First time car buyer advice / help

[DarkStorm]

Hi everyone

I need some advice on buying a car. I unfortunatly don't know a lot about cars i am trying to read up a bit and ask around some peeps that are in the industry for advice.

I have always found Mybb forums to be a source of awesome advice & help for a wide variety of topics.

My budget is around R45000 - R75000, so obviously going used..would also prefer to go with a dealer rather than private since tend be the safer option, the brands / models i have in mind are:

Ford Fiesta 1.4
Toyota Yaris
Opel Corsa 1.4 (hatchback model)
Hyundai i10.

5 Door
Year: 2007 - 2010
Mileage:as low as one can get is always best

Currently leaning towards the Fiesta, Hyndai i10, & Opel really love the looks and interiors of those models.
But now the question beckons, what is a good price to pay for such models and what does one need to look for when buying a new car ?

Guess good place to start would be what is the upkeep cost? as well as how widely availbe are parts still.
So between the Fiesta and i10 what would be the best option ?

And then also resell value, in my option you will easier sell the i10 and also get more with a trade in.
Yaris as well, very good trade in values.

The car will mostly be used for getting to work and back, and general town use.
On weekends will most probably do a bit more, but all in all will mostly be normal everyday use with the occasional road trip and beach missions.

Reliability, efficiency, economical ..basically sums it up.

Any help / advice will greatly be appreciated.

Thanks in advance and for reading

Peace

 

[phoenix99]

I owned a 2004 fiesta 1.4 and was very happy with it. Be aware that the cambelt change service(at 100 000km I think) is a bit pricey but other than that I had no mechanical problems in the 6 years I owned it. Lovely car.

Also had issues with the seat clips but that's only on the 3 door.

Fuel wise I averaged between 6.5 and 7.5 litres/ 100km

 

[Foxhound5366]

Here's the thing: I think you're wise to try and go with a dealer, but that whole 'stealership' title is well-earned. In my experience dealers don't try and earn a penny less than R20 000 on profit for themselves on any deal, so you do the math. If you want them to sell YOU the car for R45 000, they'd have had to buy it for R25 000 ... and your chance of buying a 2007 *anything* (even a Chery QQ) for R25 000 are slim to absolutely none.

That said, your better option is to look at what I think of as 'Class 2' dealers ... they're not your mainstream OEM Class 1 dealers selling used cars as a sideline to new cars, but rather independent dealers focused solely on moving secondhand cars as quickly as possible. That means they're willing to accept lower margins, and their prices are generally better as a result.

Under normal circumstances I'd recommend purchasing at the very least a R5 000 aftermarket warranty through something like SA Warranties, because if nothing else you'll be covered if the clutch on your brand new bargain needs replacing. That's exactly what happened to me with my first car: I bought a five-year old Hyundai Atos for R45 000 and added a R5 000 aftermarket warranty onto it, which ended up paying for a clutch replacement after my Atos didn't take too well to being driven from Johannesburg to Cape Town and back

What's the bottom line? When every penny counts, spend as much as you possibly can (a car in better condition will save you a lot of money in the long run), but spend it wisely. You may be seriously tempted by that 'mint-condition' BMW 3 Series for 'only' R50 000 that Sollies Super Reliable Autos will try and sell you, but you're probably better off with something less glamorous.

I reckon you'd get a pretty good deal on a Renault Sandero (the 2010 Soccer World Cup rental models that flooded the market after the tourists left), although everything screams 'cheap' in it. Alternatively I reckon a Ford Fiesta is your best deal, out of the models you've selected ... or you could think about a Hyundai Getz possibly (ironically you'd probably pick one of these up cheaper than a smaller but newer i10).

Hope something in that helps you! Good luck, and just remember one thing: you've got a long car-buying future ahead of you. If I could go back and tell myself one thing, it'd be to not sweat the small stuff at the start. Having any car at all is an absolute gift, and you don't want to sink yourself into a financial hole you can't get out of by over-extending yourself on a car you can't afford, or alternatively an old clunker where everything keeps breaking.

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

Can vouch for the i10/picanto,
Basically the same car underneath, engines no sport car, but fuel efficient.

You also get a lot more "toys" on the i10, electric windiws, c/l, bluetooth, steering controls for the radio on the wheel....

Many of those things only avalible on cars a few teirs higher,

Bad points, parts a bit scarce, yes possible to find korean boys and such, but not always as easy as a city golf......
Also dealerships will rip you off constantly....
But thats a given nowadays

Nice thing is very low on the theft/hijack list,
Nobody steals these cars, and cops dont like pulling you over for birbes....

Id recomend, going to smd.co.za and getting a feel for the auctions there, seeing the overall prices for your chosen cars, its free to watch, and gives you a nice idea of what cost what....

If you decide to buy, at auction, CHECK very carefully before commiting, den of vipers there, but nice bargains sometimes.

 

[DarkStorm]

Thanks for all the advice / support guys, really appreciate it !

@Foxhound5366 I totally agree with you on the extra warranty thing, always a good thing to have that peace of mind. Haha geez Jhoburg to CT is quite a drive for that little car.

I have done some research over the past few days, and yes defo's the Renaults are quite overstocked...really easy to pick one up. But im not really a Renault fan, will rather go for something like the Getz then...where i have seen some really nice deals on.

Another car i overlooked and seeing some real good prices on, is the Chevy Spark...very basic car, does not have near all the bells and whistles the i10 has, but still for the price it seems damn appropriate.

Saw one with 19000K's on for R50 000.

Having checked out all the above and considerations above, i think i have narrowed it down to the i10, Getz, or Spark.

I really like the i10's look and added features and saw some nice decent deals on it at respective dealers, so at this point in time it looks to be my primary option.

But as always keeping my options open and like you said, no need to be hasty, the right deal will come along.

For now it's more about just getting a pair of affordable / reliable wheels on the road than overspending on flashy looks.
Thanks again for everyone's input and advice, much appreciated

Peace.

 

[ahoudet]

Don't buy on auction unless you have at least R10k spare cash lying around should the car not be perfect - I speak from experience

 

[boxerulez]

2004 fiesta is zetec or rocam?

 

[boxerulez]

Thanks for all the advice / support guys, really appreciate it !

@Foxhound5366 I totally agree with you on the extra warranty thing, always a good thing to have that peace of mind. Haha geez Jhoburg to CT is quite a drive for that little car.

I have done some research over the past few days, and yes defo's the Renaults are quite overstocked...really easy to pick one up. But im not really a Renault fan, will rather go for something like the Getz then...where i have seen some really nice deals on.

Another car i overlooked and seeing some real good prices on, is the Chevy Spark...very basic car, does not have near all the bells and whistles the i10 has, but still for the price it seems damn appropriate.

Saw one with 19000K's on for R50 000.

Having checked out all the above and considerations above, i think i have narrowed it down to the i10, Getz, or Spark.

I really like the i10's look and added features and saw some nice decent deals on it at respective dealers, so at this point in time it looks to be my primary option.

But as always keeping my options open and like you said, no need to be hasty, the right deal will come along.

For now it's more about just getting a pair of affordable / reliable wheels on the road than overspending on flashy looks.
Thanks again for everyone's input and advice, much appreciated

Peace.

Well you are in luck because the Sandero is actually a Dacia with a Renault badge.

Its super cheap but super reliable and not too heavy on juice.

 

[phoenix99]

2004 fiesta is zetec or rocam?

Zetec I think.