New Car

Aet290204

Aet290204

Well-known member
I took a day off work today and I used it to go round the dealerships to buy a new car (well not brand new, a used new car). My current car is knackered and will cost a fortune to get through it’s MOT due at the end of the month.

I feel I should be happy but I’m not. I’m deflated, I’m massively depressed at the financial outlay, stressed out by an afternoon wandering round car showrooms and car supermarkets looking for something I could barely afford, and all the time on my own in the pouring rain with no one to bounce ideas off. And of course having to deal with salesmen which I’m hopeless at. And I’m already fed up answering texts from family / friends as to how I got on.

the only thing I would say is that I was happy for the fifteen minutes I took the car for a test drive. Which was the only Test drive I’ll ever do on my own (thanks to covid) probably.

Depression such an evil thing. I honestly doubt i will ever be right in the head again.
 
In relation to outlay on car, do not buy a a car, depending on your monthly budget you could get a brand new one on a pcp and keep around two and a half years then change or hand back, do you know much RE PCPS
 
Aet290204 said:
I took a day off work today and I used it to go round the dealerships to buy a new car (well not brand new, a used new car). My current car is knackered and will cost a fortune to get through it’s MOT due at the end of the month.

I feel I should be happy but I’m not. I’m deflated, I’m massively depressed at the financial outlay, stressed out by an afternoon wandering round car showrooms and car supermarkets looking for something I could barely afford, and all the time on my own in the pouring rain with no one to bounce ideas off. And of course having to deal with salesmen which I’m hopeless at. And I’m already fed up answering texts from family / friends as to how I got on.

the only thing I would say is that I was happy for the fifteen minutes I took the car for a test drive. Which was the only Test drive I’ll ever do on my own (thanks to covid) probably.

Depression such an evil thing. I honestly doubt i will ever be right in the head again.
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I'd look at leasing as an option too? That's what I'm tempted by this time next year.

Although in saying that with these new rules that new sales I'd diesel and petrol cars been banned in 2030 could we see a reduction in new car prices that aren't electric?
 
Leasing was presented as the cheaper option. I’m not convinced by it. Pre covid I was doing a 70 mile round trip every day. I just wasn’t comfortable with it. I haven’t entered into a financial agreement I can’t afford. Although obviously because of the uncertainty of covid like most I’m a tad worried about the long term security of my job.

Im actually more bothered about the fact that getting a new car should be a happy thing and I’m just downright bloody miserable tonight.
 
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It's not unusual to find buying a car stressful. It's a big decision and being subject to all the selling techniques from a salesman,who does it every day, is not everyone's idea of fun.
 
Buying cars can be very stressful! I was looking for a specific car and eventually found it through Car Guru’s. Got a decent deal and the car I wanted with very low mileage. Got it at Hendys- they were brilliant and made the exercise seamless. Keep at it, pal, there are some gems to be had, mine was £1750 below book price.
 
Hi Aet

I remember your threads on the old board and happy to see you over here. I would echo what NorthumberlandBoro said - buying a car isnt fun. I was recently lucky enough to buy my dream car and to be honest the whole process was stressful - right up to and including pick up day. Try not to judge yourself for finding it miserable. I was also lucky enough to have someone to bounce ideas and concerns off. Without that person it would have been a lot worse.

However, I wouldnt recommend trawling car showrooms looking for something. Theres nothing worse than trawling shops of any description looking for something when you arent sure of what exactly you're looking for.

First set your budget - how much can you afford each month and do you have a deposit. Once you know that you can look at how much of a loan you could get, what sort of cars would be in your budget for leasing and PCP.

Leasing is not for everyone and although it is cheaper you are locked in for a set period - which might be a concern if you are worried about your job long term. Also, the prices you see quoted are usually for 8000 miles a year - it will be more expensive doing the amount of miles you do.

A loan gives you more control. You actually own the car and it is a lot simpler. Once you have the loan approved you can literally buy the car from the dealer without being bamboozled by the figures of PCP which can be confusing at first.

PCP is the modern way to buy cars and it can be confusing at first. You pay a deposit and monthly amount, but at the end of the term there is a large balloon payment. This can look intimidating, but most people dont pay it. They usually use any credit they have in the car (i.e the dealer gives a future guaranteed price at the point you agree the PCP and the car will often be worth more than that at the end of the term) to purchase their next car on PCP and the cycle continues. The amount of credit you will have in the car at the end is likely to be lower is you are purchasing a used car from a dealer. Also, I believe you can hand the car back at any time on PCP - check this though because I am not 100% sure.

Then I would write a shortlist of cars that meet your needs and you like. You can use YouTube to watch car reviews and check the used prices of them on AutoTrader. Also, if you are buying a used car I highly recommend a YouTube channel called High Peak Autos - he reviews used cars and gives buying advice as well as known problems to expect.

Hope that helps.
 
I've gone down the PCP route too - as mentioned, it can be a bit daunting, but I've had the last 3 cars that way. First 2 were brand new, current one was 6 months old, dealership owned. This meant I could get a 'nicer' car with a better spec for less each month.
The first was a 3 year plan, but they called me to ask if I wanted a new one after 2 years, so I did and it was the same per month. The 2nd one (which actually was just the same car, but updated model) was a 4 year plan, but I decided after 3 years and I had paid off more than 50% to hand it back - no financial penalties as long as you have paid off more than 50% of the finance agreement. Taken another 4 year plan on the current car, but they will call after around 3 years to ask if I want an 'upgrade' which I will take. Take a longer plan as it reduces monthly payment, it's unlikely you will ever keep it for the full plan, unless of course you want to

Some people reckon you should put as much down as a deposit to make the monthly instalments smaller, but the problem here is that when you change, if you want a similar spec, you need to find another big deposit. A colleague of mine got stung this way as when he wanted a new car after 3 years, he didn't have the savings to put another big chunk down, so he had to 'downgrade' on what he could afford. I favour putting as little down as possible, but enough to make the monthly payments within budget, that way when I do come to change it, I don't have to find another big chunk of cash and can either get a similar vehicle, or upgrade a bit like last time

Hope that helps. Buying a car is a stressful thing as it's a big responsibility to commit to a large financial outlay, but take your time and make sure you fully understand the deal, don't be rushed and don't feel daft getting them to explain things for you, several times if need be. I certainly did and while it may have been 5-6 hours in the dealership, it was worth it for my own piece of mind
 
Just a little tip I was told years ago . Never buy the car at the beginning of the month but leave it to the last week or so as salesmen are desperate to get their sales over the line be it expected sales or bonuses . They’ll do you a much better deal to get your signature 🤝
 
i actually bought a car yesterday. Just got a newer slightly bigger model of what I currently own (Vauxhall Corsa) with 25k miles on the clock, from the same dealer I got my current car from. I got next to nothing for my current car but I didn’t feel in a position to haggle. And probably would have made an **** of myself if I did. 130k miles, MOT due end of December, dents all over from being hit in a car park, and £700 plus to repair the steering column to get it through the MOT

I think part of my depression was being forced into getting a new one. I feel a little better this morning but we’ve had heavy rain and light snow here in the fens and I’ve got a day off so I can’t go out walking and running like I planned.

one place that id never visited before was a car supermarket called carworld. No prices on any of the vehicles, just a piece of paper in the window with “drive this car away for £xx a week” and a QR code. What a stupid way to do business not putting a price up. Obviously it was all about forcing the punter inside the showroom to sell the finance deal.
 
Borobarmy said:
Just a little tip I was told years ago . Never buy the car at the beginning of the month but leave it to the last week or so as salesmen are desperate to get their sales over the line be it expected sales or bonuses . They’ll do you a much better deal to get your signature 🤝
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I hear you and have experienced that at work with our software provider’s account manager. Unfortunately I needed a new car ASAP as mine is knackered and the mot runs out at the end of the month
 
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