| Help with cars 09:49 - May 28 with 7637 views | wiganblue |
Hi All
So unfortunately my car has broken beyond repair so I find myself looking for a new car. I drove a manual SUV, diesel. I'm not a petrol head, so tend to look at cars with decent MPG with sensors, cruise control and has to have DAB.
Do I buy what I know being this or should I be considering petrol hybrid?
It seems car manufacturers are moving away from diesel and indeed manual cars, so is it best to future proof myself if I decide to sell later down the line?
I've narrowed it down to Honda or Kia and I'm considering a H-RV, Civic or Niro, or is there something else I should consider? I prefer a raised ride as I do a lot of countryside driving but something about the civic "look" on the shape from 2019 onwards has caught my eye! |  | | |  |
| Help with cars on 11:53 - Nov 24 with 666 views | NewcyBlue |
A few pointers for looking at used cars
-Open the bonnet when you get there. Have a feel of the radiator hose. If it is hot they may have run the car up to cover up cold start problems, engine noises, etc
-Look for any oil on the engine block, pull the dipstick out and check the colour of the oil. Open the oil filler cap and see if there is any sludge / mayonnaise looking stuff. The mayonnaise stuff may just be condensation, or it may be something more sinister.
-When starting the car look for excessive exhaust fumes, different coloured smoke means different things.
-Bodywork, is it all the same colour. Does any of the paint look like orange peel? The orange peel effect is from a poor paintjob, and could be a sign of a previous accident.
-Are there any differing gaps between any of the panels? Does it look the same on both sides?
-Are the door and window seals in tact?
-Check to see all warning lights come on when turning the ignition on, ensure they extinguish upon starting the engine.
-Does the clutch feel ok? Is there any noise at any point of depressing the clutch pedal?
-When driving is there any excessive play in the steering? Do the brakes work adequately? Are there any unusual noises? Does the steering wobble at speed or under heavy braking? When braking does the car pull to one side?
-Check all equipment is working, lights, wipers, washers, ventilation, windows, mirrors, central locking.
-Check the wheels and tyres. Are locking wheel nuts fitted? If so is the locking wheel nut key with the car?. Check the tread on the tyres. Check the sidewall for bulges
-Paperwork, check service history. Anything 60k plus and you want to be checking if the cambelt has been changed. Check the V5C for spelling mistakes, does the address match the one of the seller. Is the seller the registered keeper? If not, why? |  |
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| Help with cars on 18:20 - Nov 24 with 524 views | thorpedo |
| Help with cars on 12:28 - May 28 by blueasfook |
I like the Rover Vitesse Fastback. Apart from the walnut and leather interior, which really does give it luxury car status, what impressed me most was the overall economy. I mean, 38.4 miles to the gallon at a constant 56 miles per hour, I think makes it a class leader. [Post edited 28 May 12:28]
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I'm not driving a Mini Metro. Or a Renault Megane. They are power-sappingly mundane... |  |
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| Help with cars on 18:41 - Nov 24 with 507 views | jontysnut |
| Help with cars on 23:12 - May 28 by suffolkpoker |
Hi mate,
I have been in the vehicle industry my whole life. I have gone from owning a hire fleet and being a small trader. I have bought and sold many vehicles.
I always recommend ford and VW (or VAG family).
If you’re buying a Ford don’t buy anything that’s a wet belt.
My favourite engines for reliability, MPG and performance are the following:-
Ford diesels 1.5 TDI or the 1.6TDI both low car tax and reliable
Petrol the 1.25 don’t buy anything that’s a eco tech wet belts (1.0 petrols)
VW 1.6TDI cheap tax, great MPG and solid
VW petrol 1.2 or 1.4 TFSI’s
If you find a car you seem happy with Ii am more than happy to do my remote checks;- MOT history, service history, valuations and HPI for free of charge… why? I do this all day when I’m looking at cars to flip, another one won’t hurt. Good luck mate 👍🏁 |
Don't get me started on bloody wet belts.. |  | | |
| Help with cars on 19:04 - Nov 24 with 485 views | Churchman |
| Help with cars on 11:00 - Nov 24 by Ryorry |
Yay, my new (used) car is a Skoda :)
Low boot lip for the mutt, and great seats in the version I'm getting. Should be arriving today 🤞🏼 |
Good cars. My mate’s company has supplied him with a couple of Skodas over the last six or seven years and they’ve been as good as gold. Also, a cricket chum got one through Cazoo a few years ago and that’s been 👍🏻 too. Been in them and they’re as comfy as hell. I think it’s a great choice. |  | | |
| Help with cars on 19:04 - Nov 24 with 483 views | Churchman |
| Help with cars on 11:53 - Nov 24 by NewcyBlue |
A few pointers for looking at used cars
-Open the bonnet when you get there. Have a feel of the radiator hose. If it is hot they may have run the car up to cover up cold start problems, engine noises, etc
-Look for any oil on the engine block, pull the dipstick out and check the colour of the oil. Open the oil filler cap and see if there is any sludge / mayonnaise looking stuff. The mayonnaise stuff may just be condensation, or it may be something more sinister.
-When starting the car look for excessive exhaust fumes, different coloured smoke means different things.
-Bodywork, is it all the same colour. Does any of the paint look like orange peel? The orange peel effect is from a poor paintjob, and could be a sign of a previous accident.
-Are there any differing gaps between any of the panels? Does it look the same on both sides?
-Are the door and window seals in tact?
-Check to see all warning lights come on when turning the ignition on, ensure they extinguish upon starting the engine.
-Does the clutch feel ok? Is there any noise at any point of depressing the clutch pedal?
-When driving is there any excessive play in the steering? Do the brakes work adequately? Are there any unusual noises? Does the steering wobble at speed or under heavy braking? When braking does the car pull to one side?
-Check all equipment is working, lights, wipers, washers, ventilation, windows, mirrors, central locking.
-Check the wheels and tyres. Are locking wheel nuts fitted? If so is the locking wheel nut key with the car?. Check the tread on the tyres. Check the sidewall for bulges
-Paperwork, check service history. Anything 60k plus and you want to be checking if the cambelt has been changed. Check the V5C for spelling mistakes, does the address match the one of the seller. Is the seller the registered keeper? If not, why? |
Great advice, Newcy | | | |
| Help with cars on 19:50 - Nov 24 with 447 views | Ryorry |
| Help with cars on 19:04 - Nov 24 by Churchman |
Great advice, Newcy |
Yep, and a further point re insurance that I wasn't aware of till I started phoning round -
No claims bonuses /discounts go with the vehicle, not the owner; so I was told by NFU that if I didn't transfer my current NCB from my old Freelander to my new Skoda, my quote wouldn't be for approx £500 - but for £2,000!
So I rang Adrian Flux who currently insure the Freewlander (which I haven't yet managed to sell) & they said they can do something called 'mirroring' - basically both cars get insured under the same NCB. Result - got the Skoda insured for £580 including legal cover & protection for the £500 excess; with no increase for the Freelander (tho of course that will be doing fewer miles now).
Bit annoying that reading the docs. they later put online, they've not included protection of the NCB that I asked for though. Also shocked that theft isn't covered unless a Thatcham level 1 security system, whatever that is, is activated, so am frantically reading through the specs to check for immobiliser (cue some wit now posting a thread saying he's just found an unlocked Skoda in N. Yorkshire  ). |  |
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| Help with cars on 20:00 - Nov 24 with 433 views | ronnyd |
| Help with cars on 18:41 - Nov 24 by jontysnut |
Don't get me started on bloody wet belts.. |
Said with feeling. | | | |
| Help with cars on 20:08 - Nov 24 with 421 views | Swansea_Blue |
| Help with cars on 23:12 - May 28 by suffolkpoker |
Hi mate,
I have been in the vehicle industry my whole life. I have gone from owning a hire fleet and being a small trader. I have bought and sold many vehicles.
I always recommend ford and VW (or VAG family).
If you’re buying a Ford don’t buy anything that’s a wet belt.
My favourite engines for reliability, MPG and performance are the following:-
Ford diesels 1.5 TDI or the 1.6TDI both low car tax and reliable
Petrol the 1.25 don’t buy anything that’s a eco tech wet belts (1.0 petrols)
VW 1.6TDI cheap tax, great MPG and solid
VW petrol 1.2 or 1.4 TFSI’s
If you find a car you seem happy with Ii am more than happy to do my remote checks;- MOT history, service history, valuations and HPI for free of charge… why? I do this all day when I’m looking at cars to flip, another one won’t hurt. Good luck mate 👍🏁 |
“If you’re buying a Ford don’t buy anything that’s a wet belt.”
If there’s one thing you take from this thread, this should be it. Cam belts are traditionally on the outside of the engine. For some reason there was a move to run them inside the engine instead, which although the idea to have them running in oil may seem sensible they have massive issues. The teeth on the belts can break off and ruin your engine and replacing the belts costs a fortune). Fords are notorious for them (EcoBoost engines), but other manufacturers have them too.
Far too much info (and may not be fully accurate), but essentially avoid a wet belt if you can. They can be fine but when they go wrong you’re stuffed. Manufacturers are ditching them and going back to external belts. The only way I’d touch one is on a car under fully manufactures warranty.
(I’m parroting my BIL who’s an automotive engineer, and also in the industry like SuffolkPoker. I’ve no expertise, but though it would be helpful to highlight). [Post edited 24 Nov 20:25]
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| Help with cars on 20:54 - Nov 24 with 389 views | Churchman |
| Help with cars on 19:50 - Nov 24 by Ryorry |
Yep, and a further point re insurance that I wasn't aware of till I started phoning round -
No claims bonuses /discounts go with the vehicle, not the owner; so I was told by NFU that if I didn't transfer my current NCB from my old Freelander to my new Skoda, my quote wouldn't be for approx £500 - but for £2,000!
So I rang Adrian Flux who currently insure the Freewlander (which I haven't yet managed to sell) & they said they can do something called 'mirroring' - basically both cars get insured under the same NCB. Result - got the Skoda insured for £580 including legal cover & protection for the £500 excess; with no increase for the Freelander (tho of course that will be doing fewer miles now).
Bit annoying that reading the docs. they later put online, they've not included protection of the NCB that I asked for though. Also shocked that theft isn't covered unless a Thatcham level 1 security system, whatever that is, is activated, so am frantically reading through the specs to check for immobiliser (cue some wit now posting a thread saying he's just found an unlocked Skoda in N. Yorkshire ). |
Sounds like you’ve sorted that minefield well. Well done! | | | |
| Help with cars on 21:03 - Nov 24 with 382 views | Churchman |
| Help with cars on 20:08 - Nov 24 by Swansea_Blue |
“If you’re buying a Ford don’t buy anything that’s a wet belt.”
If there’s one thing you take from this thread, this should be it. Cam belts are traditionally on the outside of the engine. For some reason there was a move to run them inside the engine instead, which although the idea to have them running in oil may seem sensible they have massive issues. The teeth on the belts can break off and ruin your engine and replacing the belts costs a fortune). Fords are notorious for them (EcoBoost engines), but other manufacturers have them too.
Far too much info (and may not be fully accurate), but essentially avoid a wet belt if you can. They can be fine but when they go wrong you’re stuffed. Manufacturers are ditching them and going back to external belts. The only way I’d touch one is on a car under fully manufactures warranty.
(I’m parroting my BIL who’s an automotive engineer, and also in the industry like SuffolkPoker. I’ve no expertise, but though it would be helpful to highlight). [Post edited 24 Nov 20:25]
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My chum has a couple of these. They’ve been ok but he’s had the belts replaced well early. They’ve were meant to last 100k miles but according to the interweb didn’t. It also depended year of manufacture and whether. Ford’s modified version was installed. All a bit lost on it, but it sounds a design of engine best avoided.
My golf buddy’s partner has a daughter whose Ford let go on one on one of those engines. It cost a fortune and after the rebuild the owner didm’t do what the mechanic advised and the engine let go again. Down to her.
The moral of the tale is do exactly what your garage advises with them and I gather people with these engines will be fine. Have to say, for a small cc engine my mate’s Focus is fast, quiet and I gather economical.
Just what friends of mine have experienced - I’ve not owned a Ford since the early 80s. [Post edited 24 Nov 22:41]
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| Help with cars on 23:21 - Nov 24 with 336 views | ronnyd |
| Help with cars on 20:08 - Nov 24 by Swansea_Blue |
“If you’re buying a Ford don’t buy anything that’s a wet belt.”
If there’s one thing you take from this thread, this should be it. Cam belts are traditionally on the outside of the engine. For some reason there was a move to run them inside the engine instead, which although the idea to have them running in oil may seem sensible they have massive issues. The teeth on the belts can break off and ruin your engine and replacing the belts costs a fortune). Fords are notorious for them (EcoBoost engines), but other manufacturers have them too.
Far too much info (and may not be fully accurate), but essentially avoid a wet belt if you can. They can be fine but when they go wrong you’re stuffed. Manufacturers are ditching them and going back to external belts. The only way I’d touch one is on a car under fully manufactures warranty.
(I’m parroting my BIL who’s an automotive engineer, and also in the industry like SuffolkPoker. I’ve no expertise, but though it would be helpful to highlight). [Post edited 24 Nov 20:25]
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Try to avoid the Stellantis 1.0 or 1.2 PureTech engined cars as they also have a wet belt. That includes Citreon, Peugeot and Vauxhall amongst others. | | | |
| Help with cars on 05:41 - Nov 25 with 306 views | Benters |
I’d definitely go for a Honda.
My Good Lady had a Honda Civic from new had it 20 years and did over 220’000 miles in it,it still had plenty of life left in it when she decided it was time to get something newer so she bought another Honda but this time a Jazz.
Yes me know Honda’s are what old farts drive,and they are not cool but we are both knocking on now so who cares.
Those Honda Civics you talk about do have a nice shape to them. |  |
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| Help with cars on 06:05 - Nov 25 with 296 views | brogansnose |
| Help with cars on 05:41 - Nov 25 by Benters |
I’d definitely go for a Honda.
My Good Lady had a Honda Civic from new had it 20 years and did over 220’000 miles in it,it still had plenty of life left in it when she decided it was time to get something newer so she bought another Honda but this time a Jazz.
Yes me know Honda’s are what old farts drive,and they are not cool but we are both knocking on now so who cares.
Those Honda Civics you talk about do have a nice shape to them. |
Agree. Not the most exciting of cars but a Vtec engine is reliable and economical.
Probably jinxed myself now ! |  | | |
| Help with cars on 06:09 - Nov 25 with 290 views | noggin |
Get an electric car and help save the planet 🙄
10 pager incoming. |  |
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| Help with cars on 09:10 - Nov 25 with 226 views | baxterbasics |
| Help with cars on 06:09 - Nov 25 by noggin |
Get an electric car and help save the planet 🙄
10 pager incoming. |
I did this earlier this year , less to save the planet and more to save my wallet, as I can charge for free at work.
Government is about to skewer that though, 'aint they? With rumoured per mile charges. My commute is 40 miles each way, every day. Going to cost me a fair whack just for the privilege of getting to work so I can pay my (possibly also increasing) taxes.
Labours mission to make the working mans life even more miserable continues apace.
As for the car - quite happy with it, apart from the slightly limiting range of 150 miles, so for long journeys I'm adding 45 mins charge time per 100 miles or so, whicn is NOT cheap if using public/service station chargers. It's a Nissan Leaf which does not have the super-mega-rapid charging CCS socket. CHadeMo is the fastest option and that seems to be phasing out. |  |
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| Help with cars on 09:46 - Nov 25 with 202 views | Ryorry |
| Help with cars on 06:09 - Nov 25 by noggin |
Get an electric car and help save the planet 🙄
10 pager incoming. |
I will *never* get an electric car, they are extremely dangerous to pedestrians on narrow, winding country lanes with blind brows & bends as are round our way.
Recently, one crept up right behind me - must have been following me 2 yards behind on a 3m wide lane with no verges, for probably the best part of a minute before I became aware - only turned my head to look because my dog kept looking back & wagging his tail, which usually means a jogger closing on us. Had wondered what the low humming sound in the background was but thought it must be a tractor in the distance, of which there are plenty.
Dread to think what would have happened had this not been such a careful or courteous driver - at least 75% of drivers on these roads go way too fast, nothing like within their stopping distance - particularly delivery vans - you often have barely enough time to jump into the ditch or press yourself & mutt right up against the wall when you hear the roar of their ICEs as it is. | |
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| Help with cars on 13:22 - Nov 25 with 149 views | Benters |
| Help with cars on 06:09 - Nov 25 by noggin |
Get an electric car and help save the planet 🙄
10 pager incoming. |
Balls. | |
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| Help with cars on 14:32 - Nov 25 with 111 views | Ryorry |
| Help with cars on 13:22 - Nov 25 by Benters |
Balls. |
Why hasn't someone invented cars running on rollerballs instead of wheels? 🤔 | |
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| Help with cars on 14:50 - Nov 25 with 91 views | Benters |
| Help with cars on 14:32 - Nov 25 by Ryorry |
Why hasn't someone invented cars running on rollerballs instead of wheels? 🤔 |
Like you Ryorry I can’t stand those electric cars for the same reasons. | |
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| Help with cars on 14:53 - Nov 25 with 77 views | giant_stow |
| Help with cars on 06:05 - Nov 25 by brogansnose |
Agree. Not the most exciting of cars but a Vtec engine is reliable and economical.
Probably jinxed myself now ! |
i've got an 08 civic and its a bludy good car. surprisingly roomy inside too. If I had one complaint, its that vtec is noisy on the motorway. Maybe its just me or my car, but doing 80 on the motorway means the engine revs at 4000+ so its never going to be a truly relaxing car on long drives, but you do get used to it. |  |
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