Secondhand car advice for single mom with budget of R130,000, please

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Clever Blonde

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Hellooo happy people

I'm looking for advice on a new ( secondhand) car purchase, please. :)

I'm a single aging mom so reliability is important!! My budget is about R130,000 and I have been looking at secondhand VW Polos (old shape with newer style front lights, 1.6 Comfortline (or 2L??) around 50,000km on the clock) and Golf 5s (1.6 Comfortline and 2Ls but they are closer to 100,000km on the clock..)

I was loving the Polo until I started looking at the Golf 5 which seems overall much better. The Golf 5s in the same price range as the Polos tend to have more km's. But then I do not do much driving, maybe 50km a week.. So is a low mileage Polo much wiser or would a Golf 5 with more km's, say 100,000, be fine because I hardly drive and it is a much better car?

Another predicament I have as a single mom is whether or not to buy from a dealer or Gumtree because I understand buying a car to be a bit of a process so I may not mind just having the dealer do all the work? What sort of assurance do dealers give? Or is it that once I buy it my car's business is now with a mechanic?

Is Gumtree okay? My son is urging me to buy privately.

Do you think it's important for me, being in the position I am, to only look for cards with balance motorplan?

Any other advice would be appreciated. :) Please don't start fighting about other brands of cars and which is better, I think I am set on Vw. ;)
 
be careful of Gumtree and try to find a Golf 5, 1.6 Comfortline.....that 1600 is super reliable and relatively cheap to maintain. The Polo 1.6 Comfortline is also a solid choice. Services should cost you between R1k - R2k at most.

Buying privately is the same as buying at an auction. You need a specific mindset for that. What I mean by that is that possible future customer support would be difficult....a Mastercars dealer might be of more assitance in future....and also, if you find some problems with the car in future, you tend to fix it yourself as opposed to ringing uo the seller to "complain". So, you need a particular mindset for that....
 
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the graduate said:
be careful of Gumtree and try to find a Golf 5, 1.6 Comfortline.....that 1600 is super reliable and relatively cheap to maintain. The Polo 1.6 Comfortline is also a solid choice. Services should cost you between R1k - R2k at most.

Buying privately is the same as buying at an auction. You need a specific mindset for that. What I mean by that is that possible future customer support would be difficult....a Mastercars dealer might be of more assitance in future....and also, if you find some problems with the car in future, you tend to fix it yourself as opposed to ringing uo the seller to "complain". So, you need a particular mindset for that....
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Glad to know about the 1600 engine.

Could you guys elaborate on being careful about Gumtree? Are there other things to worry about, even if I let's say get the AA or a mechanicto inspect it? Besides scamming and all that, which I will be sure to avoid.

"a Mastercars dealer might be of more assitance in future....and also, if you find some problems with the car in future, you tend to fix it yourself as opposed to ringing uo the seller to "complain". So, you need a particular mindset for that...."

Are you saying that a dealer -would- fix it if I was to complain?
 
Clever Blonde said:
Hellooo happy people

I'm looking for advice on a new ( secondhand) car purchase, please. :)
Click to expand...

Gumtree is a happy hunting ground for all sorts of crooks and there is a very good chance that a woman will get burned.

Listen to the motoring programme on Radio 702 / 567 on Friday evening at 19:00. Leigh Bennie hosts the show and her two guests know their stuff and give good advice.
 
You can get a brand new Polo Vivo for that price. It's the same as the old shape Polos
 
buying on from any 2nd hand car dealer / website is risky at best - if u don't know what to look for u could end up with a crap car - a huge debt and no recourse. these guys tend to "see" women coming and they will take advantage. this happened to a girlfriend of mine recently, but after I contacted the workshop manager and told him what I would do if he does not comply with the warranty - the car was "suddenly" repaired with an apology. It's amazing the power of FB & Hellopeter and of course the industry ombudsman!

get 1 of yr more knowledgeable (with cars) male friends to go with u when looking for cars.
 
The problem with dealers is that they tend to be dishonest and will try to hide a car's defects. So they wont be honest with you - they are salesmen first and foremost, their goal is to make the sale only.

However, they might offer limited support and/or a warranty on cars that you buy from them. To add to that, if you buy a newer car that has a motor plan, you generally shouldnt have too many problems as the motor plan should cover most of them.

Private deals (whether from Gumtree, autotrader or whatever) tend to be cheaper because the dealer tries to add a large markup to the sale, and he has to add VAT, whereas a private sale doesnt. A private sale isnt likely to be any more or less reliable, but remember he wants to make money too and its in his interest to make the car look good, even if it isnt. Some of them, yes, go beyond that, and are actually crooks who will take your money but not give you a car in return. It could potentially be the more risky option I suppose.

In either case, but especially with a private sale, you need to check whether the car has been stolen or not. I'm not sure how to do this but I think a police station can help. Its also a good idea to have a mechanic you can trust have a look at the car. You might need to pay him for his time, but its worth it. Get advice on the particular car from someone that you can trust who is knowledgeable about cars.
 
I would definitely buy from master cars as opposed to gumtree.. They provide 2year warranty on the car which is nice piece of mind as well as:
* 80-point mechanical check
* Full service history
* Guaranteed ownership
* Certified mileage
* 7-day exchange plan
* 24 hr roadside assistance
Click to expand...

And although more pricey, you can at least exchange the car if you not happy with it.
 
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nightjar said:
Gumtree is a happy hunting ground for all sorts of crooks and there is a very good chance that a woman will get burned.

Listen to the motoring programme on Radio 702 / 567 on Friday evening at 19:00. Leigh Bennie hosts the show and her two guests know their stuff and give good advice.
Click to expand...

I realise the risk involved with Gumtree but if I can get the car inspected and everything then what assurance doI really have at the end of the day buying from a dealer?
 
TheGuy said:
You can get a brand new Polo Vivo for that price. It's the same as the old shape Polos
Click to expand...

I have been hearing about the Vivo, very good price, and will also be considering it. But more bang for buck with a Golf 5 or Polo Comfortline...

Anyone know the warranty/service plan that comes with the Vivo?
 
Go for a 2004-2005 BMW 320d - My mother picked one up with 95000 km's on the clock and a two year extended service plan for R114k - It's automatic, with a towbar, xenon lights, 8 airbags, etc.

Drives beautifully, and my 320i of the same year is rock solid, can't speak for hers yet, but I doubt it will be any different.
 
spiff said:
buying on from any 2nd hand car dealer / website is risky at best - if u don't know what to look for u could end up with a crap car - a huge debt and no recourse. these guys tend to "see" women coming and they will take advantage. this happened to a girlfriend of mine recently, but after I contacted the workshop manager and told him what I would do if he does not comply with the warranty - the car was "suddenly" repaired with an apology. It's amazing the power of FB & Hellopeter and of course the industry ombudsman!

get 1 of yr more knowledgeable (with cars) male friends to go with u when looking for cars.
Click to expand...

And if I had a man dealing with it, and a mechanic/AA guy to check out the car for those things to look out for?

Cape Townians will also understand... I will not be buying a car from "below the railway line" i.e dodgier areas (I like to think I am a southern suburb yuppie) :D

I understand the peace of mind that comes with MAstercars but is a warranty really THAT important for a reliable car such as the 1600 Polo/Golf?
 
Ancalagon said:
The problem with dealers is that they tend to be dishonest and will try to hide a car's defects. So they wont be honest with you - they are salesmen first and foremost, their goal is to make the sale only.

However, they might offer limited support and/or a warranty on cars that you buy from them. To add to that, if you buy a newer car that has a motor plan, you generally shouldnt have too many problems as the motor plan should cover most of them.

Private deals (whether from Gumtree, autotrader or whatever) tend to be cheaper because the dealer tries to add a large markup to the sale, and he has to add VAT, whereas a private sale doesnt. A private sale isnt likely to be any more or less reliable, but remember he wants to make money too and its in his interest to make the car look good, even if it isnt. Some of them, yes, go beyond that, and are actually crooks who will take your money but not give you a car in return. It could potentially be the more risky option I suppose.

In either case, but especially with a private sale, you need to check whether the car has been stolen or not. I'm not sure how to do this but I think a police station can help. Its also a good idea to have a mechanic you can trust have a look at the car. You might need to pay him for his time, but its worth it. Get advice on the particular car from someone that you can trust who is knowledgeable about cars.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that. More in line with what I was thinking. There are crooks everywhere! I would definitely have a mechanic look at the car for the most non biased opinion!

Maybe the best way for peace of mind when buying from Gumtree is to find something with balance of motor plan.
 
bullzeye.za said:
Go for a 2004-2005 BMW 320d - My mother picked one up with 95000 km's on the clock and a two year extended service plan for R114k - It's automatic, with a towbar, xenon lights, 8 airbags, etc.

Drives beautifully, and my 320i of the same year is rock solid, can't speak for hers yet, but I doubt it will be any different.
Click to expand...

I would be a bit scared about the turbo as I heard these are veeery expensive to replace? And people like getting rid of TDIs just before 100,000km?
 
Do you have any male friends clued up on cars that could assist you, people you trust? Not tying to be sexist but there are plenty of people out there that would try and take advantage of you as a woman unfortunately.
 
Ianf1 said:
I would try through AA autobay they supply an AA test and can organise finance.
Quote loudfire manual
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Yip AA autobay is very good. You shouldn't limit your choice to VW either. Consider Renault too. With their 5 star N-cap rating they very safe cars and they don't get stolen or hijacked for their parts...

Also, depreciation is huge so you can normally pick one up a 2nd hand one for a bargain. Megane 1.9DCI is the model to consider...
 
ponder said:
Do you have any male friends clued up on cars that could assist you, people you trust? Not tying to be sexist but there are plenty of people out there that would try and take advantage of you as a woman unfortunately.
Click to expand...

I do, and along with a mechanic, I'm sure we would be able to pick up anything dodgy if we are to go the Gumtree route...
 
sandmanm34 said:
Yip AA autobay is very good. You shouldn't limit your choice to VW either. Consider Renault too. With their 5 star N-cap rating they very safe cars and they don't get stolen or hijacked for their parts...

Also, depreciation is huge so you can normally pick one up a 2nd hand one for a bargain. Megane 1.9DCI is the model to consider...
Click to expand...

I heard they are expensive to service, and parts are expensive too... Think I'll give the french cars a miss...
 
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