maybe it took off top coat of paint...but they arent noticable from a distance..

apart from that its pretty good condition..



almera good to drive and body just about perfect..



i was going to go for almera but my father and friends told me that focus is far better than an almera..so as i know nothing about cars and its probably the biggest commitment of my life i really dont know what to do..i have to get the car that will last me longest and sell on if i have to but preferably i will keep it for a good few years



i thought because almera is newer and lower miles it was better.

but after reading web pages etc it seems a 3 year old focus is better buy than 1 year old almera..



i know its my decision etc but any info or help from anyone who knows about cars would be great..as i really am lost now..



tony..



ps.i also seen a 01 almera 1.5 e... 34k £3000

at a local garage and he offered me 400 trade in so its only

£69 per month with 3 month warranty. or 74 with years warranty over 4 years..

or £87 with 3 months warranty...93 with 1 years..over 3 years..

the body is a perfect not a scratch..but interior is cream so im guessing it will be black in a few months with my kids and dog..haha



what does anyone think???

From Bradford, 3 posts

well i think that after a few years e.g. 3-4 years the focus will start giving you problems and the almera won't

almeras are reliable and are very good on fuel ... where as the focus will give you less miles

end of the day the focus is a FORD and the almera is a NISSAN

big difference PLEASE dont be affended by my thoughts thats what I think

xdjx

1 post

Hi There,

You are right, buying a new car can be a dilema, but only if you have not found a good car dealer. I too know nothing about cars. I bought a used peugeot recently from Fish Brothers. They are good and they explain all the technical details about a car in a way that lay people understand. So you do not have to worry. They also have a good range of used cars on sale from different car manufactures. You can get in touch with them and see if they have a retail outlet in your area. Hope that helps. Bye